Using an Instructional Model of Historical Empathy to Teach the Holocaust

Abstract

The current study investigates the impact of using an Instructional Model of Historical Empathy to teach the Holocaust on students’ ability to contextualize historical events, recognize perspectives, and affectively connect to victims of the Holocaust. A three-day instructional unit was designed that incorporates primary sources from a variety of voices such as victims, perpetrators, and bystanders. Participants included a tenth grade on-level world history class enrolled in a large high school located in the southeastern U.S. Using a mixed method research design, the researchers measured students’ level of historical empathy qualitatively and quantitatively through pre- and post-surveys, work samples, and interviews. Results indicate that students’ ability to contextualize the Holocaust, recognize diverse perspectives, and care for individuals of the past significantly improved. Students made moral judgements of the past and stressed the need to act on behalf of others to prevent future atrocities. Using an Instructional Model of Historical Empathy to teach the Holocaust can meet curricular goals of improving historical thinking and add value beyond school by promoting social justice.