Increasing Students' Interest in History Through Tangible Cultural Heritage

This study investigates how tangible cultural heritage (TCH) can enhance college students' interest in history, focusing on historical awareness, emotional engagement, aesthetic appreciation, and educational integration. A quantitative, descriptive-survey research design was used to assess student perceptions of TCH, providing measurable insights into its impact on historical engagement. Data were gathered through a self-constructed survey checklist completed by 69 social studies college students. Results revealed that students at the participating private higher education institution viewed TCH positively, with a "Great Extent" verbal interpretation across all sub-variables, particularly historical awareness, which had the highest weighted arithmetic mean of 3.47. However, the findings also indicated a need to improve students' knowledge of tangible cultural heritage in Sariaya, as they expressed unfamiliarity with some of these cultural treasures in their community. In response to the findings, a video presentation was developed to highlight tangible cultural heritage in Sariaya, Quezon, to increase student awareness and emotional engagement with local historical sites.