Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MA

College

College of Creative Arts

Department

Art Education

Committee Chair

Terese Giobbia

Committee Co-Chair

Heather Harris

Committee Member

Heather Harris

Committee Member

Megan Leight

Abstract

Young children can be successfully engaged in art museum programs in many ways. Rather than identifying only one pedagogical strategy that is most effective for them, it is more productive to consider how different approaches affect the experiences of children in a museum. Despite the considerable body of existing research about educational strategies for preschool children, a clear synthesis of various pedagogical methods has not been applied to art museum programming for this age group. This research project used participant observation as its methodology to conduct four case studies attempting to answer the question: “How do different museum educational strategies affect the experience of preschoolers in a museum and their ability to develop both verbal and artistic responses to the works of art on display?” Data collection primarily included handwritten field notes, audio recordings of each session, and photographs of the children’s artwork. Eight children participated in four program sessions at the Art Museum of WVU with each session focused on a different pedagogical strategy: Guided Play, Visual Thinking Strategies, Social and Emotional Learning, and Storytelling. The children worked to construct knowledge through their interactions in each of the sessions and expressed their ideas both verbally and artistically. Each strategy had its unique features that affected the children’s learning and experience that museum educators should consider in planning similar programs. To select an appropriate pedagogy, it is most effective for museum educators to identify the specific goals of their program and use research-based strategies to achieve the desired outcomes.

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