Talking About Science in Museums

New research in museums offers a unique vantage point for observing how parent–child conversational interactions may help children learn science in everyday settings. Recent studies in this area pinpoint the role of elaborative conversation—including open-ended Wh- questions and explanatory comments—in children’s understanding of scientific concepts, and more generalized effects on children’s attitudes and ways of making meaning may exist as well. This review places this work in its theoretical context and discusses its potential to illuminate social mediators underlying children’s learning processes and outcomes.