Ιστορική σκέψη και ιστορικές πηγές: Πώς οι μαθητές/-τριες επεξεργάζονται τις πηγές στο μάθημα της Ιστορίας της Γ’ Γυμνασίου

Abstract

The current Curriculum defines the development of historical thinking (and historical consciousness) as the general purpose of teaching History without detailing the methods for achieving it. A prerequisite for designing teaching approaches that contribute to the development of historical thinking is the knowledge of the ways students “read” sources. Exploring these ways is the purpose of the present study.

The data from the teaching intervention showed that the students of the Experimental Model School had difficulty defining historical time and considered events independently of their historical context. In addition, they focused on aspects of what they considered to be remarkable and commented on their significance based on personal interpretations and representations rather than historical evidence.

In conclusion, it was observed that students process historical sources in a rough way because they are not familiar with the processes of disciplinary approach which lead to the development of historical thinking. Τhis may be due to the commonly used practices of accessing sources, which are limited to finding specific information rather than analyzing it. However, the gradual familiarization of students with the strategies for reading history shows that in-depth study of sources presents opportunities for cultivating historical thinking.