If you want to improve history learning through cultural heritage, you need to know what resources and teaching strategies to use. Using historical evidence and materials can help students connect their classroom lessons with real life. You can also take your class on a trip to a local site of historical importance. These trips can enhance cultural awareness and strengthen literacy skills.
Traditionally, historians use primary source documents to study history. While these sources can provide valuable information, they also contain a limited amount of detail. A number of other methods have been developed to ensure the accuracy of historical information. This includes documentation, photographs, and video programs. Students can also document neighborhood traditions, school traditions, and family traditions.
However, there are some problems that can arise. First, students can lose information if it is not integrated. Second, they may not remember important details if they do not have a retrieval cue. Third, they may be unaware of the relevance of a particular source. Fourth, students may not appreciate a given element of history.
Educators don’t always share standards or professional goals. The goal of heritage education is to teach history while engaging students in a variety of activities that move them from idea to action. They are designed to move students beyond worksheets and textbooks and to encourage them to protect the historical environment. There is a need for a broader approach to museums, archives, and other places of heritage interpretation.
In this study, we analyzed the opinions of trainee history teachers on cultural and historical resources. To do so, we gathered data from 646 students who attended training courses in Spain. We found that heritage elements were the most valued item, followed by websites of historical content, artistic productions, and local cultural and historical heritage. Other items were least valued.
Cultural and historical resources were evaluated by trainee teachers in relation to their suitability for history education. Most of these resources were related to academic disciplines. But some were more technological, such as video games. Although these resources were valued, students generally preferred resources that were more focused on undergraduate studies.
Some of the most valuable items in the study were websites, videogames, and artistic productions. Artistic productions are usually computer-generated reconstructions, but some have a more traditional artist’s conception. When evaluating the effectiveness of these items, experts rated them on a scale of one to four. Generally, these items scored a 3.24.
The results suggest that future teachers value heritage elements. However, they also indicate that there is room for improvement. In order to make more heritage-related resources available in history education, trainee history teachers need to identify their epistemological and teaching strategies.
Overall, the results indicate that trainee history teachers can benefit from improving their training. Specifically, they should be aware of their approach to teaching, and identify the objectives of modern history education. This is especially important for younger students, who may not be familiar with the concepts of culture and history.