What Can a School’s Corporate Memory Contribute to the School’s Students?

Many children in the world spend at least 12 years of their lives in school in order to get an education. Many positive and negative things are experienced in a school that has been in education and training activities for many years, and all experiences accumulate in the school as a cultural heritage of recent history. However, most of the time, students who start to study in a school are unaware of the history of that school and the cultural heritage it has accumulated, in short, the experiences and cultural accumulation in the educational institution they are in. However, a school can be a source of inspiration, lesson and information for the students who are just starting to study at that school, with their experiences and the cultural heritage it has accumulated. The purpose of this research is to explore the corporate memory that has formed over the years in a school and to examine the effect of transferring the corporate memory to the new students in that school in an intriguing and effective way. Within the scope of the research, all successes, important events, shocking experiences, inspiring and exemplary events in a secondary school were determined by using document analysis and in-depth interview methods. Then, in the light of the data obtained, short thematic videos of 1-3 minutes in length were prepared that shed light on the recent history of the school. Subsequently, a technological design process was operated and a technological box was placed at an easily accessible point inside the school. The students, who brought their eyes closer to the lenses in the technological box, were allowed to watch the thematic short videos visually and audibly. The students who had this experience were followed through systematic observation, in-depth interviews and questionnaires were conducted with the students. The research findings revealed that students have a high interest and curiosity in the cultural heritage of the institution they study, their perspectives towards their schools have changed, they have gained meaning and their belonging to the school has been strengthened.