What History Do Children Consider Important and Why?:Introducing the Concept “Historical Significance” into the Classroom

• Published in: Journal of Japanese Educatinal Research Associaon for the Social Studies Vol. 91; pp. 13 - 24
• Main Author: TATARA, Yusuke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Educational Research Association for the Social Studies 30.11.2019; 全国社会科教育学会
• Subjects: Aims-Talk; Historical Significance; Historical Thinking; Qualitative Research; Schematic Narrative Template; エイム・トーク; ナラティブ・テンプレート; 歴史的思考; 歴史的意義; 質的研究
• ISSN: 0289-856X; 2432-9142
• DOI: 10.20799/jerasskenkyu.91.0_13

This research investigates what history children consider to be important and the reasons behind their thinking. This study utilizes semi-structured interviews of 31 children from the first grade to the third grade of junior high school. Relying on an analytical framework and research method borrowed from the British and American tradition of history education research, this study found that the children explained the significance of historical events or people according to a narrative template primarily consisting of three themes: (1) “what makes the present,” such as the progression of culture and technologies; (2) “relationships with foreign countries,” such as exchanges between Japan and other nations; and (3) “domestic autonomy,” such as the formation of independent national systems. Excluding these themes, some children also referred to death and sacrifice and resistance to them as important topics, but the context in which they were regarded as significant was limited. This study concludes that, at least in junior high school, children can judge and discuss what is important in history, so teachers should recognize children’s viewpoints on the subject as teaching material, develop their metacognition concerning their perspectives on history through activities involving selection and evaluation, drive their motivation for inquiry by incorporating their view on history, and contextualize it through aims-talk.