Topic variability and criteria in interpretational history teaching

Abstract

This paper studies the teacher perceived applicability of historical topics for interpretational history teaching and the criteria teachers use to evaluate this applicability. For this study, 15 expert history teachers in the Netherlands striving for interpretational history teaching were purposefully selected. Teachers were asked to mention historical topics using a ranking task technique to rank topics in order of applicability and to elaborate on how the topics were ranked. The results showed a large variation in perceived applicability among topics, both within and between teachers. Eight different topicapplicability criteria were discerned in the teachers’ elaborations: (1) topic knowledge; (2) topic affinity; (3) topic constructedness; (4) topic deconstructability; (5) topic abstractedness; (6) topic sensitivity; (7) topic materials; and (8) topic inclusion in the history curriculum. We found that teachers tended to judge topics as applicable for interpretational history teaching partly depending on the degree of ‘canonised interpretativity’ in lesson materials and the curriculum, and to the degree to which they belonged to ‘cold’ (morally neutral) or ‘hot’ (morally sensitive) history. A theoretical implication of the findings is that interpretational history teaching is topic-dependent. Teachers can be supported to teach history as interpretation by structured pedagogies.