Generally, teaching involves knowing, thinking, and experimenting. One who goes through this process learns that thing. So, how well do science museums teach science? Science museums do provide a lot of knowledge and teach science. But as every coin has two sides, they also have few downsides.
As science museums are public places, they provide a platform for interaction with people from all age groups and different backgrounds. Hence, they help in promoting science in young people and connecting the general public to science. Even visitors have a choice to focus on a particular experiment and device in which they are more interested.
At a science museum, science is explained through some experiments, so a person gets a chance to actually see theory he/ she has read, applied in the real world; like 'CosmoCaixa' in Barcelona, Spain exhibits hands-on activities and demonstrations to learn the laws of gravity, atmospheric pressure, etc.
Are the science museums entertaining? Surely, they are. Therefore, when children or students visit science museums, they can learn many things with fun and excitement. Hence, children can develop a love for science. In Shanghai, 'Science and Technology Museum' allows visitors to play and sing with robots.
Visitors can interact with volunteers and scientists at the museum, which can help them in more understanding the exhibits that they have liked. Physical demonstration and fun games displayed at science museums intrigue curiosity in the young minds, and Curiosity is the base of progress in science.
As most of the people at the science museum are volunteers and very few are actual scientists, it is difficult to maintain the quality of explanation. If the staff at the museum doesn't have enough depth of a particular demonstration or device, then they can't explain things in a detailed manner. Sometimes, organizing a school field trip to these museums can be costly and jeopardizes the safety of students.
Therefore, in general, science museums provide knowledge of science with entertainment and help in learning the science.