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 aconsequence, the potential educational value of art museums, as cultural sites that exist outside of schools, is oftenunrealised. This paper reports on research leading to the development of a model for teaching and learning in artmuseums. Using the social theories of Bourdieu as a conceptual framework the research investigates the socialbasis of cultural experiences in museums and the particular cognitive demands of learning in cultural sites. Schoolbasedart educational practice in art museums is reconceptualised to develop a model that is appropriate to theneeds of secondary school-based art education.