Call for Papers: Rethinking Museum Education from the Global South

CALL FOR PAPERS

Journal of Museum Education

Vol. 52 No. 2 (Summer 2027)

Ekstu, Educar, Ẹkọ, Evoluir: Rethinking Museum Education from the Global South

Guest Editors:

• Dra. Natália Cândido, Facultad de Educación, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
• Dr. Wade Berger, Learning Sciences, Trinity College Dublin

Issue Overview and Goals
Guest editors Natália Cândido and Wade Berger invite submissions for a 2027 issue of the Journal of Museum Education (JME) that will create space for museum educators, scholars, and practitioners working in the Global South¹ to share and elevate perspectives from that region about museum education and museum learning. This special issue will address the urgent need for museum education to engage more deeply with theoretical frameworks emerging from the Global South—such as those rooted in the works of Paulo Freire, Sylvia Wynter, and/or multicultural, indigenous and decolonial pedagogies—offering alternative ways of thinking about learning, knowledge production, and community engagement with museums. We aim for this issue to highlight the best of the Global South from and for a Global South audience of readers of the JME.

Los editores Natália Cândido y Wade Berger invitan a la presentación de artículos para un número de 2027 del Journal of Museum Education (JME) que pretende crear un espacio para que educadores, académicos y profesionales de museos compartan sobre y destaquen perspectivas desde el Sur Global sobre la educación y aprendizaje en museos. Este número especial abordará la urgente necesidad de que la educación en museos se involucre más profundamente con marcos teóricos emergentes del Sur Global —como aquellos basados en las obras de Paulo Freire, Sylvia Wynter y/o pedagogías multiculturales, indígenas y decoloniales— ofreciendo maneras alternativas de pensar sobre el aprendizaje, la producción de conocimiento y la participación comunitaria en los museos. Nuestro objetivo es que este número resalte lo mejor del Sur Global, pensado para y desde una audiencia del Sur Global de lectores del JME.

Os editores convidados Natália Cândido e Wade Berger convidam submissões para uma edição de 2027 do Journal of Museum Education (JME) que pretende criar um espaço para que educadores, acadêmicos e profissionais de museus do Sul Global escrevam sobre e destaquem perspectivas da região acerca da educação e aprendizagem em museus. Esta edição especial abordará a necessidade urgente de que a educação em museus se envolva mais profundamente com os quadros teóricos emergentes do Sul Global —como aqueles fundamentados nas obras de Paulo Freire, Sylvia Wynter e/ou em pedagogias multiculturais, indígenas e decoloniais— oferecendo maneiras alternativas de pensar sobre aprendizagem, produção de conhecimento e engajamento comunitário com os museus. Nosso objetivo é que esta edição destaque o melhor do Sul Global, para e a partir de um público leitor do Sul Global do JME.

1. 1. Understanding the concept “Global South” is more political than geographical, we invite authors who consider themselves as in the “Global South” to define this in their own ways. ↩

Museum Learning from and for the Global South: What We Mean

One of the central challenges in museum education today is the dominance of Global North theoretical frameworks in shaping how museums develop and implement educational programs. While museums in the Global South serve diverse local communities with rich cultural histories and knowledge systems, many educational practices still rely on those dominant pedagogical models. As conversations around decolonization, restorative history, and anti-colonial museum practices gain momentum, this issue seeks to explore how museums in the Global South are rethinking their educational approaches through frameworks that emerge from their own intellectual traditions and lived realities. By highlighting the work of museum educators who are actively employing these theories in museums located in the Global South, this issue will offer a space for cross-regional dialogue, allowing museum professionals to learn from each other’s experiences and critically reflect on how these approaches can inform museum education more broadly. We see this as an opportunity to expand the field beyond just critiques of the existing dominant theories of the Global North. We imagine this issue will also illuminate the challenges of implementing these frameworks, offering insights into institutional barriers, community engagement strategies, and measures of success that align with non-Western epistemologies. This theme builds on existing museum education scholarship that calls for more local, participatory, and community-centered approaches to learning and recognizes that integrating theoretical frameworks from the Global South into museum education can lead to more inclusive, equitable, and culturally resonant practices in museums in the Global South (and beyond).

Generally, the overall format of these submissions can be flexible. Authors may consider case studies, reflections, practitioner narratives, collaborative/community-authored pieces. For this issue, we will prioritize articles which contain two parts:

1. In the first part, we hope for authors to present and explore a theoretical framework and discuss their ideas on museum learning within that context. This could take the form of wide integrative theories or frameworks explored extensively in literature (Freire, Winter, etc.) or novel/emerging/grounded theories that are still taking shape. More importantly, these can be theories/frameworks that exist outside of traditional, Global North academic notions of learning theories/frameworks.
2. In the second part, we ask authors to apply this theory in some way so that JME readers can see how the theoretical ideas fit within museum practice. Authors can present an example study using this framework; it can be a case study, or a reflective piece about your own practice, connecting practice, reflection and the theoretical framework.

Proposal Guidelines (priorities, word count, content, etc.)

Why the JME for this issue? Why should you write for the JME?

The JME has a growing global audience, and its authorship and readership have grown in diversity. Additionally, the JME has recently pushed for new ways of thinking about learning in museums through wider perspectives and theoretical orientations (see JME issue 47.2 framing museum accessibility in terms of Mad and disability justice, and forthcoming issues on Translating Museum Education in 2026-7). This makes the JME an ideal place to bring forward theoretical ideas from museums in the Global South and to bring them into the global dialogue of museum education. We also appreciate how the JME has allowed for flexibility that many journals and conferences do not in terms of formatting and we hope to do the same here by accepting articles that follow new formats and emphasize non-English priorities.

Writing for the JME could increase the international visibility of museums, as well as that of researchers and museum professionals, particularly those who are early in their careers, given that the journal has an international and diverse readership. At the same time, this special issue of the journal aims to contribute to the expansion of knowledge networks within the Global South and between the Global South and North. This could enrich authors’ visibility and participation in the field of museum education, as well as increasing their professional development opportunities.

The JME welcomes submissions from authors around the world who currently or formerly work in or with museums. In addition, we hope that this special issue will showcase regional diversity, featuring authors and museums from various Global South countries. We also hope to receive proposals covering a variety of museum types and subject areas, such as science, arts, history, education and others. The special issue is open to researchers and practitioners at all stages of their careers, including those with no experience of writing or publication. We value collaborative authorship and varied positionalities. According to the topic, linguistic diversity will be valued, and we hope to allow for multilingualism and other forms of language inclusion. As we work with the JME publisher on individual articles, we may be able to support bilingual publication through the JME blog or within the JME itself.

Submission Process

To be considered for the issue, potential authors must complete this brief online form with author contact information and answers to the following questions (in English) by 5pm ET Monday, June 15, 2026:

• In 300 words or fewer please describe how your submission will advance museum education from and for the Global South
• In 300 words or fewer please describe how your article and the work it outlines is rooted in theoretical perspectives or traditions within the Global South
• In 300 words or fewer please provide an outline/overview of the contents of your article (draft abstract)

Once an article idea is accepted, authors must submit a maximum of 4,000 word paper and short bio to the guest editors on or before October 15, 2026. All submissions accepted by the guest editors will then undergo the standard peer review process, in which authors will not know who reviewed their work and reviewers will not know who authored the submission. Reviewers recommend publication, revision, or rejection of a submission by February 1, 2027.

Visit our Journal Submissions page for more information or feel free to contact the guest-editors at [email protected] and [email protected] with questions.

Issue 52.2 Timeline
Article ideas submitted via the online form: June 15, 2026
Notification of submission results: July 15, 2026
First Draft of articles due to Guest Editors: October 15, 2026
Manuscripts due to JME platform for Peer Review: December 4, 2026
Notification of revisions to authors: February 1, 2027
Final Manuscripts due to Editorial Manager (directly to JME platform): April 2, 2027
Online publication: May 21, 2027
Print publication: June 1, 2027

As an organization based in the United States, MER is committed to the principles of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In addition, with international authors and readers, we strive to make the Journal of Museum Education as accessible as possible and will provide accommodations. For specific accommodations at any point during the submission or writing process, please contact: [email protected]. 

The Journal of Museum Education (JME) is the premier peer-reviewed publication exploring and reporting on theory, training, and practice in the museum education field. Journal articles—written by museum education practitioners and scholars—explore such relevant topics as museum-related learning theory; visitor engagement and community involvement; evaluation; teaching strategies for art, science, and history museums; and the responsibilities of museums as public institutions.