The museum is an aspiring place of learning and education for all and it is substantially different from other learning environments. Greek museums started implementing educational programs for...Show moreThe museum is an aspiring place of learning and education for all and it is substantially different from other learning environments. Greek museums started implementing educational programs for school groups during the 20th century, but it is only recently that the largest museums began trying to stand by museum pedagogy with focusing their educational programs on school groups, while at the same time they are aiming at diverse audiences as well. The research of this thesis focuses on the methodologies that 15 selected Greek museums have used for the last three years (2017-2020) in their educational programs for preschool and primary school children. These 15 museums are divided into 3 categories (archaeological, byzantine/historical and folk art, art museums and galleries) and each of the categories consists of 5 relevant museums. The gathered data show that, when it comes to young children, all three museum categories use the same methodologies to keep their excitement, namely storytelling, guided discussion, discovery and creative activities. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the subject, the role of the teachers that accompany the school groups was found to be essential, due to the fact that they are informed about the special needs of their group and can help them settle in the museum space. The question of effectiveness of the aforementioned educational programs is also posed, but since the researched museums in their vast majority do not make formal evaluations, it was not possible to gather information on the matter. Moreover, with the outbreak of the pandemic of Covid-19, it is only natural to continue the research on a more digital level, and with this is mind, the digital activities offered for children during the pandemic are explored. As it is noticed, the museums offer online games and many craft suggestions to keep children occupied and happy in the house.Show less
