ABSTRACT

History is generally regarded as an important subject that all young people should study. As Section 1 on the nature and purpose of studying history illustrates, there are debates about the precise reasons why young people should learn about the past, but these debates, and the often heated nature of them, reveal that history is regarded as central to a young person’s education. However, history is often regarded as a difficult subject for children. There is a vast body of knowledge to become familiar with, while the concepts and processes that underpin the subject are complex. Time itself can be a very abstract concept. The fragmentary nature of our understanding of the past can be frustrating to some students who wish to ‘know what happened’ or believe there is an objective ‘knowable’ past. Pupils are often required to engage with mindsets very different to ours; this requires an ability to see the world from the perspectives of others (often from an adult perspective as well), which requires a level of sophisticated contextual knowledge. History is also regarded as a literary subject in many societies, requiring students to be very competent in reading and writing, and to be orally proficient. There is a danger that history is seen as too ‘difficult’ for some students, who therefore receive a different level of historical education. This is potentially divisive, disenfranchising and denies some young people access to important social capital. The teaching of history therefore presents teachers with many challenges, one of which is the question, how do teachers help all young people to learn history successfully?