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ERIC Number: EJ1121613
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Dec
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1871-1502
EISSN: N/A
Disorientating, Fun or Meaningful? Disadvantaged Families' Experiences of a Science Museum Visit
Archer, Louise; Dawson, Emily; Seakins, Amy; Wong, Billy
Cultural Studies of Science Education, v11 n4 p917-939 Dec 2016
It is widely agreed that there is a need to increase and widen science participation. Informal science learning environments (ISLEs), such as science museums, may provide valuable spaces within which to engage visitors--yet the visitor profile of science museums remains narrow. This paper seeks to understand the experiences of socially disadvantaged families within such spaces. Using a Bourdieusian analytic lens, we analyse qualitative data from a small study conducted with ten parents and ten children from an urban school who visited a large science museum. Data includes pre- and post-interviews, audio recordings and visit fieldnotes. We characterised families' experiences as falling into three discourses, as "disorientating", "fun" or "meaningful" visits. Analysis identifies how the families' experiences, and the likelihood of deriving science learning from the visit, were shaped through interactions of "habitus" and capital. Implications for improving equity and inclusion within ISLEs are discussed.
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A