Search

Mayakova E.V., Yangurazova A.O., Girina E.A. Museum spaces in schools: analysis and prospects. Pedagogical Review. 2026. Issue 4 (68). P. 27-38

This paper presents a study on the use of museum space in Moscow schools. The study relevance stems from the implementation of the "My School" program, which involves the school buildings renovation. As a result, exhibits and artifacts are being conserved, and the location of museum spaces within the updated infrastructure requires rethinking. The purpose of this study is to analyze the use of museum spaces in Moscow schools, identify areas of museum activity, their modalities, and identify development prospects. The theoretical basis of the study is formed by the principles of museum pedagogy, which help understand the potential of the analyzed spaces and exhibitions. The paper reveals the role of school museums as a significant element of the modern educational environment, integrated into the educational process and extracurricular activities. The primary focus is on the potential of "museum pedagogy", which combines museology, pedagogy, psychology, sociology, and cultural studies. The empirical base of the study included 19 educational organizations in Moscow, which include 53 museums. The study identified the following: museum types (military history, local history, ethnocultural, journalism, cosmonautics, school history, etc.); activity areas (guided tours, exhibitions, educational, research, etc.); and museum activities (tours, quests, exhibitions, class hours, master classes, competitions, memorial events, themed evenings, etc.) based on an analytical screening of the official educational institutions websites. The study concluded with the identification of key areas for the development of school museums as an educational environment component: museum digital transformation and collections digitization, expansion of the museums types and their activities, the formation of sustainable network communities of school museums, and the development of professional competencies of museum educators-curators and museum directors. The results may be useful for teachers, museum workers, and the administration of educational organizations in rethinking the museum space and its activities after reconstruction.

Keywords: museum space, school museum, museum pedagogy, modern educational environment, educational organizations in Moscow, museums types, work forms, "My School" program