NOVEL STUDY IN LEARNING HISTORY (Descriptive Analytical Study of the Ability of the History Education Department Students in Appreciating Novel)

Abstract

The background of this study is the writer’s concern about history learning which only focus on rote learning and text book that makes the student drown into the sea of facts. Therefore, it is true what Tolstoy said that history is nothing but useless collection of stories which aimed is only for “entertainment”. In fact, the aim of Novel study can balance the intellectual side and the value learning, give a better chance to remind various history facts, and make history learning become more enjoyable. However, these purposes need to be supported by the history teacher’s ability in appreciating historical novel. The focus of this paper is “how good is the History Education Department students appreciating novel in history learning?” This research study used qualitative approach to find a complex and holistic picture about the subject being studied. Besides, the researcher also uses the phenomenology approach which is used in understanding how the students sense their experience when studying the novel and use to observe the perception, ideas, imagination, emotion, desire, willingness, and action they showed when they analyse the historical novel.