What Do Adolescents Talk about When They Visit an Aquarium? A Case Study at the Marine Aquarium of Rio De Janeiro

Abstract

This qualitative study analyses conversations among teens during a visit to AquaRio, the Marine Aquarium of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, aiming to elucidate how they engage, participate and what interests them the most when having this experience. Twenty teenagers, divided into groups, were invited to visit the aquarium in an out-of-school context and answer pre- and post-visit questionnaires to characterize their sociocultural profiles, interest in Science and Technology issues, opinions on their experiences during the visit. Their visits were recorded with a subjective camera, and the videos were later coded using a research protocol focused on conversation content. We found that the most frequent conversations revolved around: the exhibit itself (function, design, and experience); their visit and observation of the animals and tanks with links drawn to the teens’ universe; and associations with prior or personal knowledge. They commented on the experience while observing exhibit elements, lighting, and signage texts. Movies, cartoons, related fictional characters, and elements of daily life came up repeatedly during their conversations. According to our findings, there is evidence that the adolescents enjoyed the visit and were highly engaged, as expressed in their delight over the animals and the exhibit environment. Finally, we argue that a great challenge for aquariums staff is to design circulation paths, exhibits, and activities that meet adolescents’ interests and thus provide conservation education experiences that are perceived as enjoyable and engaging.