MUSEUM EDUCATION AS A TOOL FOR PROMOTING SCHOOL-WIDE COMMUNITY AND FAMILY COOPERATION IN ELEMENTARY: A PRELIMINARY REPORT

Abstract

Building relationships among students and their wider community may encourage participation and impact student learning. This study describes the implementation of a three-month model project in Museum Education in a primary school in a rural province of Crete. Observational data of students (N = 11) and their parents (10 fathers and 10 mothers) focuses on: a) what extent students with different educational needs acquired new educational and interpersonal experiences by the investigation of the historical, cultural habits and customs of contemporary children and the children of Minoan civilization, and b) examining the notion of parents’ participation in their children's educational and social school activities. It is indicated that the whole process encouraged student participation in class activities, achieved a more comfortable classroom environment, promoted collaboration with peers, their teacher and museum-educators and created a sense of community. Due to the children’s maximum interest for the programme, parents in order to strengthen the access of such efforts, offered a further cooperation with the teacher and administrators of the program, as well as with other support services that leaded to the constitution of a parent-teacher association and the founding of a new library in their province. Key words: elementary students, family, museum educators, school-wide community cooperation.