‘Who Thinks this Teaspoon Is Art?’ A Discourse Analysis of Elementary School Students' Negotiation of Meaning During Art Museum Visits

Abstract

This intrinsic case study examines art museum learning of elementary school students during a week-long visit at the Mackenzie Art Museum. Museums are informative institutions that provide opportunities for visitors to engage with self, others, and society. It is a unique place for visitors to learn beyond classroom settings. This project aims to analyse the discourse around art and understand how young learners utilise discourse as tools to make meaning during art museum visits. By examining learners' dialogues, the research investigated a meaning-making framework that incorporates strategies for negotiating insights in art museums. This study includes approximately 12 hours of video-recorded data and student artefacts. The data suggests learners engage and form new meanings through building and negotiating discourses with peers and museum educators. Different discourses and knowledge are valued and reinforced by members of the group. This study addresses the gap in children's meaning-making during art museum visits, illustrating their strategies to construct knowledge and bridge connections.