Dutch students’ understanding of the interpretative nature of textbooks when comparing two texts about a significant event in the development of democracy

Annemiek Houwen,Carla Van Boxtel,Paul Holthuis

doi:10.14324/herj.17.2.06

Annemiek Houwen, Carla Van Boxtel + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.14324/herj.17.2.06

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Abstract

In history education, the deconstruction of narratives is an important skill for students. The skill teaches them to look critically at the offered texts. In this study, we investigated the extent to which students are able to critically analyse the narratives in their history textbooks. To answer this question, we asked 106 students in pre-university education (16–17 years of age) to read and compare two texts – from two different textbooks – about a turning point in the development of the Dutch state and democracy: the introduction of universal suffrage for men and women in 1917–19. One group of students (N=10) worked on the assignment while thinking aloud. We found that most students recognized the author’s voice in the selection of persons and dates and in the attention paid to a particular topic, but that they hardly mentioned recognizing the voice in aspects such as the choice of words or headings. The students who analysed and compared the texts while thinking aloud all indicated after the assignment that they understood that these texts are different interpretations of the same historical development.

Highlights

It is important that students understand that history is an interpretation and a narrative
When students better understand that the historical narrative is always an interpretation, they may become aware of the relevance of the subject of history for, among other things, critical participation in society
(2) To what extent are the students able to recognize the narrative in the textbook as an interpretation of this turning point?

Summary

Introduction

It is important that students understand that history is an interpretation and a narrative. When students better understand that the historical narrative is always an interpretation, they may become aware of the relevance of the subject of history for, among other things, critical participation in society. The German FUER model of historical thinking pays explicit attention to the ability to deconstruct historical narratives (Körber, 2015; Trautwein et al, 2017). This is important for critical participation in society. Foster (2012) mentions two common characteristics of history textbooks They often tell a nationalistic story determined by the government. Good textbooks allow students to be comfortable with the idea that different versions of the past always will exist.’

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