Opportunities and challenges of dialogic pedagogy in art museum education

The aim of this interpretative, qualitative research study is to investigate affordances and constraints dialogic pedagogy in the museums, as well its broader contribution society today. background my involvement a Danish development project called ‘Museums Cultural Institutions Spaces for Citizenship,’ initiated by seven art museum educators Copenhagen supported Ministry Culture. Denmark has strong tradition dating back Grundtvig’s belief power ´the oral word’ foster democratic ‘Bildung.’ Museum education, on other hand, long monologic transmission. Still, more participatory been gaining ground over many years.
 This based observations three-hour-long teaching sessions museums Bakhtinian framework. While overall analysis builds whole project, two cases are discussed detail. overarching question how central aspects played out an context opportunities challenges. subquestions focus three concepts: How did facilitate multivoicedness during short visits? What role difference disagreement play? emerged students develop internally persuasive discourse? I have chosen these concepts because they dialogism combined them closely connected Bakhtin’s work. final reflections open wider perspective education may contribute functions education: qualification, socialization, subjectification.
 Key findings were that educators’ transition from traditional was enhanced their genuine interest hearing students’ voices. They succeeded engaging multivoiced dialogues but with tendency towards harmonization rather than exploration diversity difference. practical aesthetic workshops offered unique word, i.e., replacing authoritative interpretations artworks own. Challenges experienced were, e.g., dilemmas between preplanning student choice disseminating professional knowledge facilitating meaning making creativity. In contrast, found lack workshop follow-up problematic.
 article provides deeper insight into alternative pedagogical arena. non-museum classroom teachers find it useful cultivating greater interactions respective learning contexts.