Fostering effective learning experiences for school groups in museums

Abstract

This research study sets out to investigate whether a museum visit for school children, which is participatory and experiential, results in identified learning outcomes and a more meaningful experience for its visitors. Evidence, from the study's results, shows that pupils who participated in a thematic programme at the Inquisitor's Palace - National Museum of Ethnography, gained knowledge and increased their cultural understanding within the subject area, enhanced their creative and practical skills, found the experience enjoyable and felt inspired to learn more about the subject. A mixed research method approach was adopted to determine that an audience centred approach in school visit programmes enhances the visitors' perception of the museum as a place of fun and learning. The study also addresses the challenge that an evaluation process helps museums develop an on-going documentation of the programmes on offer which results in valuable information and understanding whether the objectives set are being met and in assessing audience outcomes. Evaluation may also account for the expenditure of public funds, and sustains arguments for continued support. Two conceptual frameworks, namely the Contextual Model of Learning (Falk and Dierking, 2000) and the Generic Learning Outcomes (Hooper-Greenhill, 2007) are used in this study to evaluate the multiple dimensions and outcomes of learning in a cultural setting.