A study was conducted to collect information on college students' perceptions of adjunct guide material used in conjunction with textbook reading assignments in history and philosophy courses. The three types of guide materials developed by history, philosophy, and reading department faculty were (1) selective reading guides--a series of…

Nearly 20 years ago, the first national assessment of student achievement in U.S. history yielded disappointing results. Although policy-makers and researchers expressed great concern about the low scores, the federal government did not undertake large-scale efforts to address poor student performance, and few research dollars were dedicated to…

This study investigates how teachers and students assess the textbooks they use in history courses at the high school level in Turkey. The study included 61 high schools in 23 provinces representing the 7 geographic regions of Turkey. Through a survey questionnaire, teachers and students were asked their perceptions of the textbooks. Then a…

Examined the influence of college students' expertise on use of multiple documents about a historical controversy. Found that strategies did not differ significantly across the groups of expert and non-expert students. However, evaluation of usefulness varied as a function of document type and students' expertise. Furthermore, novices and experts…

Describes one fifth grade teacher's approach to the teaching of U.S. history. Reveals that the teacher limited breadth of coverage in favor of an approach that sought to connect themes and facts. Explains that the teacher incorporated language arts teaching, storytelling, writing assignments, and cooperative learning activities. (SG)

Investigates impact of instructional practices involving media literacy education across the curriculum by examining the work of four different teams of ninth-grade teachers. Shows that students' media literacy skills were highest where media education activities were integrated across all subject areas, where both analysis and production…

Interviews with 154 elementary school students in Northern Ireland and the United States found that students in both countries were very interested in history and learned about history from family and the media, as well as school. However, the two groups of students had different views on the importance of history and reasons for studying it.…

Social studies educators have long promoted inquiry learning as a valuable method of instruction. Specifically, research into the use of inquiry methods in the teaching and learning of history has demonstrated that this method has much to offer. Recently, the use of technological tools, including the Internet, has received attention as a means of…

This study explores how children in English primary schools perceive time and chronology in storybooks--whether the children are aware of the devices used in stories to manipulate time and chronological sequence, and whether their responses demonstrate their own ability to use these devices. Children aged between 3-9 years were involved in…

This paper demonstrates the significant potential for history teachers to contribute to the development of children's spirituality through the use of literature within the history curriculum. Using four case studies of history teaching in English comprehensive schools, the paper outlines a holistic approach to the subject--drawing upon art and…

The purpose of this action research study was to explore possibilities for scaffolding academic language and historical thinking for non-native English speaking students in two middle school classrooms. The teaching approach focused on six dimensions of historical thinking: background knowledge, cause, effect, bias, empathy, and application. The…

During the 1992-93 school year, the leadership of Benjamin Russell High School, located in Alexander City, Alabama, decided to experiment with blocked class periods. Under this option, sometimes referred to as the Copernican System, subjects are taught in double periods rather than in the conventional 50-minute periods normally used in most…

This study was undertaken to investigate how individual teachers' opinions and beliefs serve as a basis for classroom practice and curriculum decision making. United States history teachers are not passive transmitters of knowledge; they bring their own experiences, beliefs, attitudes, and ways of looking at the world to the classroom. The…

This study reviewed six history textbooks widely used in grades 7-12 across the U.S. Using a story-line analysis, the findings of this study suggest: (1) textbooks reinforce negative stereotypes of Latin Americans as lazy, passive, irresponsible, and, somewhat paradoxically, lustful, animalistic and violent; (2) the method of description employed…

Interviews with fourth graders who had not yet received systematic instruction in U.S. history revealed that these students are interested in the past, concerned about human intentionality and cause-effect relationships, and able to construct coherent narrative accounts of historical events as they understand them. However, they lack an…