Historically significant or not?: Review of research on selecting content in teaching history

Abstract

Since there are countless historical facts, figures, and dates in history, it is imperative that we carefully select content for students to learn in schools. However dire the need is, the systemic research on historical content selection here in Korea is scant at best. This is a review of research on selecting historically significant content with a purpose to rekindle the interest in the topic area. The study reviewed the most representative studies that center around the topic in the field of history, education, and history education respectively. The analysis results revealed that approaches of historians and those of curriculum theorists in the field of education are different and the approaches embraced in history education is closer to those of curriculum theorists. Among the tens of curriculum theories available, textbooks in Korean history education highlight Hilda Taba’s criteria in selecting content. However, these criteria are not widely used in a actual curriculum development whether it is at the national or classroom level. what defines the national curriculum movement in 2010’s is the drive for selecting Haksim(핵심) which translates to more important content. Yet the important content here confounds ‘basic’ and ‘core’ content. Based on the analysis results, the need for more methodical research on historical content selection is called for and the directions for future studies are discussed.