Activity-based teaching of intangible cultural heritage education

The purpose of this research is to enable middle school students to recognize elements of intangible cultural heritage and to increase students' awareness of these elements. This study, which adopted an activity-based teaching process, employed an action research model, a qualitative research method. The study group consisted of 22 seventh-grade students studying at a middle school in Antalya, where the researcher worked, during the 2023-2024 academic year. Interview forms, an activity evaluation form, and a student diary were used as data collection tools in the study. For the activities to be implemented during the action research process, activity plans were created by identifying elements from UNESCO's "Turkey's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" that were suitable for implementation within school-based resources. The data obtained in the study were analyzed through descriptive analysis. The study revealed that students' awareness of intangible cultural heritage increased, and that prior to the activities, they had limited and uniform ideas and experiences related to intangible cultural heritage. By the end of the activities, they had acquired knowledge about unknown concepts, arts, and cultural elements related to intangible cultural heritage. In line with the research results, suggestions were made such as conducting interdisciplinary studies covering different branch courses in intangible cultural heritage education, conducting applied research at different class levels, and conducting research to determine teachers' experiences and needs in this field.