In dealing with a group of social studies educators this summer they constantly claimed the only thing that mattered was "skills" and "history content" was irrelevant. I can't imagine how you can separate the 2 - it seems that in order to use historical thinking skills effectively, it entails a strong comprehension of relevant historical content knowledge. However, I was unable to convince the group of 23 K-12 teachers who seemed to be completely indifferent on "content". I am interested particularly in research that focuses on any of the following three strands as each would inform my study:
1 - Differences measured in Historians versus K-12 educators of history as it relates to (a) content knowledge and (b) historical thinking skills
2 - Measurement tools for assessing one's "historical thinking skills" - there are many national assessments for "content" so I'm comfortable with finding a reasonable one there
3 - Cognitive load work on learning history as it relates to historical thinking skills AND content knowledge
Thanks!
You might like to invite them to read two interesting articles on the use of authentic writing activities to engage the students in cultural practices relating to the discipline of history, such as developing arguments and using the “language” and ‘grammar’ of history.”:
Van Drie, J., van Boxtel, C., & Braaksma, M. (2014). Writing to engage students in historical reasoning. In P. D. Klein, P. Boscolo, C. Gelati & L. Kirckpatrick (Eds.). Writing as a Learning Activity. Studies in Writing: Vol. 28 (pp. 94-119). Leiden: Brill. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/9789004265011_006
Wiley, J., Steffens, B., Britt, M. A., & Griffin, T. (2014). Writing to learn from multiple-source inquiry activities in history. In P. D. Klein, P. Boscolo, C. Gelati & L. Kirckpatrick (Eds.). Writing as a Learning Activity. Studies in Writing: Vol. 28 (pp. 120-148). Leiden: Brill. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/9789004265011_007
Use Jordanus de Nemote datis to introduce An arithmetycal solution of second degree equation.
use Leonardo Pisano's book of squAres to introduce Bell's equation.
And so on.
As a former history teacher, I would agree more with the your K12 practitioners. While I would never proclaim that history content was irrelevant, I would argue that it should be critiqued rather than consumed. From a critical and cultural perspective, knowledge is constructed and heavily aligned with social power. As a result, it lends itself to be contested. The slant and control of what is considered as valid "historical content" makes its consumption rather toxic (if not dangerous) for our increasingly more diverse student body.
While I couldn't answer your questions, I think they are quite relevant! I look forward to reading the different responses.
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