Heritage education under evaluation: the usefulness, efficiency and effectiveness of heritage education programmes

Abstract

The evaluation of programmes is necessary in order to improve their implementation and development. This paper includes the results of the evaluation of a heritage education programme entitled Patrimonializarte. It was carried out over the course of one academic year with six groups of early years, primary and secondary schoolchildren from two schools in Galicia (Spain). A holistic conception of heritage was assumed, and the evaluations of the opinion groups were gathered, analysing those of 59 direct and indirect agents (teachers, families, local heritage managers and members of the local authorities. The data were collected via questionnaires with open responses and discourse analysis was performed on the responses. The most significant results show that: (a) the teachers valued the methodology and the objectives achieved extremely positively; (b) the families particularly valued the significant learning achieved by their children regarding elements of local heritage; and (c) the local authorities and heritage managers valued the programme as it has demonstrated the need for more collaboration with schools. The programme analysed has been shown to be useful, efficient and effective and has achieved a (largely unexpected) impact on the families involved and on the local community.