The professionalisation of knowledge mediators in children's museums

This work deals with the professionalisation of knowledge mediators in children's museums and addresses the question of the extent to which it is possible to acquire 'pedagogically professional skills' with regard to conducting a children's tour. In this context the study identified the skills required for museum education activities and the resources that knowledge mediators draw on in their educational strategies and methods. Qualitative methods were used to conduct the research project. The data was collected at two different points in time. In the first step guided interviews were conducted with the prospective knowledge mediators about their previous experiences and expectations. After about three months participant observations and expert interviews took place. Grounded theory served as the basis for the analysis and evaluation of the collected data.