The subject of the research presented here is the language and content of the definitional terms, categories and concepts relating to museum education in the historiography of the topic. The article is a review that provides an analysis of selected papers on museum education, surveying the categories, terminology and definitions proposed by Polish, Ukrainian and Russian researchers. The study also involved looking at museum websites to review the descriptive terms, concepts and categories used in the sections relating to the museums’ educational activities. Finally, against this background the authors present their own approaches and definitions relating to museum education. The work is partly a result of the experience of the authors’ own common educational practice and investigations. The cultural contexts of museum education are significant and influential in the quality of the services provided in each of the surveyed countries and museums. The generalisations presented are appropriate to the specific contexts of the research reports and educational projects quoted.