Agrigento: città che educa. Educazione al patrimonio nelle scuole primarie

Resum

The aim of this thesis is to carry out a diagnostic study that allows us to know and analyse the way in which local heritage is taught in schools. Specifically, the main objective of the research is to analyse how history teachers approach it in primary schools in Agrigento. This main objective is based on seven specific objectives that focus on the study of the opinions of primary school teachers on various aspects. The methodology of this doctoral thesis is mixed. The sample of teachers is of convenience and consists of 102 teachers. The responses were collected by means of a questionnaire called EducPatri. The results obtained indicate that the teachers consider their level of knowledge of the heritage of Agrigento and their level of training in heritage education to be sufficient (objective 1). As for the presence of local heritage in the state curriculum and in the annual programmes of the schools, they consider it to be insufficient, something that they make up for in their history lessons, where they consider the teaching of local heritage to be good (objective 2). The type of heritage most taught is natural heritage, followed by artistic and archaeological heritage. In relation to historical thinking skills, the most used are the ethical dimension and the connection between the past and the present, while the least used is the identification of changes and permanence in time (objective 3). The cognitive level requested from students is low, because it is focused on the description of the characteristics of heritage elements (objective 4). Objective 5 reveals that the most frequently used assessment instrument is practical work followed by questionnaires with objective multiple- choice questions. In objective 6, when asked about training needs and difficulties in relation to the teaching of heritage in primary education classrooms, the teachers responded that there is a need for more training in the teaching of heritage. As main difficulties, they point out the lack of coordination between schools and local heritage managers, the scarcity of teaching resources to be used in the classroom and insufficient specific training in heritage education. Finally, as far as objective 7 is concerned, the level of knowledge of heritage from the perspective of local managers and primary school students is good, especially with regard to the most important heritage complex of Agrigento, the Valley of the Temples, but needs to be improved with regard to the other heritage elements of other periods also present in Agrigento. In this sense, the structural equation model carried out in this doctoral thesis has confirmed the existence of three models of heritage teaching. The first of these, in which 59.2% of teachers are situated, is a traditional model. The second is more student-centred, where students are the ones who construct the knowledge they learn, through strategies that encourage student participation (23.5%). The last teaching approach is an intermediate model, where the leading role is still held by the teacher, but which includes innovative strategies and resources (21.4%). It is therefore concluded that there is a need for more teacher training in heritage education, especially in the use of ICT resources and active teaching strategies, closer collaboration between the educational community and the heritage management and dissemination bodies in the city of Agrigento, and a greater diversity of teaching resources for heritage education.