The sea in Galicia: An approach to its heritage dimension in a Primary Education classroom

Abstract

The sea is an environment of great importance in Galicia, however, students seem not to consider it as a heritage element, probably due to its scarce presence in the Primary Education curriculum. A holistic approach to the sea at school can favor its critical appraisal and foster processes of cultural identification. An intervention is carried out with Primary Education students with the double objective of identifying perceptions about the sea in its heritage dimension and contributing to the construction of a citizenship that is socially committed to and responsible for the local environment.  Through a qualitative study, the results show that heritage education contributes to raising students' awareness of the cultural condition of the sea and to develop a caring attitude towards its conservation and enjoyment.