ABSTRACT

National museums in Zimbabwe receive Early Childhood Development students (ECDs), but very little is known about how they find museums educationally worthy. This study examines the suitability of museum environments and educational activities in facilitating the learning of curriculum content among ECDs. This study employed qualitative research and multiple case studies. Interviews, observations, focus group discussions and listening to ECDs conversations were employed as research instruments. The research population included 800 ECDs, 200 ECDs teachers, 31 museum tour guides, 7 curators and 4 museum education officers. The study was undertaken from 2010 to 2019 at five national museums in Zimbabwe. It is revealed that national museums in Zimbabwe have few child-sized facilities, environments and educational programmes for ECDs. Therefore, ECDs face physical, attitudinal and intellectual barriers in accessing museums. It is concluded that national museums in Zimbabwe consider ECDs a postscript hence students and teachers treat museum excursions as leisure outings.

摘要

津巴布韦的国家博物馆接收幼儿发展学生 (ECD)，但对于他们如何发现博物馆具有教育价值知之甚少。本研究考察了博物馆环境和教育活动在促进 ECD 课程内容学习方面的适用性。本研究采用定性研究和多个案例研究。访谈、观察、焦点小组讨论和聆听 ECD 对话被用作研究工具。研究人群包括800名ECD、200名ECD教师、31名博物馆导游、7名馆长和4名博物馆教育官员。该研究于 2010 年至 2019 年在津巴布韦的五个国家博物馆进行。据透露，津巴布韦的国家博物馆很少有儿童大小的设施、环境和 ECD 教育项目。所以，ECD 在进入博物馆时面临身体、态度和智力上的障碍。得出的结论是，津巴布韦的国家博物馆将 ECD 视为后记，因此学生和教师将博物馆游览视为休闲郊游。