Creating a foundation for cultural practice : A model for teaching and learning in art museums and cultural sites

Little focus has been placed on the practices of school-based teachers in the informal context of art museums. As a consequence, the potential educational value of art museums, as cultural sites that exist outside of schools, is often unrealised. This paper reports on research leading to the development of a model for teaching and learning in art museums. Using the social theories of Bourdieu as a conceptual framework the research investigates the social basis of cultural experiences in museums and the particular cognitive demands of learning in cultural sites. School-based art educational practice in art museums is reconceptualised to develop a model that is appropriate to the needs of secondary school-based art education.