The Gordon Highlanders Museum based in Aberdeen conserves and displays military heritage for educational and community purposes. The organisation is keen to support effective participation and meaningful engagement of children, families and adults at the site. In order to fully understand participation barriers, the Museum was eager to discover why schools in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire visited, or did not visit the organisation.
University of Aberdeen undergraduates were tasked with this work-based project as part of the course, Working Together: Employability for Arts & Social Sciences ED3535. Students began by mapping schools who had visited the Museum and followed this up with an in-depth questionnaire survey of a wider-range of schools from across the North-East region. The research provided students with an ideal opportunity to develop their communication, analytical and report writing skills. A key finding of the students’ project was that transport costs were the main barrier to many schools visiting the organisation. As a result of the students’ research the Museum has now secured funding to provide transport grants to primary and secondary schools, and extended school engagement with the Museum.
“The student project group was excellent and without their work the Museum wouldn't be in the position to offer travel support. Thank you!!”
Alice Walton, Learning Manager, The Gordon Highlanders Museum