In my master's thesis I presented the history of Žužemberk Castle. By planning and conducting an activity day for fifth-grade students at Žužemberk Primary School, I demonstrated how teacher can use a monument of local significance to learn about the history of the castle and castle life when teaching social studies. Through observation and interviews, I explored how 5th grade students at Žužemberk Primary School can actively engage with cultural heritage and history of Žužemberk Castle during an activity day or through fieldwork. I analysed the materials prepared by teachers and the museum for learning about the castle. I employed a qualitative research approach and conducted fieldwork with fifth-grade students from Žužemberk Primary School. I developed materials and activities for the activity day at Žužemberk Castle, which lasted for five school hours. Seventeen students participated, actively exploring medieval themes through station-based learning. Through the activity day, I observed and monitored the students. The observation criteria included student engagement, interest, comprehension, social interaction and the organization of the activity day. At the end I concluded an interview to assess how the students and their teachers critically evaluated the activity day. I described and analyzed the implementation of the event.
I found that fieldwork has a positive impact on students. It enhances environmental awareness, student engagement, observation skills, collaboration, social interaction, motivation and enjoyment. The activity day promotes the exploration of local history and serves as an effective way to review previously learned content while connecting it to new knowledge.
|
