Interactions during guided mathematics activities in a children's museum

Parents concerned about their children's learning often turn to informal learning institutions such as children's museums. At some institutions, staff facilitators guide the family's learning. Research in informal settings tends to focus on how the visitors interact with and what they learn from the exhibits (Allen, 2002) or on the concepts that people build aided by their visits (Gilbert & Priest, 1997). This study investigated what role the Discovery Guide staff of a local Children's Museum plays in facilitating activities at the Math Cart. The method involved naturalistic observations of the interactions. Data were analyzed using an Interaction Analysis Tool designed to answer the research questions. The analysis showed that the conversations revolved around the completion of the activity; the Discovery Guides initiated interactions and offered explanations and asked questions that propelled the activity. Suggestions for future Discovery Guide training are discussed and options for future research are explored.