Analysing family conversations and interactions during visits to Parque das Aves (Foz do Iguacu, Brazil) from children's perspective

Author(s)

Scalfi, Graziele ; Massarani, Luisa ; Bizerra, Alessandra ; de Araujo, Juliana Magalhaes

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: EISURE STUDIE; v. N/A, p. 17-pg., 2022-02-25.

Abstract

This study aims to analyse family experiences when visiting a zoo from children's perspective, through their interactions and conversations. Thirteen children and their parents participated in the study, totalling 271subjects in seven family groups on a spontaneous visit to Parque das Aves (Foz do Iguacu, Brazil). The visits were fully recorded using a subjective camera (first person audio-visual recording), and the audio-visual material was analysed in relation to the role that the children played in directing the visiting experiences towards the family group's engagement and learning. The results provide evidence that interactions and conversations occurred with children's active participation in the families' experience visiting the park, usually engaging the group through different strategies such as selection of expository elements for interaction, route guidance, reading of information boards, assigning roles to adults, and crafting questions. These actions placed children as central to the learning experiences in some cases. This investigation provides evidence of the need for zoos to understand the visitors' agenda from the perspective of children and provide support for the planning of educational actions and communication strategies that involve and engage the public in biodiversity conservation. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/05836-8 - Biodiversity conservation in zoo and aquarium exhibitions: from information to engagement
• Grantee: Alessandra Fernandes Bizerra
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Regular Research Grants