Learning science through practical experiences in museums

Abstract

School excursions to museums can form an integral and innovative component of school practical learning in science. Museums, however, are informal learning environments where teachers have limited control over the specific ideas or experiences with which the students are engaged. For school groups to make successful use of museums as learning resources, appropriate teaching and learning approaches and strategies, involving a shift from task orientation to student‐centred learning orientation, are needed. By allowing student learning to happen in a natural way, that is, by allowing personal interest and curiosity to drive the students’ learning, not only will students be gaining more from their excursion, they will be practising scientific investigative processes. Incorporation of the excursion into school‐based investigations renders the purposes for the visit clearly apparent, and gives students a goal to achieve back at school using the information gathered at the museum. This article investigates how museum visits can be used to meet three major purposes for practical work, and introduces a framework to facilitate students’ learning in museums.