Fostering historical thinking: The use of document based instruction for students with learning differences

• Published in: Journal of social studies research Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 249 - 264
• Main Authors: Claravall, Eric B., Irey, Robin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.07.2022
• Subjects: Learning differences; World history; Middle school; Disciplinary literacy; Historical thinking; Historical reasoning; Cognition; Special education
• ISSN: 2352-2798; 0885-985X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jssr.2021.08.001

Document-based history instruction (DBI) was implemented in a middle school special education setting to promote the development of disciplinary cognitive processing and higher order thinking using historical thinking as a framework for students with learning differences (ld). A convergent mixed methods action research design was utilized to explore a) how DBI influenced students’ disciplinary cognitive processing and higherorder thinking when reading multiple historical documents b) the affordances and constraints of using DBI in a special education classroom. Using quantitative data sources (e.g., highlighted documents, reading comprehension responses, and an ondemand writing task) and additional qualitative data (e.g., interviews, fieldnotes, classroom artifacts, and audio recordings), we uncovered insightful evidence to support the potential of DBI for students with ld. In one academic year, when reading multiple historical sources, students learned how to efficiently highlight content knowledge and academic vocabulary, interrogate historical sources, and corroborate information from different sources.