The Role of Experience in Shaping Student Perception of the Significance of Cultural Heritage

This paper examines how experiences shape student perception regarding culture and heritage during their on-campus studies. Specifically, our research focuses on students from The Department of ‘Culture and Tourism Business Management’ of The Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Central Greece in Amphissa, the capital of Phokis Prefecture (near Delphi). This is a popular tourist destination with significant cultural and archeological monuments with a major cultural and historical impact worldwide and locally. We quantitatively examine the role and effect of extracurricular experience within the vicinity of students’ immediate academic environment, in constructing student perception, as well as study its influence in creating a comprehensive perception of heritage at large. Our methodology is based on a pilot research in which students participated using questionnaires. Students of this particular department were chosen as they are expected to be ‘semi-informed’ individuals with a predetermined inclination towards tourism, heritage and heritage interpretation, relevant to their studies. The specific choice of semi-informed specimen allows for a high level of accuracy in the quantitative aspect of the research. The study also looks at how experiences can subsequently re-shape student perceptions by urging them to become more closely attached to the culture and heritage of a place, be it by way of sightseeing landmarks or adhering to local customs as culturally aware members of their community. Our findings indicate that student experience significantly influences the interpretation of heritage and, in turn, cultural perceptions, and the latent potential, prospects and options such experiences may afford students thereafter.