Distance Teacher Education on Intangible Cultural Heritage Through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT): The Case of the Kastoria Carnival (Ragoutsaria)

Abstract

Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) is a field of cultural transmission in which communities, practices, knowledge, skills, and forms of expression are reinterpreted across generations. Its integration into teacher education can connect local cultural knowledge with pedagogical design, digital technologies, and reflective professional learning. This study explores the experiences and perceptions of primary teachers participating in a distance-training programme focused on the Kastoria Carnival (Ragoutsaria), an example of living intangible cultural heritage. The programme, implemented through the Centre for Training and Lifelong Learning (KEDIVIM) of the University of Western Macedonia, incorporated UNESCO’s six-step pedagogical approach to living heritage. An exploratory qualitative design was adopted. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews, reflective narratives, and educational artefacts produced by participating teachers. The data were examined through thematic analysis, combining sensitizing categories from the conceptual framework with emergent themes. Triangulation across the three sources strengthened trustworthiness. Participants described ICH as a community-based resource associated with cultural awareness, pedagogical planning, digital storytelling, and reflective professional learning. They also identified challenges concerning cultural material selection and interpretation, digital competence, time requirements, and transforming local knowledge into educational activities. The study illustrates how distance education and ICT can support context-sensitive pedagogical design through living heritage approaches.