Title: The Benefits of Collaborative Zoo Exhibit Design Through Action Research
Dr. Peter Kalenda, Assistant Professor in Education and Human Development published an article titled “The benefits of collaborative zoo exhibit design through action research” in Museums & Social Issues: A Journal of Reflective Discourse. This article summarized a research study that examined the iterative redesign of a zoo exhibit that focused on engaging families in the learning of science to help shift their real-world conservation practices at home.
This action research study was completed at the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, New York. A researcher and three zoo education staff members collected data using interviews, a data collection protocol of exhibit use, and follow-up phone calls. Data were analyzed using qualitative coding methods and grounded theory. Findings explored how guests engaged with the exhibit, how they were impacted, and in what ways they shifted conservation practices at home.