Good Educational Practices for the Development of Inclusive Heritage Education at School through the Museum: A Multi-Case Study in Bologna

Abstract

This article presents the outcomes and conclusions of a research work designed to determine and describe good inclusive practices for the development of heritage education in schools through museums in the city of Bologna. To this end, we applied a qualitative methodology through the study of four cases, four museums in the city of Bologna, selected for their good practices in educational programmes for schools. Instruments such as interviews, observation, and documentary analysis were used. The results emphasise a close school-museum relationship, with heritage as an agent that enhances people’s identity, a fundamental element in the citizenship development of Bolognese society, and a key aspect for the development of inclusive principles and the care of all people, although improvements in the processes and some limitations in the development of the programmes are perceived. The outcomes highlight the importance of school and museum relations and the development of an inclusive heritage education that advocates a holistic, integrative, and complex approach to heritage, as an essential element in the development of the individual and of society.

Heritage Education and Research in Museums. Conceptual, Intellectual and Social Structure within a Knowledge Domain (2000–2019)

“…There has also been, at least until recent times [46], a low degree of interest in evaluative processes which could improve the quality of the exhibitions. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the school-museum relationship and, thus, the development of a form of heritage education which transforms museums into an opportunity for people with different capacities, enabling greater learning on the part of students and making visitors active elements, thereby helping to deal with other issues related to citizenship education [31] leading to changes which will improve society [43,47].…”

“…Therefore, the growing importance of non-formal centres of education has led to the fact that one of the most important areas of action within heritage education is the establishment of relationships between schools and museums as the latter have a greater level of responsibility when putting forward educational proposals focused on heritage. Indeed, UNESCO itself has recognised the social function of museums, considering them to be a key tool for social development and integration [31].…”

The Use of Activities and Resources in Archaeological Museums for the Teaching of History in Formal Education

“…Fontal [10] considers museums to be potential repositories of heritage and the link arising between a person, or a group of people, and an asset. As teachers, we must encourage these links between museums and our pupils with the aim of contributing towards their personal development, leading them to value their historical inheritance and to become critical and active citizens with an awareness of culture so that they may understand the past as a way of understanding the present [11].…”

“…Ultimately, in this approach, the teaching has to extend beyond the four walls of the classroom and establish communication and relationships with other educational agents. The main strategies which lead to an optimal learning scenario are the valuing of the surrounding environment as a source of learning and the opening up of dialogue, research and reflection [10,11]. The dichotomy of classroom museums and museums for the classroom necessarily requires the establishment of a good collaborative relationship between the classroom and museums in order to guarantee that the teaching aims and the improvement of the teaching and learning process for history from the initial stages of education can be achieved.…”

“…In the use of these activities, materials and resources proposed by Ampartzaki et al [15], Rivero and Feliu [32] and Estepa [33] in the Curricular Project Investigando nuestro mundo (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12), Investigando las sociedades actuales e históricas (Investigating our world. Investigating current and historical societies), the theoretical and empirical study presented has been taken into account, with the aim of establishing the educational possibilities which can be borne in mind within the design of a field trip to an archaeological museum.…”