Arab Educational Information Network

There is widespread agreement amongst history educators that history education should aim to help students understand and explore multiple perspectives on the past. However, as an important body of international research and theorizing indicates, understanding historical interpretations and accounts can present significant challenges for history students and, indeed, for adults. This paper draws on empirical, theoretical and pedagogic work and, in particular, on data sets developed through online discussion exercises involving 16-19 year old history students, academic historians and an history education academic in discussion about historical interpretations. The paper explores empirical questions about how these students appeared to conceptualize historical interpretations over the course of these discussion exercises and about the extent to which student thinking appeared to change, if at all, during the discussions. The paper also explores the impact that challenging questioning strategies and interaction with expert historical thinkers can have in moving student thinking on. (Author’s Abstract)