ERIC Number: EJ1381283
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2631-9713
Not by the Book: The Teaching of History in Norwegian Kindergartens
History Education Research Journal, v20 n1 Article 3 2023
This article reports a local study of the presence of history as a subject in the kindergartens of Kristiansand, a municipality in southern Norway. There is no syllabus for history in the national curriculum; nevertheless, the research sought to find historical content in the kindergartens. The research method was informed by a precept of history didactics, namely that history is everywhere. Using this observation, tentative categories for content likely to feature history were formulated, and then searched for in the individual yearly plans of the kindergartens. This was supplemented by interviews. It is concluded that, in accordance with the national curriculum, history in the kindergartens is a local affair. It emerges especially through local history, visits to museums, and projects with historical features. This research was not designed to determine whether learning outcomes in history are achieved, nor to consider kindergartens outside Kristiansand. However, it references a corpus of literature on history in Norwegian kindergartens, and interacts with it. The conclusion about the presence of the subject is the same as was found for another city, Trondheim, in research by others. For international readers, the article also argues that in principle it is possible for young children to learn history orally and informally.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Kindergarten, History Instruction, National Curriculum, Local History, Preschool Education, Course Content, Cultural Awareness, Museums, Religion, Folk Culture, Fairy Tales, Older Adults, Art Products
UCL Press. University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT; e-mail: uclpresspublishing@ucl.ac.uk; Web site: https://www.uclpress.co.uk/pages/history-education-research-journal
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Norway
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A