The Role of Museums in the Field of Sustainable Cultural Heritage: Opinions of Social Sciences High School Students

Cultural heritages are tangible and intangible values that should be transferred to the future in the living environment. Museums have an important function in the protection and transfer of these values to future generations. It is thought that the level of consciousness and awareness of young people about the function of museums in the protection and maintenance of cultural heritage is important. In this sense, the aim of the research is based on examining the views of social sciences high school students on the role of museums in sustaining cultural heritage. The research was conducted using the interview technique based on the basic qualitative research model. The research group of the consists of 20 senior students studying in two different social sciences high schools. Criterion sampling, one of the purposeful sampling methods, was used in the research, and the criterion determined was that the students had visited the museum. In this context, in-depth interviews were conducted with the participants through semi-structured interview forms. The interviews continued until a certain data saturation was reached and the data were seen to repeat each other. In order to increase the validity and reliability of the study, it was ensured that the interviews were conducted objectively and that the participants were not directed. The data obtained from the interviews were first transcribed and transferred to the Nvivo 10 program and analyzed with descriptive and content analysis. As a result of the research, it was seen that the themes of “protecting”, “living”, “teaching” and “protecting our cultural values” came to the fore in sustaining cultural heritage. At the same time, it was revealed that in order to maintain cultural heritage, values can be sustained by keeping them alive or practising them. It was concluded that museums serve as a bridge in the transfer of material, spiritual, historical and cultural heritage and are effective in sustaining cultural heritage.