Parent perspectives on learning and play in children’s museums: three complementary studies

This dissertation presents three studies on learning in children museums. The first study is a literature review of the research that was done on learning in children’s museums between 2010 and 2021. In this review, I focused on presenting a current state of the field with insights into what research has been done and where there may be gaps in the literature. In order to evaluate the research, I first analyzed the implicit and explicit use of major learning theories to ground the papers. This showed that most researchers are currently using sociocultural learning theory as a lens through which they evaluate intergenerational learning and interactions in these spaces. From there, I investigated which participants’ behaviors the researchers focused on, what types of exhibits were being studied, and how researchers were evaluating learning. Doing so showed that there is an abundance of research on adult behaviors in STEM exhibits. The review concludes with recommendations for future research on how to design and evaluate children’s museum exhibits based on sociocultural learning theory.

The second study aims to understand adult behavior in children’s museums and the roles they take on during a visit. People take on many roles during a visit, but most prior work has focused on museums in general and here I focus solely on children’s museums. I gathered observation and interview data from four adults during a visit to a local children’s museum. To understand the adult visitors’ behaviors and roles, I analyzed how their personal goals and opinions, their interactions with others, and the museum design and layout interacted to influence their behavior. I used this analysis to develop four major adult roles: Chaperone, Playmate, Educator, and Playful Teacher. Adults move between these roles as they interact with their children based on their personal goals, their children’s behavior, and the exhibit designs. Although parents take on many roles, they tend to have one they inhabit most often which typically aligns with their personal goals and understanding of the visit.

The third study is an investigation into parent’s perspectives on children’s museum visits. It aims to identify parents’ reasons for visiting the children’s museum and their understanding of the educational value of their visit. I distributed an online questionnaire to recent visitors and asked them to recount why they visited, to describe how they and their children interacted at two of the exhibits, and to evaluate each exhibit based on its educational value. I analyzed the data, looking for recurring themes and compared their ratings of the exhibits. Through this analysis, I argue that parents typically have two complimentary entry narratives. First, they come to the children’s museum to have a Child-Centered Experience during which their children can play and learn on their own. Second, parents expect to have Parent Leisure Time. I argue this is a form of family leisure time in which the parents are present but are not required to be fully engaged with their children for the entire visit, creating opportunities for the parents to relax from the full duties of parenting. Finally, I argue that parents take a Broad View of Learning. When describing their children’s learning, parents talked about both academic and non-academic learning. These themes can be used to improve adult visitors’ experiences at children’s museums.