Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Historical Thinking and Historical Narratives in School Textbooks

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Discourses of Globalisation, and the Politics of History School Textbooks

Part of the book series: Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research ((GCEP,volume 32))

Abstract

This chapter, using critical discourse analysis, examines conceptual models of historical thinking and historical narratives in school textbooks. It considers the role of historiography in the classroom and major classroom pedagogical models relevant to historical thinking, developed by such authors as Lee Shulman’s model of pedagogical reasoning and action, Sam Wineburg (USA), Peter Seixas (Canada), Stéphane Lévesque (Canada), Carla van Boxtel and Yan van Drie (the Netherlands), to name a few. The chapter analyses history as a school subject, in both local and global settings, and its significance in promoting cultural diversity, and intercultural and global understanding. It is argued that history pedagogies, grounded in discourse analysis, and constructivist, metacognitive and transformational paradigms, have the power to engage the learner in significant and meaningful learning experiences of historical thinking, informed by multiple discourses of our historical narratives and those of other nations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Achkasov, V. A. (2018). National identity as a historical narrative. Retrieved from https://ideas.repec.org/a/acf/journal/y2018id833.html

  • Albert, R. (2006). Violent interethnic conflict and human dignity: Major issues in intercultural research and knowledge utilization. In Paper presented at the workshop on humiliation and violent conflict conference, Columbia University, 19 December.

    Google Scholar 

  • Almagro, M., & Andrés-Cerezo, D. (2020). The construction of national identities. Theoretical Economics, 15(2), 763–810.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baques, M.-C. (2006). History textbooks in France: Between national institutions, publishers and teaching practice. In J. Nicholls (Ed.), School history textbooks across cultures (pp. 105–118). Symposium Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruner, J. (1963). The process of education. Vintage Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delors Report. (1996). Learning: The treasure within. UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (1967a). On a genealogy of morals. Tavistock.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (1967b). Madness and civilization. Tavistock.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (1970). The order of things. Tavistock.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuchs, E. (2011). Current trends in history and social studies textbook research. Journal of International Cooperation and Education, 14(2), 17–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, L. (2020). What is historical thinking? Retrieved from https://cha-shc.ca/teaching/teachers-blog/what-is-historical-thinking-2020-09-07.htm

  • Guirdham, M. (2004). Conflict, culture and communication. An address delivered at the Luton Intercultural Forum. Retrieved from http://ic.intermundo.net

  • Hall, S. (1996). The question of cultural identity in modernity. In S. Hall, D. Held, D. Hubert, & K. Thompson (Eds.), Introduction to modern societies. Blackwell Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, D. (2021). Globalisation and National Curriculum Reform in Australia: The push for Asia literacy. In J. Zajda (Ed.), 3rd international handbook of globalisation, education and policy research (pp. 629–647). Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Humlebæk, C. (2018). National identities: Temporality and narration. Retrieved from https://www.mdpi.com/2313-5778/2/4/36

  • Ismailov, M., & Ganieva, N. (2013). In search for the Russian national identity: Do history textbooks hold the answer? Journal of Alternative Perspectives in the Social Sciences, 5(2), 366–392.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janmaat, J., & Vickers, E. (2007). Education and identity formation in post-cold war Eastern Europe and Asia. Compare, 37(3), 267–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kendall, G., & Wickham, G. (1999). Using Foucault’s methods. Sage.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Klymenko, L. (2020). The role of historical narratives in Ukraine’s policy toward the EU and Russia. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Lina-Klymenko-2075677511

  • László, J. (2014). Historical tales and national identity: An introduction to narrative social psychology. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lévesque, S. (2008). Thinking historically: Educating students for the twenty-first century. University of Toronto Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Majhanovich, S. (2006). Immigrant students and Canadian education: Compromised hopes. Education and Society, 24(1), 5–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls, J. (2006). School history textbooks across cultures. Symposium Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parker, C. S. (2004). History curriculum reform during educational transition in Poland. Political Crossroads, 10 and 11(1), 43–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Postman, N., & Weingartner, C. (1971). Teaching as a subversive activity. Penguin Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Secombe, M. (2021). Globalisation, cultural diversity and multiculturalism: Australia. In J. Zajda (Ed.), Third international handbook of globalisation, education and policy research. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66003-1_29

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Seixas, P. (2005). Historical consciousness: A scheme of progress in knowledge for a post-progressive age. In J. Straub (Ed.), Narrative, identity and historical consciousness (pp. 141–162). Berghahn Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seixas, P. (2006). Benchmarks of historical thinking: A framework for assessment in Canada. Centre for the Study of Historical Consciousness, Retrieved from https://historicalthinking.ca/sites/default/files/files/docs/Framework_EN.pdf

  • Seixas, P. (2017a). Historical consciousness and historical thinking. In M. Carretero, S. Berger, & M. Grever (Eds.), Palgrave handbook of research in historical culture and education (pp. 59–72). Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Seixas, P. (2017b). A model of historical thinking. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 49(6), 593–605.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shulman, L. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard Educational Review, 57(1), 1–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, A. (1991). National identity. Penguin Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smolicz, J. (2005). Globalisation, cultural diversity, and multiculturalism: Australia. In J. Zajda (Ed.), The international handbook of globalisation and education policy research (pp. 207–220). Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Southgate, B. (1996). History: What & why? Ancient, modern, and postmodern perspectives. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, S. (2001). Locating and conducting discourse analytic research. In M. Wetherell, S. Taylor, & S. Yates (Eds.), Discourse as data: A guide for analysis (pp. 5–48). Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thorp, R., & Persson, A. (2020). On historical thinking and the history educational challenge. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 52(8), 891–901. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2020.1712550

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Drie, J., & Van Boxtel, C. (2008). Historical reasoning: Towards a framework for analyzing students’ reasoning about the past. Educational Psychology Review, 20(2), 87–110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weedon, C. (1997). Feminist practice and poststructuralist theory (2nd ed.). Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitehouse, J. A. (2005). Critical thinking in the humanities. Educational Practice and Theory, 27(1), 83–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitehouse, J. A. (2008). Teaching the historians. Ágora, 43(2), 4–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitehouse, J. A. (2015b). Historical thinking: A framework for learning and teaching history. Educational Practice and Theory, 37(2), 51–58. https://doi.org/10.7459/ept/37.2.04

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitehouse, J. (2021). Teaching historical causation in a global culture. In J. Zajda (Ed.), Nation-building and history education in a global culture. Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wineburg, S. (2001). Historical thinking and other unnatural acts: Charting the future of teaching the past. Temple University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wodak, R. (2007). Discursive constructions of identity in European politics. Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wodak, R., & Meyer, M. (2009). Critical discourse analysis: History, agenda, theory, and methodology. In R. Wodak & M. Meyer (Eds.), Methods for critical discourse analysis (2nd ed., pp. 1–33). Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zajda, R. (1988). ‘The Calculable Woman’. Discourses of the self and sexuality in the Australian Women’s magazine Cleo. Thesis. Melbourne: University of Melbourne.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zajda, J. (2017). Globalisation and national identity in history textbooks: The Russian Federation. Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Zajda, J. (Ed.). (2021a). Third international handbook of globalisation, education and policy research. Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zajda, J. (2022a). Globalisation and education reforms: Overcoming discrimination. Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Zajda, J., & Whitehouse, J. A. (2009). Teaching history. In L. Saha & A. Dworkin (Eds.), The new international handbook of research on teachers and teaching (pp. 953–965). Springer Science + Business Media.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education & Arts, School of Education, Australian Catholic University, East Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Joseph Zajda

Authors
  1. Joseph Zajda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Zajda, J. (2022). Historical Thinking and Historical Narratives in School Textbooks. In: Discourses of Globalisation, and the Politics of History School Textbooks. Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research, vol 32. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05859-2_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05859-2_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-05858-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-05859-2

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation