The student-artist based tour: determining gallery teaching practice beneficial for an art museum tour centered on students as artists

The purpose of this study is to provide the fields of art education and museum education with gallery teaching practice that uses students’ prior knowledge of art making as the means to guide interpretation of art in the museum. This study develops touring methods that maintain the identity of the student artists in the context of adult artists’ works in the museum. This investigation is an action-based research study of how a museum educator can develop touring practice to use art objects to enable students to think reflectively on their art making. The results of this study identify the characteristics of an art museum tour that is centered on students and art making. This study demonstrates a framework for teaching in the museum that incorporates constructivist learning theory, social and active learning, a concepts-based approach to art learning, and develops student cognition.