Educational practice in non-formal education contexts. An example in the field of heritage education with boys and girls from Val Pellice (Turin, Italy) through an archeology workshop

Introduction: In current educational processes, three learning contexts coexist: formal, non-formal and informal. Non-formal education not only complements formal education, but also expands informal learning. This highlights the need to methodologically and evaluatively integrate the educational activities of both areas for comprehensive development. The dissemination of cultural heritage is carried out mainly in non-formal contexts, with recreational activities on History and Archaeology. It is crucial to design activities in all educational contexts that are motivating, pedagogical and evaluative to ensure meaningful learning. Method: This study applied Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and self-assessment in a simulated archaeological workshop with 24 rural children from the Val Pellice rural area (Italy), to evaluate learning outcomes. Results: The results showed good acceptance of the workshop and a high perception of understanding and learning about archeology and heritage conservation. Conclusions: These findings are a starting point for future research, since understanding the effectiveness of educational practices in the field of non-formal education can improve its quality.