E-critical/thematic doing history project: Integrating the critical thinking approach with computer-mediated history learning

Abstract

The study investigated how inclination towards critical thinking about history, and also knowledge of history could be nurtured through E-critical/thematic doing history project. Thirty-three participants from a junior high school participated in a history workshop as an extracurricular school activity. Using a one-group pretest-posttest design, the history-learning questionnaire was employed to determine the effectiveness of doing history projects in promoting critical historical thinking skills among the subject group. A self-evaluation of the program, observation of student learning, and semi-structural interviews also were performed. The study found that history projects could scaffold learner development of historical and critical thinking. Students developed more positive and critical attitudes toward learning.