Boy talk/girl talk: is it the same at animal exhibits?

The differences which gender may make to pupils’ science learning are being explored by researchers working in formal and non‐formal settings. In out‐of‐classroom research there is a particular reference to behaviour in interactive science centres. This paper explores responses of primary school groups to animal exhibits. Folklore suggests that girls are more likely to be attracted to animals and be interested in biological science. The data obtained from recording, transcribing and analysing the content of conversations of primary school groups at different types of animal exhibits, live animals in a zoo, museum animals and robotic animal models in a natural history museum are presented. Overall there is remarkable similarity in conversational content, but groups with only boy pupils name specimens more whereas groups with girls only make more emotive comments.