Children as curators: how to incorporate young visitors' voices into the elaboration and evaluation of a microbiology exhibition.

Studies of museum publics are relatively recent, and studies of child visitors are even more recent. In this paper we summarize the types of exhibition evaluations mentioned in the literature and present an evaluation process for an exhibition about microbiology developed for and with input from 4-to-6-year-old children. As a case study we analyzed an exhibition entitled "The Giant World of Microbes." Audio and video interviews were recorded with child visitors, and the stimulated recall technique was also employed. The data indicate the importance of interactive activities in enhancing child motivation and providing pertinent routes to follow when preparing an exhibition geared toward children.

Children as curators: how to incorporate young visitors’ voices into the elaboration and evaluation of a microbiology exhibition

Studies of museum publics are relatively recent, and studies of child visitors are even more recent. In this paper we summarize the types of exhibition evaluations mentioned in the literature and present an evaluation process for an exhibition about microbiology developed for and with input from 4-to-6-year-old children. As a case study we analyzed an exhibition entitled "The Giant World of Microbes." Audio and video interviews were recorded with child visitors, and the stimulated recall technique was also employed. The data indicate the importance of interactive activities in enhancing child motivation and providing pertinent routes to follow when preparing an exhibition geared toward children.

Children as curators: how to incorporate young visitors’ voices into the elaboration and evaluation of a microbiology exhibition

Studies of museum publics are relatively recent, and studies of child visitors are even more recent. In this paper we summarize the types of exhibition evaluations mentioned in the literature and present an evaluation process for an exhibition about microbiology developed for and with input from 4-to-6-year-old children. As a case study we analyzed an exhibition entitled "The Giant World of Microbes." Audio and video interviews were recorded with child visitors, and the stimulated recall technique was also employed. The data indicate the importance of interactive activities in enhancing child motivation and providing pertinent routes to follow when preparing an exhibition geared toward children.

Os estudos sobre exibições em museus são relativamente recentes, e estudos sobre crianças visitantes são mais recentes ainda. Este trabalho faz um resumo dos tipos de avaliações de exibição mencionados na literatura e apresenta um processo de avaliação para uma exibição de microbiologia desenvolvida para, e com o auxilio de, crianças entre 4 e 6 anos. Como estudo de caso analisamos uma exibição intitulada "O Mundo Gigante dos Micróbios". Foram gravadas entrevistas de áudio e vídeo com os visitantes mirins, e também se utilizou a técnica de estimulação da memória. Os dados indicam a importância das atividades interativas no fortalecimento da motivação das crianças e oferecem caminhos pertinentes a seguir na elaboração de exibições focadas no público infantil.

Learning about microorganisms in childhood: four- to six-year-old children’s voice in kindergartens and museums

The main purpose of this research was to identify 4 to 6-year-old children’s ideas about microorganisms, taking into consideration the learning processes carried out in different educational contexts. To this end, data were collected from two institutions – a science museum and a kindergarten – by means of interviews, recorded conversations, drawings, and the application of a didactic sequence with the kindergarten group. A qualitative analysis of the data revealed that children associate the presence of microorganisms with dirty places and see them as pathological agents. The children demonstrated that they understand the idea of scale and the need for magnifying instruments. We found that they consider microorganisms morphologically similar to insects and that they use various scientific words appropriately. It was concluded that young children understand the theme "microorganisms", and that it should be addressed more actively by institutions that teach four- to six-year-olds, which are responsible for contributing to their scientific literacy and science learning in childhood. It is proposed that the following themes be developed in educational activities with young children: biodiversity, scale, biological functions, and relationships with humans and food.

Learning about microorganisms in childhood: four- to six-year-old children’s voice in kindergartens and museums

The main purpose of this research was to identify 4 to 6-year-old children’s ideas about microorganisms, taking into consideration the learning processes carried out in different educational contexts. To this end, data were collected from two institutions – a science museum and a kindergarten – by means of interviews, recorded conversations, drawings, and the application of a didactic sequence with the kindergarten group. A qualitative analysis of the data revealed that children associate the presence of microorganisms with dirty places and see them as pathological agents. The children demonstrated that they understand the idea of scale and the need for magnifying instruments. We found that they consider microorganisms morphologically similar to insects and that they use various scientific words appropriately. It was concluded that young children understand the theme "microorganisms", and that it should be addressed more actively by institutions that teach four- to six-year-olds, which are responsible for contributing to their scientific literacy and science learning in childhood. It is proposed that the following themes be developed in educational activities with young children: biodiversity, scale, biological functions, and relationships with humans and food.

Conversas de aprendizagem em museus de ciências: como os deficientes visuais interpretam os materiais educativos domuseu de microbiologia?

Os processos de divulgação e educação em Ciências vêm tomando grandeimportância, principalmente a partir do último quarto do século passado. Osmuseus de ciências, enquanto espaços de educação não formal, têm papelimportante na ampliação e refinamento desses processos e, sendo locais abertosà população, são demandados a desenvolver propostas inclusivas. O Museu de Microbiologia do Instituto Butantan desenvolveu uma série de atividades e materiais educativos sobre microrganismos para facilitar a aproximação entre o público deficiente visual e a cultura científica. No presente estudo procurou-se compreender como os visitantes deficientes visuais interpretam os materiais desenvolvidos, verificar qual o entendimento que o uso desses materiais propicia e estudar os tipos de significados que lhes são dados. Pessoas com deficiência visual foram entrevistadas durante a exploração do material com o auxílio de um áudio-guia e as conversas geradas foram analisadas, estabelecendo-se categorias interpretativas. A categoria mais frequente foi a “Estratégica de Uso”(11,8%), quando os deficientes visuais manifestavam suas impressões sobrecomo utilizar o Programa MicroToque. Outras duas categorias, “Afetiva de Prazer” (10,2%) e “Perceptiva de Identificação” (8,6%) foram também encontradas. A junção das ferramentas tátil e auditiva foi fundamental para a resolução de problemas e criação de representações visuais, importantes para construção e compreensão de conceitos e facilitando a organização do pensamento teórico.Sugere-se aqui a necessidade de uma organização dos conteúdos que favoreçao estabelecimento de conversas interpretativas conceituais e também a consideração dos conhecimentos prévios de visitantes com deficiência visual na elaboração dos aparatos a eles destinados, o que poderia propiciar maior frequência de outras elaborações conversacionais.