Abstract
Bangkok is urbanising rapidly, and many young people feel increasingly detached from the past. The National Discovery Museum Institute (NDMI), a public cultural organisation under the Thai government, is dedicated to fostering civic learning and historical awareness through innovative museum practices. Its Museum Links initiative responds to this challenge by linking museums, schools, and communities to reconnect students with local history. This interdisciplinary museum-based project repositions museums not merely as repositories of the past, but as active platforms for civic learning, cultural interpretation, and youth participation in shaping public memory. The initiative was conducted in six secondary schools across Bangkok, but this paper focuses on two completed case studies with full activity implementation and learning assessment. One of the flagship activities is Xplorer Squad: Unlock the Past in Bangkok’s historic core. It demonstrates place-based pedagogies adapted to distinct urban settings. The inner-city programme emphasised decoding spatial transformation through historical maps, archival photographs, and site-based exploration. Drawing on assessment data and student reflections, the paper shows how participants developed competencies in historical thinking and urban awareness using tools such as comparative map reading, photo analysis, field observation, and guided reflection. These tools helped build students’ interpretive abilities and civic imagination. The study argues that interdisciplinary museum–school partnerships grounded in place can revitalise museum-based heritage education and cultivate youth agency in historical interpretation.
Presenters
Chewasit BoonyakietKnowledge Management Officer, Derpartment of Museum Knowledge Development, National Discovery Museum Institute, Thailand, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon [Bangkok], Thailand Sarawan Vindubrahmanakul
Senior Knowledge Management Officer, Derpartment of Museum Knowledge Development, National Discovery Museum Institute, Thailand, Thailand Yupaporn Thanyawiwatkul
Assistant Director, Department of Museum Knowledge Development, National Discovery Museum Institute, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon [Bangkok], Thailand Worakarn Wongsuwan
Assitant Director, Derpartment of Museum Knowledge Development, National Discovery Museum Institute, Thailand, Thailand Sirada Thiendej
Senior knowledge management officer, Department of Museum Knowledge Management, National Discovery Museum Institute, Thailand Kusra Mukdawijitra
Director , Department of Museum Knowledge Development, National Discovery Museum Institute, Thailand, Thailand
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Museum Education,Place-Based Learning,Historical Thinking,Youth Engagement,Heritage Interpretation
