Filter by keyword: Science centres and museums

Aug 05, 2026 es Practice Insight

Recycling detectives: an intergenerational play experience at Universum, the Science Museum

by Ingrid Guadalupe Hernández-Gómez , Ms Cristina Hernández-Martínez , Dr Norma Angélica Corado-Nava , Ms María Emilia Beyer-Ruíz

Recycling detectives is an intergenerational educational activity offered by the children’s area at Universum, the Science Museum of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), designed to teach children and their families about the recycling process for Tetra Pak® containers. This text describes the pedagogical criteria that guided its design and presents the results of a formative evaluation based on direct observation to analyze interactions, emotions, and knowledge gained during the experience. The findings show that play, as a legitimate form of learning, facilitates intergenerational cooperation, stimulates emotions, and promotes environmental thinking from an early age.

Volume 9Issue 22026

May 29, 2026 pt Essay

Museums in tension: between colonial heritage and a biocultural reinvention from the communities.

by Martha Marandino , Prof. William Barbosa , Dr Sinaida Maria Vasconcelos

In this essay, we draw on literature and research findings on museum education, bioculturality, and decoloniality, conducting a critical analysis of the marks of colonization on the trajectory of museums. We also discuss the challenges and possibilities of addressing the tensions between colonial heritage and a biocultural reinvention from within the communities present in this trajectory. We analyze the case of the Ecomuseum of the Amazon/PA/BR, a museum and educational space that values local knowledge and practices as a possibility to offer indications, however limited, of building other worlds in the face of globalized capitalism.

Volume 9Issue 12026

May 20, 2026 pt Article

Mathematics on stage: encoding and decoding humor in the play "The Big Problem of the Infinite Band"

by Ana Clara Dupret , Dr Carla Almeida

Faced with contemporary challenges, science communication has adopted dialogical and affective strategies to bring science and society closer together. In this scenario, theater stands out as an ally, expanding communication beyond the transmission of content. This research investigates the insertion and reception of humor in the play "The Big Problem of the Infinite Band," from the Museu da Vida Fiocruz, which seeks to promote a positive experience with mathematics. Based on Bergson and Fo's concepts of humor and Hall's Encoding/Decoding model, the analysis highlights the use of comic mechanisms capable of entertaining and fostering identification and belonging to the mathematical universe.

Volume 9Issue 12026

Apr 07, 2026 es Article

“Maripensario”: A Bridge Between Science and Outreach. Interactive Science Museum (MIC), Quito, Ecuador.

by María Susana Robledo

The article documents the participatory design experience between the MIC and the Ikiam Regional Amazon University for the creation of the exhibition “Maripensario”, based on neurobiological research on Heliconiini butterflies. Through interviews and content analysis, it examines the process of translating scientific knowledge into an immersive, emotional, aesthetic, and educational proposal. The exhibition integrated art and science, proposing a situated and transformative model of science communication that strengthens the dialogue between academia and museums, and positions the MIC as a space for collective learning and critical reflection.

Volume 9Issue 12026

Feb 09, 2026 es Article

Institutionalization of public communication of science in Mexico: an exploratory study in research centers

by Ma. Luisa Montes Rojas , David Alonso Leija Roman , Felipe Caballero Briones

This study examines the degree of institutionalization of Public Communication of Science (PCS) in Mexico based on a sample of 83 research centers belonging to the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), and the Public Research Centers coordinated by the Secretariat of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation (SECIHTI). Using a structured questionnaire grounded in the multilevel model proposed by Entradas and Bauer, the study identifies budgetary inequalities, the predominance of one-way activities, and partial progress in policies and professionalization. The findings place the Mexican case within a broader Latin American process of transition towards the consolidation of PCS as a strategic function of the scientific system.

Volume 9Issue 12026

Jul 22, 2025 pt Article

Science museums as spaces of non-formal education: the history of public visitation and social appropriation of the Prof. Mello Leitão Biology Museum

by André Benaquio Galvão , Isabela Maria Seabra de Lima , Alyne dos Santos dos Santos Gonçalves

This article examines the history of public visitation at the Prof. Mello Leitão Biology Museum (MBML) from 1949 to 2023, including an analysis of the objectives behind scheduled visits in 2022 and 2023. The methodology was based on bibliographic research, document analysis, and thematic categorization of visit purposes. Since its foundation, MBML has prioritized scientific research, but over the years, it has become an important space for education and culture. Its transition to federal management brought significant implications for public engagement. Among the main motivations for guided visits are: Biodiversity and Conservation (30%), History and Culture (26%), and Environmental Education (17%).

Volume 8Issue 022025

May 28, 2025 es Article

Families in educational escape rooms. Analysis of the conversations and interactions that occur in Escape Mode: Only science can save you from Space Science, Uruguay

by Fiorella Silveira , Martha Cambre , Luisa Massarani

This article shares the results of a visitors study conducted with families at Modo Escape: Solo la ciencia podrá salvarte, the educational escape room located at the Espacio Ciencia hands-on center (Montevideo, Uruguay). To collect data for the research, six families' participation in the escape room was recorded using a GoPro camera placed on the head of one of the participants. The interactions and conversations that occurred among family members were subsequently analyzed. The results show that participants spent a significant amount of time engaged in interactive activities, primarily referring to manipulation of objects. It was observed that conversations about topics related to the activity facilitated various situations of collaborative work among participants and were essential for completing the tasks before the time limit expired. Regarding the conceptual content addressed through the activities, it was evident that participants were able to understand some scientific concepts beyond just playing and having fun. We hope that this study will be of interest to anyone interested in designing and implementing educational escape rooms with scientific content.

Volume 8Issue 012025

May 14, 2025 pt Article

Presences of Brazilian science and technology centres and museums in virtual environments: mapping and characterisation

by Antonio Carlos Santos Júnior , Marcelo Valério , Jailson Rodrigo Pacheco

This study maps and characterizes the presence of Brazilian Science and Technology Centers and Museums (CMCT) in the "virtual world", seeking to understand how they fit in and relate to the public in these environments. The websites and social media profiles of 185 CMCTs, selected from the guide published by the Brazilian Association of Science and Technology Museums and Centers, were explored, identifying initiatives for virtualizing collections and practices. The result was that 39% of the institutions are present in virtual environments, but this occurs in an erratic, dispersed and outdated manner, especially with limited interactivity or dialogicity.

Volume 8Issue 012025

Mar 17, 2025 es Article

Indicators of scientific literacy process in the field of environmental education: the case of "Viera y Clavijo" Botanical Garden

by Daniel Fernando Bovolenta Ovigli , Ezequiel Guerra de la Torre , Beatriz Andreu-Mediero

This study presented how the exhibitions at Viera y Clavijo Botanical Garden (JBCVC), Gran Canaria, Spain, contribute to the scientific literacy of its visitors from the perspective Non-Formal Education. The presence of scientific literacy indicators at the JBCVC is evaluated using the tool developed by Marandino et al. [2018], which provides four indicators (scientific, social interface, institutional, and interaction). The results reveal that the exhibitions focus on attributes associated with the scientific indicator, with a limited presence of institutional, social, and aesthetic/affective indicators, and some recommendations are made for the environmental education process at the JBCVC.

Volume 8Issue 012025

Apr 08, 2024 pt Article

In what ways are complex topics such as biodiversity and conservation addressed in immersive exhibitions?

by Maria Paula Correia de Souza , Martha Marandino

Biodiversity and conservation are very popular terms that encompass different kinds of content, and addressing them in educational contexts is challenging. We assume the importance of promoting access to more complex definitions and content on these topics, contributing to the expansion of a reliable repertoire of terms and multifaceted ideas, as well as encouraging engagement with environmental issues. In this article, we discuss how these themes are represented in two immersive exhibitions in Botanical Gardens. To do so, we use Basil Bernstein’s Pedagogic Discourse model, with emphasis on the relationship between discourses from different areas of knowledge and/or forms of knowing (interdisciplinarity). It is considered that a higher degree of interdisciplinarity enhances more multifaceted and complex messages about biodiversity and conservation. The findings reveal that exhibition design plays an important role in expanding interdisciplinarity, and that the context in which the exhibitions are produced and presented also has a significant influence, contributing in different ways to providing access to the complexity of ideas surrounding these themes.

Volume 7Issue 012024Medioambiente y divulgación de la ciencia / Meio ambiente e divulgação da ciência (Medioambiente/Meio ambiente)

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