Aspects of Writing the Textbooks of the Albanian People History in Pre-University Education

Esilda Luku

doi:10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n4p466

Abstract

This paper aims to analyse the challenges of historiography, in particular those coming across during the process of writing the textbooks of history for the educational curriculum. Its approach is theoretical as much as empirical. The object of the paper is to evaluate the level of meeting the scientific criteria in the text “The history of the albanian people 12”. Considering the fact that historical literature, including the school books of history, is written continuously, historians should meet the following criteria: 1. The generalising criterion, meaning the synthetic presentation of historical processes treated with a scientific objectivity. During the compilation, it is necessary to avoid biased stance, politicisation and extreme ideological arguments that distort the historical truth. Scientific accuracy can be reached by using the valid thesis of native and foreign historiography. 2. The chronological criterion, as the main characteristic of the historicism, implies time arrangement of historical events. It intends to analyse in right proportion the historical periods, in conformity with the most accepted periodisation of this scientific discipline. 3. The psychopedagogic criterion is based on the adaptation of the formative and informative material with the psychological and intellectual qualities, as well as the perceiving and assimilating abilities of the reader. The accurate meeting of these scientific criteria leads the historian’s work during the process of research and the interpretation of the sources. These last ones require the research methods of analysis (deduction) and synthesis (induction), as well as the methods of synchronic and dychronic analogy. The analytic approach of the historical facts and events influences on the development of the critical thinking and the scientific content of history as discipline, that begins with the compilation of the school textbooks of preliminary and high educational system. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n4p466

Highlights

“History is always written wrong and so, always needs to be rewritten” (Bacelli, 2007: 9)
The analytic approach of the historical facts and events influences on the development of the critical thinking and the scientific content of history as discipline, that begins with the compilation of the school textbooks of preliminary and high educational system
The last is defined as a systematic set of principles and rules that effectively help in the collection of source materials of history, in their scientific evaluation and the presentation of the synthesis of the obtained results (Mema, 2005: 10)

Summary

Introduction

“History is always written wrong and so, always needs to be rewritten” (Bacelli, 2007: 9). This quote of the SpanishAmerican philosopher, George Santayana, proclaims the permanent challenge of the historical science on the necessity of writing history textbooks, in accordance with the respective scientific criteria. This objective derives from the development in time and space of the historical events, as well as the new way of perception, classification, evaluation and interpretation of sources

The Writing of History Textbooks for the Educational Curriculum

Conclusions