How is it that the millions of visitors who flock to science centers each year are able to make use of the exhibits there? How do they discover the properties of previously unknown machines? How much time does it take? What is the significance of the process? An issue of particular interest to us is how visitors figure out what they can do with an…

This literature review aims to characterise mediation practices in non-formal science education settings (zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, science centres and museums) based on empirical studies published in the last 15 years and to evaluate their potential in providing visitors with an equitable and inclusive experience, considering their…

Science centres are informal learning spaces embedded with artefacts embodying mediational affordances. This exploratory and small-scale mixed methods study juxtaposes eye-tracking technologies and qualitative interviews to examine how visitors to a gallery navigated this space and interacted with different artefacts. A total of 15 visitors to the…

Science museums have demonstrated over time, and through various academic researches, to be a favorable environment to awaken the desire to learn more about scientific content, bringing visitors closer to artifacts and concepts in a different way than any other media can offer. In this research, we investigate how the public interacts with the…

Science museums (SMs) are important places for informal science learning, with visitors' self-directed social interactions affecting their learning outcomes. Analyzing group conversations with varying compositions in SMs can reveal visitor interactions characteristics, knowledge construction process, and emotional experiences during their visits.…

In this paper, the authors focus on theoretical discussions regarding the socio-scientific issues based exhibition, whose importance has become greater for science centers in the past two decades, but has no clear definition. We examine the background of the socio-scientific issues based exhibition, including its scope and qualities, through…

The Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize is organised by the Museum of South Australia each year, with the winning works typically touring to other states. Named after the founder of the museum, it features art inspired by science. A recent visit to the finalist's exhibition of the Waterhouse prize had the author thinking about the narrowing of…

Purpose: This paper aims to explore what design aspects can support data visualization literacy within science museums. Design/methodology/approach: The qualitative study thematically analyzes video data of 11 visitor groups as they engage with reading and writing of data visualization through a science museum exhibition that features real-time…

The term social participation is widely used and has various meanings in different contexts. This article aims to enhance the understanding of social participation in science museums. The research was conducted using a cultural-historical perspective in six steps: (1) survey to identify the meanings attributed to the term social participation and…

This paper explores how biodiversity is represented at the "Life in Crisis Schad Gallery of Biodiversity" (Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto). Using theoretical perspectives related to science, technology, society and environment (STSE), and biodiversity in science museums, we conducted a qualitative case study of the exhibit. Data…

This qualitative study investigated perceptions of STSE topics manifested by adults visiting four biodiversity exhibits at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto, Canada. Seven visitors were observed by researchers during their visits and completed post-visit interviews. The theoretical perspective on STSE relationships expounded by Pedretti…

Children's multiple interests intersect with their participation in informal learning practices in dynamic ways. Using a theoretical framework illustrating interest as a multifaceted construct that has different forms and a range of scope and durability, this study investigates how children's situational interests and individual interests are…

As museums evolve and shift toward interactive exhibitions by utilizing cutting-edge technologies, there has been a gap in research that distinguishes interactive exhibit experiences from static exhibit experiences. Therefore, using the grounded theory method [Corbin, Juliet, and Anselm Strauss. "Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and…

Urban middle school students in the United States have shown a declining interest in science and poorer science learning outcomes compared to the past. Museum learning experiences can potentially improve these students' interest and learning in science through interactive, personalized exhibits. This qualitative action research study asked the…

Educational games are fun teaching tools prepared in line with the aims of the lessons and facilitate the understanding of the subjects. Due to these features, they can be used in science centers to both discover exhibits and provide understanding of concepts. In this study, it was aimed to determine the opinions about the educational games…