BIRMINGHAM WellingtonHouse 3134WaterlooStreet Birmingham B25TJ T:01212625111 LONDON GilmooraHouse 5761MortimerStreet London W1W8HS T:02030085539

FinalReport

IMPACTOFSCHOOLVISITSTO MUSEUMSONLEARNINGAND ATTAINMENT

DraftReport

IMPACTOFSCHOOL VISITSTOMUSEUMSON LEARNINGAND ATTAINMENT WestMidlandsHub

BRADFORD BradfordDesignExchange 34PeckoverStreet LittleGermany BradfordBD15BD T:01274743600

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Impactofschoolvisitsonattitudestolearningandattainmentfinalreport

TABLEOFCONTENTS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

ExecutiveSummary.................................................................................1 Acknowledgements.................................................................................2 Introductionandmethodology................................................................3 Knowledgeandunderstanding................................................................5 Skills........................................................................................................7 Attitudesandvalues................................................................................9 Enjoyment,inspiration,creativity..........................................................12 Activity,behaviourandprogression......................................................15 Conclusionsandlearningpoints............................................................18

AppendixI:TopicGuideforFocusGroups

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1.

ExecutiveSummary
TheWestMidlandsHubEducationGroupcommissionedConsultingInplacetocarry outresearchintotheimpactofmuseumandgalleryvisitsonchildrenslearning.

Fourfocusgroupswereconductedwithchildrenwhoattendedvisitstoamuseum orgalleryover12monthsago.Thisresearchhasbeenframedaroundthe Museums,LibrariesandArchives(MLA)fiveGenericLearningOutcomes(GLOs). Thefigurebelowsummarisesthemainfindingsfromtheresearch,alignedwiththe GLOs.

Enjoyment,Inspiration Creativity
Engagingstaffcontribute significantlytoenjoyment Mixedviewsontheextenttowhich museums/galleriesareinspiring Museums/galleriesareexciting, interestingplaces Museums/galleriesareenjoyable andstimulatetheimagination

Knowledgeand understanding
Visitscontributetoadeeper understandingofsubject areas Visitshelpedtobringschool projectstolife Visitssupportknowledge retention

Activity,Behaviourand Progression
Mostchildrenintendtovisitagain Theclassroomactivitiesafterthe visithaveasignificantroletoplayin embeddinglearning Mostchildrentalktotheirfamilies abouttheirvisits Visitsincludingphysicalactivityare mostpopularandmemorable Visitsprovideresourcesthatschools cant

GenericLearningOutcomes: TheWestMidlandsExperience Skills

Attitudesandvalues
Visitscontributetoimproved confidence Visitsencouragechildrentointeract withotherchildrenoutsideoftheir friendshipgroupandwithadults Visitschangeattitudesand perceptionstowardsmuseumsand galleries Visitschangeattitudestowards learning

Theresearchfoundthatmuseumsandgalleriesreinforcelearningbestwhencertain thingsareinplaceincluding: whenchildrenareencouragedtobeactiveduringtheirvisits whentherearehighquality,charismaticguides whenchildrenareencouragedtohandleartefactsandobjects whentherearefollowupactivitiesintheclassroom.

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2.

Acknowledgements
ConsultingInplaceandtheWestMidlandsHubwouldliketothankthefourschools whoparticipatedintheresearch: ShortHeathPrimarySchool,Erdington,Birmingham BirchesGreenJuniorSchool,Erdington,Birmingham WestParkPrimarySchool,Wolverhampton HolyRosaryCatholicPrimarySchool,Wolverhampton WewouldliketothanktheHeadTeachers,TeachersandParentsforgivingtheir consentfortheresearchandmostimportantly,thechildrenforspeakingsohonestly andvibrantlyabouttheirexperiences.

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3.

Introductionandmethodology
Thisqualitativeresearchprojectexaminedtheimpactofmuseumvisitson childrenandyoungpeopleslearning.Thissectionexplainstherationalefor theresearchandthemethodologyusedtoconductthestudy.

3.1

Settingthecontext
TheWestMidlandsHubEducationGroup,whichrepresentsfivemuseumsinthe WestMidlandsplustheBlackCountryLivingMuseum,1commissionedConsulting InplaceinOctober2010tocarryoutresearchintotheimpactofmuseumandgallery visitsonchildrenslearning.

Existinganecdotalevidencesuggeststhatvisitstomuseumsandgalleriescontribute positivelytochildrenslearning.Previousresearch2hasfocusedonteachersviews ofimpactusingselfcompletionevaluationformslinkedtoorganisedvisitsto museums.Thisdemonstratedthevaluethatteachersplacedonmuseumeducation, notonlyinrelationtoattainment,butalsosocialandemotionalaspectsoflearning whichreinforcetheacquisitionofknowledgeandskills(p.11).Theresearchfound thatteachersrecognisedthecontributionmuseumscanmaketothedeliveryof EveryChildMatters3outcomesandtherolemuseumscanplayindeveloping positiveattitudestolearning.Thefindingsalsosuggestthatteachersbelievethat museumeducationhelpschildrentointeractpositivelywitheachotherandadults andtheirabilitytobecreativeandflexible. Whilepreviousresearchprovidedusefulinsightsintotheroleofmuseumsand galleriesineducation,itwasbasedonlyontheviewsofteachers.Theresearch conductedforthisreportaimedtoadddepthandrichnessofevidencethrough qualitativeresearchwithchildrenandyoungpeoplethemselves. ThisresearchhasbeenframedaroundtheMuseums,LibrariesandArchives(MLA) fiveGenericLearningOutcomes(GLOs).Theseareunderpinnedbyabroad definitionoflearningwhichidentifiesbenefitsthatpeoplegainfrominteractingwith museums,librariesandarchives.ThefiveGLOsare: Knowledgeandunderstanding Skills Attitudesandvalues Enjoyment,inspiration,creativity Activity,behaviourandprogression
1TheWestMidlandsHubisapartnershipbetweenfiveregionalmuseumservices:theyareBirminghamMuseumsandArt Gallery;CoventryArtsandHeritageService;Ironbridge;StokeonTrentMuseumsandWolverhamptonArtsandMuseums 2WestMidlandsRegionalMuseumsHub,EvaluationoftheRenaissanceintheRegionsLearningProgrammes0410atHub MuseumsusingtheGenericLearningandSocialOutcomes 3 Initiativesetupin2003toensurethateverychildhasthesupporttheyneedbehealthy,staysafe,enjoyandachieve,makea positivecontribution,achieveeconomicwellbeing CONSULTINGINPLACE

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3.2

Methodology
Schoolswithintheareasofinterest(centralBirminghamandWolverhampton)who hadvisitedamuseumorgallerywithinthenecessarytimescale(i.e.1218months prior)wereinvitedtotakepartintheresearch.Giventhetimescalesforcompleting theresearch,thosewhorespondedfirstwereselectedtoparticipate.Teachersat theselectedschoolswereinvitedtoselect6studentsfortheresearchfocusgroups 3girlsand3boyswithamixtureofacademicabilities. Fourfocusgroupswereconductedwithchildrenwhoattendedvisitstoamuseum orgalleryover12monthsago(Figure1).
Figure1:Participants

Locality Erdington Erdington Wolverhampton Wolverhampton

Schoolyearvisit tookplace Year5 Year3 Year4 Year5

Schoolyearfocus Museum/gallery grouptookplace visited Year6 Birmingham Museum Year3 Birmingham Museum Year5 BlackCountryLiving Museum Year6 WolverhamptonArt Gallery

ATopicGuidewasdesignedtoincludepromptsforthefocusgroupdiscussionsand wasstructuredaroundthefiveMLAGenericLearningOutcomes.TheTopicGuide wasusedtopromptthediscussionandisaflexibletool,ratherthanascript.Acopy ofthiscanbefoundinAppendix1. Intotal,24childrenwereinvolvedinthefocusgroupdiscussions.Thefocusgroups wereanalysedcollectivelyandthefindingsinthisreportrepresentthedominant findings,usingillustrativeexampleswhereappropriate. Itshouldbenotedthatthisresearch,whileyieldingrichqualitativedata,isbasedon arelativelysmallsampleofchildren.Thisresearchdoesnotaimtobestatistically significantnorprovideevidenceforallmuseum/galleryvisits.Rather,theresearch hasbeendesignedtobothaddtotheevidencebaseandprovideastartingpointfor furtherqualitativeresearchintotheimpactofWestMidlandsmuseums. Theremainderofthereportisorganisedaroundthe5GLOs,usingillustrative examplesfromthefocusgroupsessionstoevidenceourfindings.

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4.

Knowledgeandunderstanding
TheKnowledgeandUnderstandingGenericLearningOutcomerefersto participantsknowledge,learningfactsorinformation,makingsenseof something,deepeningunderstanding,howmuseums,librariesandarchives operate,makinglinksandrelationshipsbetweenthings.Thissection outlinesthecontributionstothisoutcome.

4.1

Visitscontributetoadeeperunderstandingofsubjectareas
Mostchildrenreportedthatmuseumandgalleryvisitsimprovedknowledgeand understandingofspecificsubjectsareas.Insomecases,thiswasimproved indirectly,learningabouthistory,throughavisittoanartgallery,forexample.It wasevidentthatmuseumandgalleryvisitshavetheabilitytoexciteandenthuse childrenaboutparticularsubjects. SeveralYear6childrenindicatedadeeperunderstandingofthedefinitionofartyou canmakeanythingifitsartandyoucanmakeanythingoutofanythingartisnot justaboutdrawingbutitcanbeaboutpaintingorsculpture OneYear6girlreportedthatthevisithelpedwithherdrawingalotbutalsohelped withhistory,literatureandreligiouseducationforexamplenotknowingthatJesus hadafeast,butthenyoudseethepictureandseethathedid.

4.2

Visitshelpedtobringschoolprojectstolife
Childrenwereaskedtocommentontheextenttowhichthevisitshelpedthem directlywiththeirschoolwork.Thereisclearevidencethattheirexperiencein galleriesandmuseumshasbeentransferredintoschoolprojects,particularlythose focusedonhistory,thesubjectaroundwhichvisitsareoftenorganised. OnegroupmentionedthethingstheyhadlearntaboutschoolsintheVictorian times,aboutwhatVictoriansusedtoeat,andwhatwasstockedinshops.This knowledgewasusedintheVictorianprojecttheywerecarryingoutinschoolthat term. Onepupilstatedtheywerenow betteratreadinginformationbooks sincethemuseumsvisitthissame boysaidthattherewasabookon AncientGreeceinhisclassroomand sincethemuseumvisithehasbeen readingit(learningaboutspears),and hereaditjustcozIwantedto Thereareseveralexamplesofhow visitstoexhibitshavebeenbroughtto lifethroughgamesandphysical activity.Thesearedescribedinmore detailinsection5.2

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4.3

Visitssupportknowledgeretention
Theparticipantswereabletovividlydescribetheirvisitstomuseumsandgalleries. Thespecificityandvibrancyoftheknowledgeretainedisparticularlynotable.Inall fourfocusgroupstheparticipantswereeachabletorememberatleastonespecific fact. ThosewhovisitedBirminghamMuseumwereabletorecallspecificstoriesfrom AncientGreece,suchashowslingshotswereusedtohithorseslegssothatpeople felloff,andhownastymessageswereputinslingshots,andtheyeven rememberedoneofthemessageshaveadeadbirthday,andhowAthenswentto warwithSpartaandthatSpartawon. Overall,thevisitscontributedtoagreaterunderstandingofwhatitwasliketolive asGreeksdid,withmanyanecdotes(suchasasoldierbeingkilledbyhisown catapultbullet)commonlyrememberedbythegroup.Backatschool,thechildren participatedinaGreekdaywheretheyexploredsomeoftheseaspects,including Greeksports,andthishelpedthemmakelinksbetweentheirownlivesandancient Greeks.Manyofthechildrenknewaboutspecifichistoriceventsinsomedetail, suchaswhateventswereintheoriginalOlympics.Relayracesstartedoutas messengerstakingmessagesaroundGreeceIneverknewthatbefore. Asignificantlevelofdetailwasretained.Whenaskedwhathadbeenremembered onegroupwhovisitedBlackCountryLivingMuseumrepliedthatponieswereused inminesinsteadofhorsesbecausehorsesweretootalltheheightlevelwas1 metrefortheponies

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5.

Skills
TheSkillsGLOreferstoknowinghowtodosomething;beingabletodo newthings;intellectualskills;informationmanagementskills;socialskills; communicationskills;physicalskills

5.1

Newskillsarespecifictotheexhibitvisited
Childrenreportedimprovedskillsinrelationtotheexhibittheyvisitedandthe activitiestheytookpartin.Therecognitionofimprovedskillswereverymuchlinked toactivitiesandexercises.Forexample,forthosewhovisitedArtGalleriesandtook partinactivities,theyreportedimproveddrawingskills.Somechildrenmentioned improvedmathsandliteracyasaresultofspecificexercisestheytookpartinduring theirvisits ThegroupwhovisitedWolverhamptonArtGallerylearnthowtouseartstrawsto makedifferentshapes.Alsothevisittaughtmehowtotakedrawingastep furtherIknowhowtodrawafaceandwheretheeyesshouldgo. Whenaskediftheyhadbecomebetteratcertainsubjects,suchasmaths,the childrenrecalledspecificexercises,suchasusingatimelinetocountbackwardsin ordertoworkoutdatesBC.Ofthosewhotookpartinthisexercise,mostthought thatthishadhelpedthemtoimprovemathsskills. ThegroupwhovisitedtheAncientGreeceexhibitionmentionedtheirimproved sportsskillssuchasjumpingusingaweight. Somechildrenstatedthattheyhadlearnednewwordsfromtheirvisittothe AncientGreeceexhibit.

5.2

Physicalactivitieshelptoembedskillsandretainknowledge
Asstatedabove,childrenwereableto rememberskillsspecifictotheexhibit visited.Ourresearchfoundthatwhen theactivitieswerephysical,therewasa vividdescriptionoftheactivityindicating improvedretention.Thefreedomof beingallowedtowalkaroundthe museumwaswelcomed. TwogroupstookpartinPEbased activitiesduringandaftertheir visittotheAncientGreeceexhibit basedonwhattheylearned abouttheOlympics.For example,theyusedhulahoopsas adiscus,usedjavelinsasspears. Theseactivitiesweredescribed vividly.

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Somechildrenstatedtheimportanceofmovement.Atschoolwejustsitthereand [atthemuseum]wecanrunaround.Anotherchildrecalledopportunitiestorun aroundandplaytigitsbetterthansittingstill.Thisindicatedthatthechildren enjoyedthemselvesandasaresultrememberwhathasbeenlearned. ThepreviouslymentionedactivityattheBlackCountryMuseumwherechildren visitedthecoalmineinvolvedthemmovingaroundratherthenbeingsatdownand toldaboutit.Theyallrememberedthingstheyhadlearntaboutthemineandthis wasallofthechildrensfavouriteandmostmemorablepartsofthevisit.

5.3

Improvedcommunicationandsocialskills
Manyofthechildrenstronglyagreedthattheyhadbecomebetterattalkingto friendsabouttheirideasthiscamefromthemworkingtogetherduringthevisits andactivities.Somestronglyagreedthattheyhadbecomebetterattalkingtoadults abouttheirideasanditwasstatedthatenteringthemuseummademefeellikea grownup Onegirlstatedthatherenthusiasmfromthevisitsmeantthatshewenthomeand talkedtoherfamilyaboutwhatshehadseenandherideasaboutit.

5.4

Examplesofcrosscurricularlearningandskills
InadditiontothelinkswithPEmentionedabove,thevisitsalsoimprovedchildrens understandingoftheworldaroundthem.Forexample,improvingunderstandingof thewaysinwhichartcancommentateonhistory.Severalchildrenusedthe internetwhentheyreturnedtotheclassroomorwhentheyreturnedhometodo furtherresearchandreportedimprovedICTskills.

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6.

Attitudesandvalues
TheAttitudesandValuesGLOreferstofeelings,perceptions,selfesteem, opinionsandattitudestowardsotherpeople,increasedcapacityfor tolerance,empathy,increasedmotivation,attitudestowardsan organisationandpositiveandnegativeattitudesinrelationtoan experience.

6.1

Visitscontributetoimprovedconfidence
Mostofthechildrenstronglyagreedthattheyfeltmoreconfidentaboutwhatthey couldachieveasaresultoftheirvisittothemuseumorgallery.Theyoungestofthe childrenconsultedweretheonlyonestobeunsureoverwhetherthevisithadmade themmoreconfident. InthecaseofthechildrenvisitingWolverhamptonArtGallerythisincreased confidencewaslinkedtoskillstheyhadlearntanddevelopedduringtheirvisit.One pupilrecalledhowpeoplehadsaidhisdrawingsweregoodpriortothegalleryvisit buthedidntbelievethem,butafterthevisithefeltmoreconfidentinhisown abilitiesandacceptedtheirpraise,allowingthemtoboosthisconfidencefurther. Otherpupilsreportedbeingmoreconfidentintheirabilitytodraw,withonepupil statingthathewasntgoodatdrawingbefore,nowhewasalmostasgoodasthegirl consideredtobethebestartistintheschool. OnepupilthathadvisitedtheArtGallerysaidithadhelpedtohaveconfidenceand faithinyourself.Theotherchildreninthegroupagreedandsaidtheyshouldhave confidenceintheirdrawingskills,howeveroneboysaidthatthislessonwastrueno matterwhatthesubjectortopic,andthathehadlearnttohavemoreconfidence andfaithinhimselfgenerally. ThemostenjoyableandmemorablepartofthevisittotheBlackCountryLiving Museumwasthevisitdownthecoalmine.Mostofthechildrensaidthatitwas scary(oneboysaidhewasreallyscaredbecausehewasclaustrophobic)butallof themmanagedtoachieveitandasaresultincreasedtheirconfidenceinthemselves throughdoingsomethingdifferentthatwasachallengeforthem.

6.2

Visitsencouragechildrentointeractwithotherchildrenoutsideoftheir friendshipgroupandwithadults
Someoftheparticipantsreportedthattheyinteractedwithotherchildrenfrom outsidetheirfriendshipgroupswhileonschoolvisits.Inallcasestheywereputinto groupsduringtheirvisitsbytheirteachers,andalthoughmostwereputwith friends,manyreportedtheopportunitytointeractwithotherchildrentheymaynot normallyspeakto.Theyalsohadachancetointeractwithadultsotherthan teachers. ThechildrenvisitingtheArtGallerywerejoinedbypupilsfromotherschools,which theysaidwasokwiththem.Asaresultmostofthesechildrenagreedthatthey

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spoketonewpeoplewhentheyvisitedthegallery,withoneboyreportingthathe madeanewfriend. MostchildrenwhotookpartintheAncientGreeceteachingsessionatBirmingham Museumsaidthattheyspoketothemuseumeducatortakingthevisit,particularly theyoungerchildren.

6.3

Visitschangeattitudesandperceptionstowardsmuseumsandgalleries
Mostofthechildrenstronglyagreedthatthemuseumorgalleryhadsurprised them.Alargenumberofthemhadbeentomuseumsandgalleriesbefore,whether withfamilyorschool,thereforemostalreadyhadperceptionsaboutwhatthisvisit wasgoingtobelike.Anumberofchildrenalsoagreedthatthemuseumwasmore interestingthantheythoughtitwouldbe.Thevisittojustonemuseumorgallery canchangeperceptionsaboutmuseumsandgalleriesasawhole,withseveralpupils sayingthattheyfoundthisvisitinterestingandthattheywouldactuallygiveother museumsachance

AllchildrenvisitingtheBlackCountryLivingMuseumweresurprisedbythevisit. Someweresurprisedbycertainpartsofthevisit,withonepupilsayingthe[coal] minewasdarkerthanIthought,andsmallerwhereasotherswerejustsurprisedin generalbyhowmanythingswereatthemuseum,andhowbigitwas.Allagreed thatthemuseumwasmoreinterestingthantheythought,asbeforetheyhad expectedittobeboring,butactuallyitwasinteresting ChildrenwhoattendedtheAncientGreeceteachingsessionwereparticularly surprised,asalthoughanumberofthemhadbeentothismuseumorothersbefore, theyweresurprisedattheactivitiestheygottodoonthisvisit.OnepupilsaidIhad beenbeforeanditwasboring,asyoujustlookedatthem(theobjects)but[thistime] youcouldholdthem. Anotherpupilfromadifferent schoolagreed,sayingusually museumsgetboringwhenyou lookatthesamethingsoverand over,itwasgoodthatwegotto holdthings.Beingabletotouch theartefactswasapleasant surpriseforallpupils.Asaresult mostchildrenalsosaidthatthe museumwasmoreinteresting thantheyhadexpected. Thesevisitsalsoshowthat barrierstovisitingmuseumscanbebrokendownsuchastheperceptionofwho visitsmuseums.Oneboysaidhefeltlikeanoldmanwhenhevisitedthemuseum, asthisiswhohebelievesusuallygoestomuseums.Thesevisitsshowedthat museumsandgalleriesarenotjustforolderpeople,theycanbefunandinteresting forpeopleofallages.
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6.4

Visitschangeattitudestowardslearning
Thevisitsencouragedchildrentoseelearningassomethingthatdoesntjusttake placeinschool,andthatlearningcanbefun.Insomecasesthevisitsalsochanged perceptionsaboutcertainsubjects.Therewasalsoevidenceofanincreaseddesire forlearning,inparticulartothesubjectsrelatedtotheirvisit. Therewasalevelofsurpriseamongsomeofthechildrenthattheycouldactually learnwhilsthavingfun,asusuallylearningissomethingtheymostlikelyassociate withsittinginaclassroomdoinglessontaskssuchasreadingandwriting.Onepupil commentedonhowsherealisedasaresultofthevisitthatyoucouldlearnin differentways. SomeofthechildrenthatattendedtheAncientGreeceteachingsessionsaidthat beforethevisitstheyhadntreallylikedhistorybutfollowingthemuseumvisitthey realisedtheylikedhistoryandwantedtofindoutmore.Othersdidntdislikehistory before,buttheyhadntthoughtofitasafunsubject;thevisitchangedtheirattitude towardsthesubject,includingonepupilthatsaidIchangedmymindabout museums[andfoundout]historywasinteresting. Onegirlinparticularshowedanincreaseddesireforlearning,statingbeforeIwentI wasabitinterestedinhistory,butIammoreinterestednow

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7.

Enjoyment,inspiration,creativity
TheEnjoyment,Inspiration,CreativityGLOreferstohavingfun,being surprised,innovativethoughts,creativity,beinginspiredandexploration, experimentationandmaking.

7.1

Engagingstaffcontributesignificantlytoenjoyment
Oneaspectofthevisitsthathadclearlyhadanimpactofthechildrenwasthe museumeducatortakingthevisits.Inmostcasesthechildrencouldrememberthe nameofthemuseumeducator,eventhoughthevisitsmayhavetakenplaceovera yearago.Thewayinwhichtheguidesengagedwiththechildrensignificantly contributedtothefunthatchildrenhadduringthevisit,aswellasalotofthe learningthattookplace. WhenagroupofchildrenwhohadvisitedBirminghamMuseumwereaskedwhat themostfunthingatthemuseumwasanumberofthemrecalledstoriesthatthe museumeducatorPete,orMrRay)hadtoldthem.Theyclearlyfoundhisstories veryfunnyandenjoyedhearingthem;thiswasreflectedinthelevelofdetailthey wereabletorecountabouthisstories.Oncetheybegantalkingaboutthestorieshe hadtoldthemtheywereabletorecountmoreandmorethingstheyhadlearntfrom him(suchasthestoryofmessagesbeingputintoslingshotsandthefactthatSparta andAthenswenttowarwitheachotherandSpartawon).Thissuggestsevidenceof thepowerofassociationinlearning,thefactthatthemuseumeducatorwas memorabletothemmadethestorieshetoldthemandknowledgeheprovided themwithmemorable.PeteRay,whohasjustretired,wasaqualifiedteacher,with particularexpertisebuiltupover24yearsintheservice.Thisindicatesthatqualified, experiencedmuseumeducatorscontributesignificantlytotheexperienceof museumsandgalleries. AllchildrenthatattendedBirminghamMuseumwereabletonamethemuseum educatorandallsaidthattheyfoundhisstoriesveryfunny.Itcameacrossthatthe museumeducatorwasskilledattellingstoriesinawaythatheknewwouldcapture theimaginationofthechildrenandmakethevisitmemorableforthem. Themuseumeducatoralsoprovidedarolemodelfigureforthechildreninthecase wheretheycouldseeworkthathehadachieved.Thechildrenthatvisited WolverhamptonArtGallerywereabletonamethemuseumeducator(Adrian)and allhadlookedhimupontheinternetastheyknewhewasanartistandtheyhad seenhiswebsite.Whilsttalkingaboutinspirationandwhenaskedwhatinspiredthe children,onegirl,whoshowedanincreasedinterestinartfollowingthevisit,said Adrianwasaninspiration.Hispaintingsusedshading,lotsofdifferentcolours,the directionhewassatin,thewaythelightwasonhisface,hewasverygood.

7.2

Mixedviewsontheextenttowhichmuseums/galleriesareinspiring
Someofthechildrenreportedthattheyfoundtheirvisitinspiring,althoughnotall ofthemagreed.Someareasofinspirationrelatedtospecificskillssuchasdrawing, whilstotherswereinspiredtolearnmoreaboutthesubjecttheyhadcoveredduring theirvisit.

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Childrenreportedbeinginspiredtofindoutmorefollowingtheirvisit.Onegirlwho hadattendedtheAncientGreeceteachingsessionsaidIwantedtoknowmore becauseIaminterestedinhistoryIthoughtIwouldlearneverythingatthemuseum but[followingthevisit]Iwantedtoknowmore. Somereportedthattheywereinspiredtodootheractivitiesrelatingtohistory,such aswatchingHorribleHistories.OneboythenfollowedupbysayingbutifHorrible HistorieswasntonIcouldgetthebookandreadaboutit. Someofthechildrenwereinspiredbytheirvisittotheartgallerytododifferent thingswithart,experiencedifferentthings.Whenaskedhowtheyhadbeen inspiredbytheirvisittotheartgalleryonegirlstatedIusedtowanttobedifferent things,nowIliketheideaofbeinganartist.Thevisitalsoinspiredthemtowantto findoutmoreaboutart,suchashowtodrawdifferentpictures,differenttypesof picturesandevenhowtodraw themeltingclocks.

7.3

Museums/galleriesare exciting,interestingplaces
Thelevelofdetailinwhichthe childrencoulddescribethe actualbuildingofthemuseum orgallerygivesanindicationof whatexcitingandinteresting placestheseareforchildren. Thechildrenveryrarely reportedbeingbored. ThechildrenthatvisitedtheWolverhamptonArtGallerywereallabletodescribe thebuildingandtheythingstheysawasthewalkedthroughitwewentinandsaw thisstatue,thenturnedleftintoaroomthathadthispainting,thenwentintonext roomwherewesawthis.Noneofthemwereboredduringthevisit,withonepupil saying[itwas]notboringatall,everysinglemomentwasfunorinvolved something. Mostofthechildrenstronglyagreedthattheywereinterestedandexcitedbywhat theysawanddidatthemuseum.Thiswasevidencedbythefactthatthechildren wouldstarttotalkoveroneanotherandlouderthaneachotherabouttheir favouriteparts,andthattheywouldoftenchangetheirmindswhenaskedwhat theirfavouritethingaboutthemuseumorgalleryvisitwas. Theonlytimeschildrenreportedbeingboredwaswhentheyhadtowaitaround. Thiswasusuallyonthejourneythereoronthewayback,butoneboysaiditwasa bitboringwhentheyhadtolookatcertainpicturesforasettimewhilstanotherboy saiditcouldgetabitboringwaitingtobehandedtheartefacts,asthattookawhile.

7.4

Museums/galleriesareenjoyableandstimulatetheimagination
Whenaskedhowthemuseummadethemfeel,manyofthechildrenusedwords suchasexcited,funnyandhappy.Excitedwasthemostcommonwordused, reinforcedbythefactthatallofthechildrenenjoyedtheirvisitandalmostallsaid thattheyhadlaughedatthemuseumorgalleryexhibit.

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Thingsthatthechildrenfound themostfuntodowere holdingtheartefacts,dressing up,pretendingtothrowa slingshotandgenerally gettingtodoactivities. Whenaskedhowthevisit madeherfeelonegirlwho hadvisitedtheArtGallery usedthewordadventuristic. Anothergirlsaidthatseeing someofthepaintingsmade herfeelhappy,whilstone boydescribedthevisitasit wasfun,Ilikeditsomuch. Thevisithadclearlystimulatedtheimaginationofmanyofthechildren,particularly theboys,withoneboysayinghefeltlikeanAncientGreekandwasdaydreaming aboutwearingarmourandstuff.

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8.

Activity,behaviourandprogression
TheActivity,BehaviourandProgressionGLOreferstowhatpeopledo; whatpeopleintendtodo;whatpeoplehavedone;reportedorobserved actions;andachangeinthewaypeoplemanagetheirlives.

8.1

Mostchildrenintendtovisitagain
Regardlessofwhichmuseumorgallerytheywentto,mostchildrensaidthatthey intendedtogoagain.Somehadbeensincetheirvisitwithschool,mostofthem goingwithfamilymembers.Theenthusiasmtogoagainalsoextendedtoother museums,withmanychildrensayingtheywouldliketovisitothermuseums,with somebeingabletonamewhichonestheywantedtogoto. Mostsaidthattheywouldliketovisitthemuseumorgallerythattheywentto again,withonepupilthatvisitedtheWolverhamptonArtGallerysayingyoucan findmoreandmorequestionstoaskeachtimewego,aswegetmoreinterestedin Artandanothersayingitsstillinterestingtogoagainandagaintheychangethe paintings. Somechildrenwereinterestedinthetopicsastheywantedtogotomorehistory onesRomansandWWIIthesewererelatedtosubjectsthattheyweredoingin historyatthetimeoftheresearch. Manyofthechildrenagreedthattheywouldliketogotoothermuseumsor galleries,fromlocalmuseumssuchastheBlackCountryLivingMuseumtothe NaturalHistoryMuseuminLondon.

8.2

Theclassroomactivitiesafterthevisithaveasignificantroletoplayin embeddinglearning
Mostofthechildrentookpartinclassroomactivitiesrelatingtotheirvisittothe museumorgallery.Carryingouttheseactivitiescementedtheknowledgethatthe childrenhadgainedbylinkingthevisittoschoolwork,sothatthevisitwasnotjust seenasadayofffromschool. SomeofthechildrenthatvisitedtheBlackCountryLivingMuseumsaidthatthevisit gavethemlotsofideasforthingstheycoulddointheVictorianprojectthatthey wereundertakingthatterm. AllofthechildrenthatattendedanAncientGreeceteachingsessiontookpartin someclassroomactivities.Forsomethisinvolvedwritingaboutwhattheyhadseen ordoneordrawingtheobjectsthattheyhandled,otherswerefilmedbytheir teachertalkingaboutthemuseumvisitthesechildrensaidthatdoingthishelped themtorememberthevisit. AnotherpupilmentionedthattheteachergavethemsomebooksonAncientGreece andthentheywenttotheICTroomandlookedupinformationontheinternet. Theinternetwasausefultoolincementingknowledgethatthechildrenhadgained duringtheirvisitandprovidinganopportunityforthechildrentoinvestigatethings theyhadfoundinterestingfurther,suchaslookingupmoreinformationonAncient
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GreeceorinthecaseofthosevisitingtheArtGallerysearchingformoreexamplesof PopArtandfindingtheworkdonebytheirmuseumeducatoronhiswebsite. Followupworkdidnotjusttakeplaceinschoolthough.Onegirlreportedthatshe keptamuseumdiaryinwhichshewrotedownwhatshehadlearntorfound interestingeverytimeshevisitedamuseum,regardlessofwhethershewentwith schoolorfamily.Thisalsohelpedtoembedtheknowledgethatshehadgained.

8.3

Mostchildrentalktotheirfamiliesabouttheirvisits
Mostchildrenhadspokentotheirfamiliesabouttheirvisit.Ingeneraltheyhadall spokentotheirfamiliesbecausetheywantedtosharetheirexperiencesandnew foundknowledgewiththem,notjustbecausetheirfamiliesaskedthem. ThingsthatchildrenwhohadvisitedtheBlackCountryLivingMuseumtoldtheir familieswereeverythingIhadlearnt,everythingIfoundinterestingandonepupil whohadItoldthemeverythingIhadlearntbecausetheywereinterested. Aswellastellingtheirfamiliesaboutwhattheyhadlearnt,childrenalsotoldtheir familiesaboutmemorablepartsandexperiencesoftheday,inparticularchildren thathadtakenpartintheAncientGreeceteachingsessionstoldtheirfamiliesabout thefunnymanreferringtothemuseumeducator,andseveralothersagreedthat theytoldtheirfamiliessomeofhisfunnystories. Childrennotonlytoldtheirfamiliesabouttheirvisits,insomecasestheyshowed themworktheyhaddoneduringthevisit.SomeofthechildrenwhovisitedtheArt Galleryshowedtheirparentsthedrawingstheyhaddoneduringtheday. Onegirlchosetowriteabouthervisitandgavethewrittenworktohermum.

8.4

Visitsincludingphysicalactivityaremostpopularandmemorable
Whenaskedfortheirmostmemorablemomentofthevisits,thechildrengenerally saidactivitiesthatinvolvedthemdoingsomethingactive,suchasmovingaroundor holdingandfeelingobjects. Allofthechildrenthatvisitedthe BlackCountryLivingMuseumsaid thattheirmostmemorableand funpartofthevisitwaswhen theywentdownintothe coalmine.Thefactthatthe situationwasbroughttolife madeitfunforthem,withone boysayingitwasfuncozitwas allaroundus.Althoughtheysaid itwasscary,thisseemedto contributetotheenjoymentof theactivity. Childrenwhoattendedthe AncientGreeceteachingsessionrememberedandenjoyedhandlingtheartefacts most,alongwithotheractivitiessuchasdressingup(oneofthechildrensaidthe

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bestthingsaboutmuseumswasthedressingupyoufeellikeyouarethere).The childrensaidthatthemuseumwasexcitingbecausetheyhadnevergottotouch thingsbeforeatamuseum,andthiswassomethingtheylikeddoing. Evendoingthingsthatdidntinvolvemuchphysicalactivity,suchasdrawing,were alsoseenasbeingmoreenjoyablethanjustobservinglookingatpaintingscould befunbecauseyoucancopythedrawings.

8.5

Visitsprovideresourcesthatschoolscant(oratleastwouldstruggleto)
Visitstomuseumsorgalleriescanoffersomethingthatmostschoolscantinterms ofresourcessuchashistoricalobjectsandartefacts.Althoughformostchildrenany tripoutofschoolwouldbeseenasfunbecausetheydonthavetobeinschool,the childrenallgainedsomethingoutoftheirvisitanddidntjustseeitasadistraction fromthenormalschoolday. WhenaskedhowtheBlackCountryLivingMuseumwasdifferenttoschooloneboy commenteditwasinteresting,therewerelotsofartefacts.Oneofthebestthings aboutmuseumswasseentobethattheygiveyoumoreinterestingthingsthan schoolsdo.Itwasalsosaidhowbeingatthemuseumbroughtthingstolife,with oneboysayingitwaslikewehadgonethroughatimewarp,itwasreallyrealistic. Asthisboyalsosaid,itwasaonceinalifetimeexperienceforthem. Museumandgalleryvisitsprovide anopportunityforchildrentoseein moredetailthingstheylearnabout inschool(atschoolyouhaveto imagineit,but[inamuseum]you canseestuffhowitreallywas)the visitsenhancethelearningthat takesplaceinschool.The importanceofnotonlybeingableto seetheobjectsastheywouldin school,inabookorontelevision, butalsohandlethemwas highlightedatschoolitsboringcoz theyjustputpicturesup.[Museum] isbetterthanwatchingitonTV. ThereweremixedviewsoverwhetherthechildrenlearntmoreattheArtGalleryor inschool.Somefeltthatthegallerywasbetterbecauseofmorefreedomyoucan spendaslongasyouwantononepicture,howeverothersfeltthatschooloffered morevariety. However,goingtotheArtGallerywithschoolwasseenasbetterthangoingwith familyaswehavemoreinformationgiventouswhenwegowithschooland[itis] morefunwiththeschool,moreplacestogo.

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9.

Conclusionsandlearningpoints
Thereporthasoutlinedtheimpactsonchildrenwhohavevisitedmuseums andgalleriesbasedontheMLAsfiveGenericLearningOutcomes.This sectionsummarisesthemainimpacts.

9.1

Whataretheimpactsofschoolvisits?
Thissectionbringstogetherthestrongestmessagesemergingfromtheresearch. Thesemessageswereconsistentandrecurringamongstallgroups.

Schoolvisitscontributetochangesinattitudesandperceptionstowards museumsandgalleriesallgroupsweresurprisedbythemuseumorgallery andfounditmoreinterestingthentheythoughtitwasgoingtobe.Manywere surprisedtohaveenjoyedtheirvisitandmanyreflectedthatlearningcan actuallybequitefun! Museumsandgalleriescontributetolearningandskills,bringinglearningto lifethereissignificantevidencetosuggestthatmuseumandgalleries contributesignificantlytothelearningexperienceandembedlearningandskills. Thisisduetotheactivitiesinvolvedinthevisitsandtheabilityofmuseumsand galleriestobringhistorytolife.Childrenareoftenencouragedtohandle artefactsandobjectsandtheyreportthatthiscontributestotheiroverall experienceofmuseumsandgalleries.WhiletheGLO,EnjoymentInspiration, Creativity,isseeminglywheremuchoftheimpactlies,increasedlevelsof enjoymentcanleadtoincreasedlearningoutcomes(itwasfuncozitwasall aroundus) Visitstomuseumsandgalleriesleavebigimpressiononchildrenthis researchhasrevealedthatmuseumsandgallerieshaveasignificantimpacton visitors.Thedetailsretainedareremarkablethemuseumeducators,the layout,theartefacts,thefactsareallrecalledvividlyandwithpassion.Asone childcommented,theirvisittothemuseumwasaonceinalifetime experience Visitstomuseumsandgalleriesatayoungagearelikelytoencouragevisits outsideofschoolandforinlaterlifemostofthechildrenstatedthatthey wouldliketovisitthemuseumand/orgalleryagain.Almostalltalkedtotheir parentsandsiblingsabouttheirvisit.Thisindicatesthatasuccessfulschoolvisit canimpactuponthewayinwhichchildrenrespondtomuseumsandgalleries lateroninlife. Museumsandgalleriesreinforcelearningbestwhencertainthingsareinplace. Notably,whenchildrenareencouragedtobeactiveduringtheirvisits,when therearehighquality,charismaticguides,andwhentherearefollowup activitiesintheclassroom.

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9.2

Recommendationsforfurtherresearch
Itisimportanttonotethatthisresearchisbasedonamodestsampleof24children. Itisrecommendedthatfurtherresearchisconductedtoadddepthandinsight. Someofkeyresearchquestionsmayinclude:

Dochildren/youngpeopleofdifferentageshaveadifferentexperience? Isthereadifferentexperienceinamuseumthaninagallery? HowdoestheWestMidlandsexperiencecomparetothenationalexperience? Whathappenswhenavisitisunsuccessful?

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Impactofschoolvisitsonattitudestolearningandattainment final report

APPENDIXI

TopicGuideforFocus Groups

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Impactofschoolvisitsonattitudestolearningandattainment final report

TheImpactofSchoolVisitsonAttitudestoLearningandAttainmentTopicGuideforFocusGroups

9.3

GenericLearningOutcomes
TheGenericLearningOutcomesidentifiesbenefitsthatpeoplegainfrominteractingwithmuseums,librariesandarchives.Thistopicguideis drivenbytheGenericLearningOutcomes.

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9.4

Proforma
Itisimportanttorecognisethatthisisaguideforthefocusgroupdiscussion.Thefacilitatorwillbeabletoguidethediscussionandwillask relevantquestionsusinglanguageappropriatetotheagegroup.Theicebreakerquestionwillgivethefacilitatoranindicationofwhichgeneric learningoutcomestofocuson.Thequestionsinboldareconsideredtobeofcentralimportance.

Time 010 Activity IntroductionandIcebreaker Introducefacilitator,explaintheproject.Askforco operation,nospeakingovereachother,andthat everyonesopinionisimportantandwillbelistenedto. Showpicturesofthemuseumorgallery[e.g. BirminghamMuseum]Holdupeachpicture. 1020 Opinionlines Explainthatyouaregoingtoreadoutsome statements.Iftheystronglyagreewithit,theyshould gotoonesideoftheroom,iftheystronglydisagreethe otherside,andiftheydontmindeitherwaystayinthe middle. Discussion Leadagroupdiscussiononthequestions.Youcould alsousetheopinionlinesasapromptandfollowup withthesequestionsastheyarestillinaline. Questions Doyouremembergoinghere? Whatwastheonestrongestmemoryofthatvisiteitherpositive ornegative? Howdiditmakeyoufeel? GLO

IlearnnewthingswhenIgotoamuseum/gallery IgainedknowledgethatIhaveusedinmyschoolworkasaresult ofmyvisit(s)here Ihavelearntnewthingsaboutmyself Ihavelearntnewthingsaboutmyfamily

KnowledgeandUnderstanding

Whatdidyoulearnwhenyouwenttothemuseum/gallery? Didithelpyouwithyourschoolwork?How?

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Impactofschoolvisitsonattitudestolearningandattainment final report

Time 2025

Activity Discussion OpinionLines

Questions Whatnewthingshaveyoufoundouthowtodoin museums/galleries? Ihavebecomebetteratmathsfrommuseum/galleryvisits Ihavebecomebetteratreadingfrommuseum/galleryvisits Ihavebecomebetteratwritingfrommuseum/galleryvisits Ihavebecomebetterattalkingtofriendsaboutmyideasfrom museum/galleryvisits Ihavebecomebetterattalkingtoadultsaboutmyideasfrom museum/galleryvisits Themuseum/gallerysurprisedme Ilearntthingsthatmademechangemymindaboutsomething IammoreconfidentaboutwhatIcando/achieve Museums/galleriesaremoreinterestingthanIthought Thevisithasgivenmelotstothinkabout Hasamuseum/galleryvisiteverchangedyoumindabout something? Whatdifferencedoyouthinkvisiting/takingparthasmadeto you? Howdiditfeelwhenyouvisitedthemuseum/gallery? Whodidyouhangoutwithatthemuseum?(e.g.friends,other childrenintheclass,teachers,museumstaff?) Whathasbeenmostfunaboutmuseums/galleries? Whodoyourememberfromyourmuseums/galleriesvisit? Whatdoyourememberaboutthem? IwasinterestedinwhatIsawanddid

GLO Skills

2535

OpinionLines

Discussion

Enjoyment Attitudesandvalues Inspiration Creativity

3545

Discussion

OpinionLines

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Impactofschoolvisitsonattitudestolearningandattainment final report

Time

Activity

Questions Ifoundmyvisitinspiring IwasexcitedbywhatIsawand/orwhatIdid Ifeltboredbythemuseumexhibit/gallery Ihavelaughedatamuseumexhibit/gallery

GLO

4555

OpinionLines

Iintendtogoagain VisitinggavemelotsofideasforthingsIcoulddo Thevisitmademewanttofindoutmore Haveyoutalkedtoyourfriendsorparentsorsiblingsaboutthe museum?Whatdidyoutellthem? Wouldyougoagain?Wouldyougotoanother museum/gallery?Whichones? Howwasthisvisitbeendifferenttolearningatschool?Doyou behavedifferentlyinmuseumstothewaythatyounormally behaveatschool?Inwhatway? Didyoutalkorthinkaboutthevisitsafterwards? Haveyoubeentoamuseum/gallerybeforeyourschoolvisit? Haveyoubeentoamuseum/gallerysince? Canyouname/remember/thinkofanygalleries/museumsnearto whereyoulive? Whatisthebestthingaboutmuseums/galleries?

Activitybehaviourandprogression

Discussion

5560

Contextandwrapupquestions

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