ERIC Number: EJ759900
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Jul
Pages: 11
Abstractor: Author
Reference Count: 0
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-8326
Family Learning Research in Museums: An Emerging Disciplinary Matrix?
Ellenbogen, Kirsten M.; Luke, Jessica J.; Dierking, Lynn D.
Science Education, v88 nS1 pS48-S58 Jul 2004
Thomas Kuhn's notion of a disciplinary matrix provides a useful framework for investigating the growth of research on family learning in and from museums over the last decade. To track the emergence of this disciplinary matrix we consider three issues. First are shifting theoretical perspectives that result in new shared language, beliefs, values, understandings, and assumptions about what counts as family learning. Second are realigning methodologies, driven by underlying disciplinary assumptions about how research in this arena is best conducted, what questions should be addressed, and criteria for valid and reliable evidence. Third is resituating the focus of our research to make the family central to what we study, reflecting a more holistic understanding of the family as an educational institution within larger learning infrastructure. We discuss research that exemplifies these three issues and demonstrates the ways in which shifting theoretical perspectives, realigning methodologies, and resituating research foci signal the existence of a nascent disciplinary matrix.
Descriptors: Museums, Educational Research, Family (Sociological Unit), Learning, Science Education, Intellectual Disciplines
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: N/A

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