Description Of Reforms Research Articles

Hezekiah and the Centralization of Worship (2 Kgs 18:4.22)

Did Hezekiah carry out religious reforms aimed at centralizing worship in Jerusalem? It is difficult to give an unequivocal answer to this question. The description of reforms is laconic and stereotypical (2 Kgs 18:4.22). The historical circumstances, however, seem to favor its recognition as historical. Also archaeological research, although not confirming unequivocally, does not allow to deny such a possibility either, even if many researchers believe that there was no massive influx of migrants from the north and that the population growth towards the end of 8th c. BCE was a natural demographic process. Texts devoted to the monarchy (1–2 Sam; 1–2 Kgs) and to the centralization of worship (Deut 12) fit better with the situation at the end of the 7th c. BCE (time of Josiah), both when we look at them from the point of view of literary criticism and from the perspective of political and social situation. However, the figure of Hezekiah could be considered by the authors of the 7th c. BCE as a precursor of the reforms of Josiah’s time due to the “historical” information about his destruction of the serpent cult of Nehushtan.

Historical Literacy Research for Students with and at Risk for Learning Disabilities: A Systematic Review

AbstractA systematic review of Historical Literacy (HL) interventions conducted during the past 17 years (2000–2017) with students with and at risk for LD is presented in this article. HL is defined as the skills required to reason, read, write, and learn with historical evidence from the past. The review begins with a description of reforms in history education and summarizes more recent changes in legislation. Next, HL standards that pose challenges for struggling learners are discussed, and findings from HL interventions are presented. Results are synthesized and reported according to three themes that align with the CCSS for literacy in history/social studies: (1) disciplinary reading, (2) historical writing, and (3) classroom research projects. Instructional suggestions and directions for future research are discussed.