Teoretyczne uwarunkowania praktyk edukacyjnych w muzeum w świetle amerykańskiego pragmatyzmu i konstruktywizmu

Abstract

Nowadays, a wide spectrum of educational activities performed by European museums are inspired by practices used by museums in the US. These practices (also in Poland) increasingly constitute references for discussion regarding shaping and analysing educational forms in museums. In contrast to theories that are common in Europe, the assumptions of American museum education, stemming from pragmatic and constructivist philosophical and educational theories, are focused on the concept of learning that determines the critical educational interests. The synonyms of this concept comprise of: education, acquiring knowledge, learning process. Moreover, the learning individual should actively participate in the surrounding environment. This educational concept places individual experience in the center of educational efforts of persons and institutions and thus puts the museum on the top of informal educational effects. According to the literature, only the American constructivist museum was able to carry out modern educational activities to the full extent. American constructivist (and formerly pragmatist) traditions constitute the most important inspirations for museum and its educational functions. Before choosing to apply this educational model in local practices, it is worth to analyse the contents it is based on. When selecting certain educational strategies for a museum the question „How?” should be accompanied by the questions „From where?” and „What for?”. This study constitutes an attempt to present selected aspects of these choices.