January 1st, 2003 | RESEARCH
A study of docent-led guided school tours at a museum of natural history was investigated. Researchers engaged in naturalistic inquiry to describe how natural history content was conveyed to students and what students gained from this model of touring. They also investigated how the content and pedagogy within the guided tour complemented recommendations from formal science standards documents and informal learning literature. About 30 visiting school groups in Grades 2-8 were observed. Teachers (n = 30) and select students (n = 85) were interviewed. Researchers found that tours were organized in a didactic way that conflicted with science education reform documents and research related to learning within informal contexts. Students' responses to interview questions indicated high satisfaction with the tours but low levels of science learning.
Document
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Team Members
Anne Cox-Peterson, Author, California State UniversityDavid Marsh, Author, University of Southern California
James Kisiel, Author, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Leah Melber, Author, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Citation
Publication: Journal of Research in Science Teaching
Volume: 40
Number: 2
Page(s): 200
Related URLs
Tags
Audience: Elementary School Children (6-10) | Middle School Children (11-13)
Discipline: Education and learning science | Literacy | Nature of science
Resource Type: Peer-reviewed article | Research Products
Environment Type: Museum and Science Center Programs | Public Programs