ABSTRACT
The use of evidence to reach supportable conclusions is one of the most important objectives of the social studies—or, indeed, of most disciplines. Educators have pointed to the collection, evaluation, and systematic use of evidence as a critical feature of instruction in the field. History educators frequently demonstrate particular sensitivity to issues. Despite its avowed importance to social studies education, the use of evidence has until received little attention by researchers in the United States. Research in the United States has found that students generally fall on the less reflective end of that continuum. The personalized understanding of historical information also provided students with reasonable ideas about what made some sources more reliable than others, as well as how to reconcile conflicting accounts. Students’ encounter with history should focus on issues that retain their significance in contemporary society, for those are the issues most likely to inspire students to support their conclusions with reliable evidence.
