Discovering science teaching and learning in a hands-on museum

Abstract

This paper describes a partnership between the professors of elementary science education and the college’s hands-on science museum director. The goals of this partnership are to provide authentic ways of learning and teaching science for pre-service elementary majors at a state university, and to create opportunities for students and their families to develop understandings of science concepts in a community setting. Since 1996, approximately 1000 elementary majors have prepared and reflected on a tabletop science activity presented to Saturday visitors to the museum. Using observations and reflections, this partnership confirms a high level of satisfaction in teaching and learning science for both the pre-service teachers and students with their families in the community museum.