The purpose of this paper is to bring together research on learning and teaching in science – especially for scientific literacy and citizenship – with new insights into museum didactics in order to inform innovative ways of creating museum exhibits and visits and develop new ways of linking formal and informal learning environments. Knowledge from different domains that have evolved substantially over the past few decades is brought together with the intention of setting up some relatively concrete guidelines for arranging visits to science museums.
First we examine new understandings of science learning in relation to the questions of why young people should learn science and what kind of science they should learn. We touch upon issues of scientific literacy and citizenship, dialogical processes, the nature of science, and inquiry-based teaching among others. Secondly, we relate our reflections on teaching and learning in science to their implications for science museums and centres. As an overall conclusion museum exhibits and activities need to include both the content and processes relevant to the given science, thus including opportunities for discovery and understanding of both aspects of science. Furthermore, we describe some design principles in accordance with our reflections and conclusions; e.g. critical issues-based exhibits, the five-step process of reflection, and immersion and multisensory interactions.
Finally, we discuss how to get full benefit of museum visits for pupils and we put forward some guidelines, in relation to a concrete exhibit, for designing experiences at science museums and centres.