박물관 교육의 중요성은 90년대에 들어오면서 평생교육(life-longeducation)과 비형 식교육(informaleducation)에 대한 관심과 더불어 새롭게 인식되고 있다(강인애,2003b; 권대봉,2005;변종임,2005;주영주 외,2007;Hawkey,2001;Wetterlund & Sayre, 2003).학교교육에서 이루어지는 방법론에 영향을 받아 주로 큐레이터 중심의 지식전 달식 또는 일방향적 상호작용 중심으로 이루어지던 이전의 박물관 교육방법에서 벗어 나,본래 평생교육기관이자 비형식교육기관으로서의 박물관이 지닌 교육적 특성을 반 영하여,체험과 재미가 곁들여지고 상호작용적이며,전시물이 지닌 맥락성을 중심으로 방문객의 자율적인 참여를 강조하는 박물관 교육에 대한 논의가 활발하게 이루어지고 있다(교육부,2000;양현미 외,2003;윤혜순,2007;Dierking & Falk,2000;Evans, Mull& Poling,2002;Wetterlund& Sayre,2003).
This study aims to present a new pedagogical approach for the museum education using 'PBL(problem-Based Learning)' method. While the museum education, recently, has been eagerly seeking for and adopting to the approaches of the constructivist museum education, the specific and concrete method and strategies of 'how to' was relatively confusing and not clear to the museum educators who make serious efforts to develop learner-centered, inquiry-based museum education according to the learning principles of constructivism. This study, then, employing PBL as a new method of constructivist museum education, attempted to develop and implement a case study of the PBL-based museum education which was practiced in the natural museum of KyungHee University during July 28 to Aug. 21, 2008 with the 73 elementary school children of the ftrst to third grades. Focusing on the several learning effects of 'self-directed learning, collaborative learning, problem-solving skill, and knowledge acquisition of tlle related ftelds,' the study which collected and analyzed data from diverse methods such as survey from and interview with both children and parents), the educators' observation notes, students' self-evaluation foml, showed very positive results satisfying those learning effects of PBL, therefore, enhancing the insightful possibilities of the PBL-based museum education model as a new pedagogical approach for the museum education.