Docent programs are in flux. Many institutions have rethought their programs to encourage more diverse voices: some have eliminated the docent role, while others have changed their structure and offered additional training. When The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens decided to invest in its docent program as part of an…

This article analyzes a current exhibition, "Climate for Change," which opened at the Norwegian Petroleum Museum in 2019. By engaging with the way in which the exhibition constructs a "we," the article proceeds to examine how agency for mitigation is presented and analyzed. It assesses how futures are created and what types of…

In this study, it is aimed to examine and analyze virtual museums in accordance with design and perception of social presence. In this context, virtual museums that offer free access internationally were identified and accepted as documents. Document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. Each of the virtual…

Recent literature on mentoring revises the long-held notion of a dyadic, master-apprentice affiliation to better reflect the fluid, flexible, and even non-hierarchical dynamics that occur between mentors and mentees today. Relational mentoring, intersectional mentoring, and co-mentoring models offer frameworks for reconsidering the role of…

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced museum educators to draw on new resources, which has led to the increased use of social media as an educational tool. This qualitative study explores museum education through social media using an adapted museum education theoretical model. The more specific aim is to address the approaches, experiences, and…

Most museum education research has focused on examining collaborative partnerships between artists and schoolteachers or artists and museum educators, in schools or art museums. This research investigates the collaborative partnership among artists, museum educators, and schoolteachers within the context of art museum education. Using the Double…

Background: In this paper, we add to the scant literature base on learning from failures with a particular focus on understanding educators' shifting mindset in making-centred learning environments. Aims: The aim of Study 1 was to explore educators' beliefs about failure for learning and instructional practices within their local making-centred…

Experiencing broad play and interaction opportunities is known to support children's learning and development and engagement with museum collections has the potential to stimulate enriching learning opportunities for even the youngest enquiring minds. Here, we describe the development of Toddler Time; a museum-based early years program developed…

Social emotional learning (SEL) is seen as critical for children's lifelong success. Though most of the research on preschoolers' SEL focuses on school-based interventions, children's museums are valuable resources for fostering SEL. This study compared observations of preschoolers' peer relationship skills in three different types of children's…

In 2023, the Bank of Canada Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada opened an exhibition called "Money in 10 Questions: Kids Edition." This exhibition was targeted to children aged 9-12, an audience that was chosen expressly to make an impact on the financial literacy of children at a critical age. The museum team involved the target audience…

This paper explores the intersection of interpretation and adult education within women's museums, emphasising the role of interpretation as both an art and a science. It examines how thoughtful interpretive strategies can transform static exhibitions into dynamic spaces for dialogue and reflection, specifically tailored for an adult audience.…

Our paper explores the experiences of three museum practitioners as they worked to address complex historical and contemporary intersections of gender and power at Fort Edmonton Park, a living history museum in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In our case study, we detail a narrative of changes to a Métis woman's (Emma McDonald) garden, arguing that the…

Science museums are key locations for informal education. They also enable research that explores how families structure their activities and conversations and how these contribute to learning experiences. The aim of this exploratory study, using qualitative and quantitative methodologies, was to analyse the process of family interactions during…

Questions have a critical role in learning and teaching. People ask questions to obtain information and express interest in ideas. The Bristol scientific centre "We The Curious" launched "Project What If" in 2017 to inspire residents of Bristol to record their questions and pursue their curiosities. Researching these questions…

Peace museums play an important role in peace education by offering visitors informal and non-formal education. As sites of remembrance, peace museums are rich pedagogical spaces for experiential learning and reflection. Educating children in the spirit of peace, tolerance and harmony between nations has been central to the work of the Museum of…