How wonder makes vmbo students owners of art and learning

What happens when you don't ask students to 'understand art', but to wonder?

The miracle of wonder is the result of my master's research at the Utrecht School of the Arts (HKU), in which I investigated how wonder as a thinking strategy can contribute to meaningful learning in museums—specifically for pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO) students aged 12 to 16. This practice-based research resulted in a manifesto for museums that centers on wonder, ownership, and personal engagement. The conclusion? Wonder makes learning more active, inclusive, and profound.

One of the institutions that has directly incorporated my research is Museum Catharijneconvent. The museum is currently developing a new permanent collection display, with education as its primary target group. This process involves close collaboration with students, teachers, and experts from various disciplines. In my role as advisor and vision developer, I make substantive contributions at the intersection of arts education, citizenship, and student engagement.

The museum explicitly embraces wonder as a learning strategy and places it, along with Gert Biesta's three-pronged approach, the Canon of Dutch History, and current curriculum goals, at the heart of its visitor plan. My research underscores that wonder not only deepens the act of seeing but also leads to greater independence, imagination, and curiosity—precisely the qualities the museum wants to instill in future generations.

Together with students from X11 in Utrecht, we developed new ways of seeing and making: from installations to museum designs. Their voices and perspectives are an indispensable pillar in redesigning a museum that works – especially for young people who often don't naturally feel at home in cultural institutions.

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