Introduction
Method
Article selection
Procedure
Step | Description | Results |
---|---|---|
1 | Searched electronic database Web of Science by title with the combination of key words (e.g. learning, museum, children) | 151 |
2 | Searched two journals | 113* |
3 | Examined 264 studies | 33 |
4 | Concurrent (with steps 1 through 3) search of leading researchers in the field of museum education, our review of reference lists, and familiar empirical research | 8 |
5 | Inclusion of key resources | 3 |
Total sources included for review | 44 |
Analysis strategy
Analysis scheme
Code | Label | Description |
---|---|---|
1 | Child–adults/peers interaction | When children’s learning is guided exclusively by humans—the knowledgeable adult (museum educator, teacher, parent) or peer, through their conversational interactions: telling stories, asking questions, explaining |
2 | Child–technology interaction | When network technology applications are deployed in guiding children’s learning in the museum learning environment (computer and mobile phone tasks and games) |
3 | Child–environment interaction | When children interact with objects from the museum environment (e.g. hands-on activities, worksheets, free play, free-choice activities and free explorations) |
4 | Child–environment–adults/peers | When children’s interaction with the environment is guided with child–adults/peers (e.g. guided play, exploration and hands-on activities |
5 | Child–technology–adults/peers | When children’s engagement with the technology is guided by the knowledgeable adult/peer |
6 | Child–technology–environment | When children, guided by the technology, interact with the museum environment (e.g. exploration, worksheets tasks, hands-on activities) |
7 | Total interactivity | Strategies and activities that imply the combination of all the above stated interactivity types |
Results
References | Type of museum | Strategies/activities | Findings | Methodological characteristics |
---|---|---|---|---|
Study design
N = (number of participants) Data (i.e. how is learning, engagement and/or experience measured) * = Effectiveness study and its explanation | ||||
Anderson et al. (2008) | A + C + D | 1a, 1b, 1c 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d 4a, 4b, 4c | Children’s agendas had the potential to profoundly affect their museum experience and learning | Longitudinal
N = unknown Field notes and observations, conversation analysis |
Anderson et al. (2002) | A + C + D | 1a, 1b, 1c 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d 4a, 4b, 4c | Exhibits and programmatic experiences embedded in the familiar sociocultural context of the child’s world (e.g. story play) were more powerful mediators of memory, enjoyment and learning than those decontextualised | Longitudinal
N = 99 preschool children Interviews |
Ash (2003) | A | 1a, 1b, 1c | Biological principles supported reasoning across contexts, and were particularly useful for children who don’t yet have sophisticated domain knowledge | Case study, longitudinal
N = unknown Interviews, family conversations |
Bamberger and Tal (2007)* | A + C+ | 4b, 3c | The limited-choice activities offered scaffolding, controlled learning, enhanced deeper engagement, and linkage to the prior knowledge, science curriculum and life and experience | Descriptive
N = 750 students Observations, interviews, worksheets The effectiveness of limited-choice activities on scaffolding and deeper understanding |
Benjamin et al. (2010)* | B | 1a, 1b, 1c 4b, 4d | Caregivers provided with conversation instruction asked more “wh” questions, made more associations, and engaged in caregiver-child joint talk. After 2 weeks, the children in the building and conversation group instruction were the best in identifying pictures with the strongest structures | Experiment
N = 121 children Questionnaires, paired-comparison picture task, analysis of conversations in a museum, and delayed memory conversations at home Effectiveness of caregiver instruction prior to exhibit on caregiver-child interactions and children’s learning |
Burchenal and Grohe (2007)* | D | 1a, 1b 3a, 3b, 3c 4b | The art-viewing program using the VTS approach in both classroom and museum promoted the development of critical-thinking skills | Quasi-experiment
N = unknown Observations, conversation analysis The program led to more instances of critical thinking skills |
Cheng et al. (2011)* | A | 2 5 | Children showed understanding and attitudes towards the impact of methamphetamine abuse on the brain; parents’ help increased the level of performance | Pre-post experiments
N = 175 students Survey questionnaires Effectiveness of the interactive exhibition on children’s level of drug understanding and attitudes |
Cox-Petersen et al. (2003) | C | 1a, 1b, 1c | School tours were organised in a didactical conflicting way to science education reform documents and research. The students showed high satisfaction with the tour, but low levels of science learning | Descriptive
N = 30 teachers, N = 85 children Observations, interviews |
DeWitt (2008) | A | 1a, 1b 4b | Students utilised their existing science understandings to interpret and explain their interactions with exhibit | Descriptive
N = 123 students Interviews prompted by video clips and still photos |
Freedman (2010)* | B | 1a 4b | Students were able to identify healthy and unhealthy ingredients (e.g. low-fat cheese, mushrooms, sausage, high fat cheese) | Intervention
N = 151 Questionnaires The effectiveness of a field trip intervention Healthy Pizza Kitchen on teaching basic nutrition concepts and creating balanced meals |
Glick and Samarapungavan (2008)* | A | 1c 3c, 3d | Participation in the research-designed field trip-related classroom activities before and after the field trip enhanced students’ learning about wolves | Quasi-experiment
N = 30 children Interviews Effectiveness of the intervention on students’ science learning from a school field trip |
Hall and Bannon (2006) | C | 7 | The study room and the room of opinions encouraged children to explore clues and information related to objects, and develop their own opinions about artifacts | Design and evaluative
N = 362 children Participant observations |
Hsu et al. (2006) | A | 2 6 | Demonstrated feasibility of the knowledge-based mobile learning framework for museums | Descriptive
N = unknown Unknown |
Krakowski (2012) | D | 1a, 1b 4a, 4b | The guided play was seen as a valuable vehicle for engaging young children in museum | Self-study
N = unknown Observations |
Luke et al. (2007) | D | 1a, 1b 3a 4b | The implemented measure for assessing critical-thinking skills was seen as a valuable diagnostic and training tool for practitioners in enhancing children’s critical thinking skills | Instrument construction
N = unknown Interviews, conversational analysis |
Mallos (2012) | D | 1a, 1b 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 4a, 4b, 4c | The collaboration between artists and museums created for children memorable encounters with contemporary art | Action study
N = unknown Observations |
Martell (2008) | A + D | 1b 3a, 3d 4b | Field trip-based learning looked for the most part like learning in schools in terms of the use of specific cultural tools as initiation-response-evaluation (IRE) and textbook. Students were provided with syntactic knowledge about art, and substantive knowledge about science | Case study
N = unknown Journals, assignments, interviews, conversation analysis |
Melber (2003)* | C | 1a, 1b, 1c 3a, 3c 4b | Greater understanding of science careers, desire to explore science careers, increased content knowledge and understanding | Quasi-experiment
N = 31 Questionnaires for children and parents The effectiveness of inquiry-based activities on attitudes toward science careers, understanding of scientific work and scientists, and content knowledge gains |
Milutinović and Gajić (2010) | D | 1a, 1b, 1c, 3c 3d 4a, 4b, 4c | Children gave rich descriptions about the objects, showed high motivation and the capability to take part when discussing them and the artworks | Action research
N = 170 children Observations, worksheets, conversational analysis, analysis of drawings |
Murriello and Knobel (2008) | A | 7 | Children expressed a rich learning experience about identifying small scale length or the concept of tiny particles | Evaluation
N = 814 children; N = 338 general public; N = 23 school visitors Questionnaires and interviews Effectiveness of interactive exhibit NanoAventura on approaching and understanding nanoscience |
Palmquist and Crowley (2007) | C | 1a, 1b, 1c | Parents with novice children more actively engaged them in learning conversations than parents with expert children | Descriptive and correlational
N = 42 families Interviews, questionnaires, conversation analyses |
Puchner et al. (2001) | B | 1b 3a, 3b, 3c 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d | Simple cause-and-effect learning during exhibits was more likely to occur with adult interaction than without | Descriptive and correlational
N = 101 Observations and conversation analysis |
Rahm (2004) | A | 2 3c 4b | Supported that museums are one of the resources for science literacy development | Case study, ethnography
N = unknown Observations, field notes, conversational analysis |
Sung et al. (2010)* | C | 1c 6 7 | Problem-solving mobile strategy increased the child–adult/peer interactions, learning discussions and attention during exhibit | Experiment
N = 65 children Observations, questionnaires No learning effects of electronic guidebooks |
Tenenbaum et al. (2004)* | A | 1c | Children developed new science concepts, such as buoyancy, bubbles and currents | Intervention
N = 48 children Questionnaires, tasks Effectiveness of the combined museum/school intervention on the children’s content knowledge and concept complexity about water |
Tenenbaum et al. (2010)* | C | 1a, 1b, 1c 3c, 3d 4b | Children engaged in more historical talk, and spent more time with the exhibit when they used booklets and activities | Quasi-experiment
N = 58 families Observations, conversation analysis |
Van Schijndel et al. (2010)* | A | 1b 3a, 3b, 3c 4b, 4d | The scaffolding style yielded more active manipulation, while the explaining style more exploratory behavior | Experiments
N = 71 Exploratory behavior observations Effectiveness of the scaffolding, explaining and minimal coaching style on children’s hands-on behaviour during exhibit |
Wickens (2012)* | C | 1a 3a, 3b, 3c 4c | Listen, Look & Do structure helped children to feel a sense of comfort, controlled their learning and improved knowledge about Duke E’s life, music and lifestyle in the period he lived in | Longitudinal case study
N = unknown Interviews with teachers, children The effectiveness of the Listen, Look & Do on children knowledge about Duke E’s life and music |
Wilde and Urhahne (2008)* | C | 1a, 1c | Open tasks were less successful and intrinsically motivating in contrast to closed and mixed tasks | Experiment
N = 207 children Questionnaires The effectiveness of closed tasks on gaining knowledge and intrinsic motivation |
Wöhrer and Harrasser (2011) | B | 3a, 3b, 3c 4a, 4b, 4c | Children experimented and played with scientific technologies. They showed gendered-related differences in the object usage | Ethnographic
N = 220 children Participant observations, conversation analysis |
Zimmerman et al. (2008) | A | 1b, 1c | Children and parents contributed to the conversation about biology. They had different intellectual roles during the conversation (e.g. skeptic, expert) | Case studies
N = 44 (15 families) Family conversation analysis |
Profile of the research
Theoretical perspectives
Methodological approach and information sources
Framework of children’s learning in museums
Science museums
Children’s museums
(Natural) history museums
Art museums/galleries
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focusing children’s attention on a particular aspect of the artwork
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asking open-ended questions
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providing explanations
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recalling facts or experiences to encourage associations
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making suggestions; initiating a line of thinking that children can follow
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hypothesising (or imagining or wondering) to spark curiosity and encourage further exploration, and