Teaching Tourism History through Historical Sites and Museums: Implications for Students’ Cognitive Engagement
Abstract
Museum-based and heritage-based learning can connect theoretical knowledge with its interpretation and application in authentic cultural environments. This article examines the educational potential of museums, historical sites, and cultural heritage resources for developing functional literacy in tourism education. The study employs an integrative literature review of research on museum pedagogy, experiential learning, heritage interpretation, functional literacy, and practice-oriented tourism education. The review indicates that museums and historical sites may support cognitive engagement, communication, cultural awareness, ethical reflection, and the practical application of disciplinary knowledge. However, these outcomes do not result automatically from participation in an excursion. Educational effectiveness depends on structured preparation, guided inquiry, interaction with objects and narratives, reflective activities, conceptual analysis, and professionally oriented assignments. Kolb’s experiential learning framework is used to explain how concrete experience can be connected with reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. The article also considers the relevance of heritage-based learning to Kazakhstan, with particular attention to the educational potential of museums and historical sites in the Turkestan region. The analysis suggests that these resources can be integrated into tourism curricula through interpretation tasks, visitor-experience analysis, excursion design, and tourism product development. Nevertheless, international pedagogical models require adaptation to national curricula, institutional conditions, language practices, museum infrastructure, and regional cultural contexts. The article concludes that museum-based learning should be treated as a systematically designed component of professional education rather than as an occasional supplementary excursion. Received: 04 December 2025 / Accepted: 27 July 2026 / Published: September 2026