Towards an interpretations heuristic : a case study exploration of 16-19 year old students' ideas about explaining variations in historical accounts
This thesis is a case study exploration of a group of 16-19 year old students' understandings of historical accounts. The thesis builds on prior research by the author, completed in the Institution Focused Study element of the EdD, and aims to add to existing understandings of the ways in which history students conceptualise historical accounts and controversies and the discipline of history. Twenty-four students in one institution, twelve in the first and twelve in the second year of their advanced level history studies, completed three written tasks over the course of an academic year. Twelve of the twentyfour students, six from each year, were interviewed. The written tasks and the interviews were designed to generate data on student understanding of historical accounts. Each written task focused on paired texts in which two historians made differing claims about an historical topic and the students were asked to answer the same four questions in each task. The interview questions mirrored the written task questions but were general in nature, looking at historical disagreement rather than at a particular controversy. Data analysis focuses on the students' ideas about explaining why historical disagreements
Chapman, Arthur John
Towards an interpretations heuristic : a case study exploration of 16-19 year old students' ideas about explaining variations in historical accounts. This thesis is a case study exploration of a group of 16-19 year old students' understandings of historical accounts. The thesis builds on prior research by the author, completed in the Institution Focused Study element of the EdD, and aims to add to existing understandings of the ways in which history students conceptualise historical accounts and controversies and the discipline of history. Twenty-four students in one institution, twelve in the first and twelve in the second year of their advanced level history studies, completed three written tasks over the course of an academic year. Twelve of the twentyfour students, six from each year, were interviewed. The written tasks and the interviews were designed to generate data on student understanding of historical accounts. Each written task focused on paired texts in which two historians made differing claims about an historical topic and the students were asked to answer the same four questions in each task. The interview questions mirrored the written task questions but were general in nature, looking at historical disagreement rather than at a particular controversy. Data analysis focuses on the students' ideas about explaining why historical disagreements
towards interpretation heuristic case_study exploration student_idea explain variation historical_account case_study exploration group_student understanding historical_account build prior author complete institution focused study element aim add exist understanding way history student conceptualise historical_account controversy discipline history twenty student institution twelve first twelve second year advance level history study complete write task course academic year twelve student interview write task interview design generate data student historical_account write task focus pair texts historian make differ claim historical topic student ask answer question task interview question mirror write task question general nature look historical disagreement rather particular controversy data_analysis focus student_idea explain historical disagreement