Encouraging Broader Ways of Talking About Animals and Nature: An Inquiry into Open-Ended Dialogue through Museum Collections with Year 2 Students

Background and purpose: This practitioner inquiry was conducted at the University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge, to explore how open-ended, object-based dialogue can support young learners in developing broader ways of talking about animals and nature. Previous museum sessions often followed curriculum-linked formats that emphasised factual recall, which tended to privilege students with stronger prior scientific knowledge. The practitioner sought to create more inclusive opportunities for participation and exploratory talk through object handling. Aims: The inquiry aimed to examine how open-ended questioning and reduced teacher direction could foster curiosity, imagination, and shared reasoning among Year 2 students. It also explored whether this approach might broaden participation, reducing the dominance of a small number of pupils and creating space for a wider range of contributions. Design or methodology: Using a practitioner inquiry approach, two Year 2 classes (aged 6-7 years) took part in Habitat sessions in the Museum of Zoology’s Discovery Space. Students worked in small groups, each handling animal teeth specimens (dog and cow). Three classroom teachers joined different groups at random, allowing comparisons between teacher-mediated and student-led discussions. Their discussions were recorded using audio devices and supplemented by observational notes, which formed the basis of this paper. Findings: The contrast between teacher-led and student-led groups suggests that reduced teacher direction reshaped both the substance and distribution of classroom talk. Teacher-mediated dialogue centred on factual identification and curriculum-linked classification, typically structured through question-and-answer exchanges. In contrast, student-led discussions involved speculative reasoning, sensory description, and metaphorical association, with pupils building on one another’s ideas and at times regulating their own dialogue. Participation in student-led groups appeared less organised around teacher nomination and more distributed across the group. Rather than responses being elicited from selected individuals, contributions emerged through collaborative exploration. This suggests that the open, object-based format created greater space for a wider range of pupils to contribute. Conclusions, originality, value and implications: Starting sessions with open-ended dialogue encouraged deeper observation and more balanced participation. The inquiry highlighted the potential of stepping back as an educator to let children lead meaning-making. It also identified challenges in capturing non-verbal interactions, suggesting the need for different methods to better understand embodied learning in museum contexts.

Keywords (free text)

open-ended dialogue, object-based learning, museum education, practitioner inquiry, primary education

Permanent link to cite this item

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14069/1314
https://doi.org/10.71779/784

Collections

Talking Objects: high quality talk through museum collections