History Textbooks Research Articles

The Ghost of the Ottoman Scourge: Ottoman Hauntology and Dystopia in Socialist Yugoslav History Textbooks (1945–1990)

This article studies the depiction of the Ottoman period, and the dystopian narratives about that period, in history textbooks printed in Bosnia and Herzegovina during Socialist Yugoslavia. It connects literature on nationalism and education in the peculiar context of Bosnia-Herzegovina within former Socialist Yugoslavia. Housing a substantial native Slavic Muslim population, Bosnia was unique in that it was not a ‘national’ republic, but rather the only multi-national Republic within the Yugoslav federation. This population dates to the Ottoman period in Bosnia (1463–1878), when a significant part of the population converted to Islam. The period in question has been much maligned by Serbian and Croatian historiographies. It was presented as a ‘Dark Age’ in which a foreign imposition hindered the development of the nations into modernity. Conversely, Marxist writings too decried the backwardness of the Ottomans and Islamic Civilization as a whole. This intersection of nationalist and Marxist understandings of the past both envisioned a grand utopian future set against the abuses of the period, making it highly interesting to examine how textbooks presented it to younger generations. As representations of ‘official knowledge’, the textbooks therefore largely used the language of dystopia (a society worse than the reader’s) to present Ottoman rule. It was shown to be a period of unjust extraction, violence, and the end of independent development. However, this article argues, the books not only aimed to decry the historical injustices. They presented the regime and its modern values positively. Unfortunately, despite the political gains the Bosnian Muslim population gained in Yugoslavia, the textbook image of the Ottomans has hardly changed. This would have disastrous consequences in the Wars of the 1990s, when the Bosnian Muslims were conveniently cast as the ‘Turkish’ nemesis, as the Ghost of the House of Osman roamed largely free through Yugoslavia’s history textbooks.

Refleksje o podręczniku metodologii historii (Wprowadzenie do metodologii historii, red. nauk. Ewa Domańska, Jan Pomorski, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2022, ss. 572)

Reflections on a methodology of history textbook (Wprowadzenie do metodologii historii, ed. Ewa Domańska, Jan Pomorski, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warsaw 2022, 572pp) The article is a critical analysis of selected issues examined in Wprowadzenie do metodologii historii (Introduction to the Methodology of History), edited by Ewa Domańska and Jan Pomorski, Warsaw 2022. The reviewer focuses on general methodological and epistemological issues, believing that the authors of the various chapters pay too little attention, for the most part, to the relation between the methodology of history and general methodology. The discussion concerns the history of historiography, the role of history in the emergence of the humanities, the dispute over the status of history in the nineteenth century, particularly nomothetism and idiographism in the light of Auguste Comte’s classification of sciences compiled in France and their division as seen by Wilhelm Windelband and Heinrich Rickert, proposed in Germany, as well as explanation in historiography. With regard to that last point, deductive-nomological and genetic explanations are considered. Attention is drawn to the problematic nature of the application of the classic pattern of deductive-nomological explanation in connection with the problem of universal laws and historical theories (more generally – concerning the social sciences), as well as to the differences in the understanding of causality in historiography and theoretical natural sciences, which is relevant to the analysis of the genetic explanation. In the final section of the article the author points to the link between the approach to historical cognition and general problems of epistemology.

Komu metodologię? Komu? Czyli o ornitologach i ptakach (Wprowadzenie do metodologii historii, red. nauk. Ewa Domańska, Jan Pomorski, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2022, ss. 572)

Who wants methodology? Who? Or on ornithologists and birds (Wprowadzenie do metodologii historii, ed. Ewa Domańska, Jan Pomorski, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warsaw 2022, 572pp) The article is a critical analysis of a methodology of history textbook. The author questions the concept of the book as an academic textbook, the understanding of the concept of the methodology of history presented in it, and selected chapters on specific issues. Attention is drawn to the conceptual disorder in almost all parts of the book and the low substantive quality of most of the pieces included in it.

НОВАЯ СТРАНИЦА В УЧЕБНИКЕ «ИСТОРИИ МЕДИЦИНЫ»: «ДОЛГ» И «ГЕРОИЗМ», КАК ДОМИНАНТНЫЕ ЭТИЧЕСКИЕ КАТЕГОРИИ (НА ПРИМЕРЕ ГЕРОИЗМА РОССИЙСКИХ ВРАЧЕЙ В ЗОНЕ СВО НА УКРАИНЕ)

In education, the task is to create new, relevant textbooks on National history this also applies to textbooks on the "History of Medicine" and "Bioethics". The importance of the basic ethical categories (duty, responsibility, honor, justice, humanism, mercy, compassion) in medical deontology remains important, especially the question of the real implementation of these principles in the daily work of a doctor. The problem has become especially relevant in connection with the implementation of the SVO in Ukraine. Here the ethical categories of "duty" and "heroism" find an organic synthesis. The purpose of the study: To consider the deontological concepts of "duty" and "heroism" in the socio-historical aspect on the examples of the actions of Russian doctors in the SVO zone in Ukraine. New: In this work, for the first time in a scientific article, the principles of "medical duty" and "heroism of doctors" are analyzed based on the specifics of the SVO (Special Military Operation) in Ukraine, the study is based on media materials (TV, Internet, Russian newspapers). Thus, materials are offered for the creation of a new textbook on the "History of Medicine". The research methods used in writing the article: the principle of historicism allows us to consider events in development; - dialectics is a kind of discourse in understanding human behavior in an extreme situation; - hermeneutic analysis, consideration of categories in the context of events; sociological method – the study analyzes modern media. The current socio-political situation has contributed to the manifestation of the best qualities of the doctor's personality in special conditions. So, the biography of an ordinary person-a doctor, in fact, becomes a history textbook! The events in the SVO zone in Ukraine are a new page in National history, including in the history of medicine.

Development of Teaching Materials in Curriculum Studies and History Textbooks

Development of Teaching Materials in Curriculum Studies and History Textbooks

Фарміраванне пантэона дзеячаў эпохі Вялікага Княства Літоўскага ў беларускай палітыцы памяці (1988–2023 гг.)

The article is devoted to the process of overcoming the depersonalization of Belarusian historiography, which took place until the mid-1980s. Its aim is to answer the question of how, in the context of the formation of the Belarusian-centric paradigm of history, «new» or newly discovered historical figures of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL) were introduced into science, culture and collective memory. The text is divided into 5 parts. The first one shows the fact that the elimination of the GDL from the memory of Belarusians has formed a complex of historical inferiority. The second part describes the process of «settling» the history of Belarus in 1988–1995 by new heroes, until their fixation in the first encyclopaedic editions of the Republic of Belarus and history textbooks. The third part tells about the blow that in 1995–1996 the supporters of the re-Sovietisation of historical science inflicted on the Belarusian national pantheon and the leaders of its formation, the consequences of which were felt at the beginning of the 21st century. The fourth part is devoted to replenishment of the pantheon of GDL heroes by representatives of the aristocracy. The fifth part reveals the channels for transferring the names and deeds of the heroes of the Belarusian historical pantheon to the collective memory, which have been used since the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. The article justifies the fact of the popularity of biographical reconstruction in modern scientific and literary works. “Risk zones” and “memory conflicts” were presented in the promotion of the new pantheon – with former allies in the GDL, various Belarusian interpretive strategies and new attempts to revise the pantheon.

Context matters in history textbook studies: A call to address the socio-political landscape of textbook production

History textbooks are a tool of nation-building and often the only account of particular events, people and issues to which students will be exposed. This is one reason why it is important to examine, not only their content, but the context of their production. Research attention needs to be directed not only at disentangling the logics of textbook content, a purpose that dominates the field, but also at the social and political contexts of their development, including their production (publishing and authorship) and the processes by which they receive official approval. This work analyzed 100 history textbook studies in order to identify current trends in textbook research. This article focuses on one of the four major findings of the study: textbook studies often focus on the content of the textbook in isolation from the socio-political landscape of textbook production. The socio-political landscape refers, but is not limited to, the influence of local and geopolitics; the influence of the state, evident primarily in the official approval processes employed by governments; the economic dimension and publication parameters; and authorship factors. Among the relatively few studies that address the socio-political landscape, the authors often employ a historiographical or comparative perspective. The historiographical perspective, which is dominant, offers an analysis of textbooks over time in order to reveal both continuities and changes in the historical narratives produced by their authors. One example is a study by Yeow Tong Chia (2013), who examines conceptions of ‘Chineseness’ and China in Ontario high school history curricula and textbooks in the post Second World War to the 1980s period. More broadly, the paper locates the Ontario textbooks in the international context of the western-centric perspectives that were prevalent following the Second World War. The comparative perspective analyzes textbooks across regions in one historical moment. For example, Jason Nicholls (2006) addresses the role of national contexts in determining how the Second World War is portrayed in textbooks found in the United States, Italy, Sweden, Japan, and England.

Doprinos romana Čarlsa Dikensa, Vilijama Mejkpisa Tekerija i Džordž Eliot boljem razumevanju engleske istorije i kulture XIX veka

Students in programmes of English studies learn about history from historical textbooks, which provide a broad overview but lack detail. These texts prioritise a selection of significant events and collective narratives, neglecting the experiences of individuals. Consequently, the picture presented by textbooks remains overly general. Literature, conversely, offers a rich tapestry of individual stories that, when combined with historical textbooks, encourage students to link general facts with personal narratives. This helps students arrive at a deeper understanding of historical events and cultural circumstances and their impact on individual lives. The combined approach facilitates students' ability to imagine the daily realities of the past with a nuanced appreciation of both continuities and changes across time. William Makepeace Thackeray's Vanity Fair, Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, and George Eliot's The Mill on the Floss exemplify how instructors can leverage the complementary strengths of historical textbooks and Victorian novels to cultivate a more comprehensive understanding of the past, surpassing the limitations of either discipline in isolation.

Unravelling Second-Order Concepts in South African History Textbooks

This paper explores the progression of second-order concepts in seven purposively sampled South African CAPS-compliant history textbooks. History knowledge encompasses both the substantive and procedural knowledge types, with second-order concepts forming an integral component of the latter. Textbook writers and educators use this knowledge in their domains without a predetermined trajectory. These concepts are not mere skills but fundamental notions guiding historical practice. Their meaningful integration into learning materials forms a necessary toolkit for historical inquiry. Drawing from a broader PhD study,1 a Bernsteinian (1990) framework and the 'big six' concepts articulated by Seixas and Peck (2004) are used to analyse the content of seven chapters, one per book, telling the story of the history of South Africa across grades three to nine in the foundation, intermediate, and senior phases of the South African school curriculum. A continuum was populated, articulating the strengths of the second-order concepts ranging from a powerful presence to those weakly incorporated. The findings indicate a sporadic presence of the six concepts-historical significance, continuity and change, cause and consequence, historical perspectives, and the moral dimension across the textbooks. There is a more inclusive focus in the senior grades and less so in lower grades. The concepts also lack continuous and cumulative development. If these 'structural' historical concepts provide the basis for historical thinking, it is unclear how they advance through the grades with increasing levels of complexity. The methodology of history is thus not a universal or one-size-fits-all endeavour but an iterative process inculcating concepts that are nuanced and inherently abstract.

The Continued Absence of the LGBTIQA+ Community in School History Textbooks in Post-Apartheid South Africa

School history textbooks in South Africa are essential teaching and learning materials for most history teachers and learners, because they are often the only materials used to engage with the past. These textbooks are also considered to contribute to the construction of an ideal citizenry, as well as fostering national identity, unity, and reconciliation (Bertram and Wassermann 2015; Bam, Ntsebeza and Zinn 2018). However, our concern is that while textbooks appear to be used to construct an ideal citizenry who is supposed to have reconciled and united into one national identity, there also appears to be a concerted effort to exclude, within both the written and visual texts of the textbooks, those South Africans who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer/Questioning, Asexual, and many other identities (LGBTIQA+). Through abyssal and post-abyssal epistemology as our theoretical frameworks, and critical discourse analysis as our tool of analysis we were able to investigate how four history textbooks across four grades within the Senior and Further Education and Training phase that we purposively and conveniently sampled continue to exclude LGBTIQA+ contributions and experiences within the knowledge base of the school history curriculum, despite the pivotal role some played during the struggle against apartheid. We have since concluded that the erasure of the LGBTIQA+ community amounts to another dehumanising act against this group of people that is epistemic, existential, and ontological in nature. We also argue that this act denies all history teachers and learners, irrespective of their sexual orientations, the opportunity to engage with diverse historical contributions and experiences of all South Africans.

Studiosus ad scribendum: For the 75th Anniversary of Vladimir I. Mazhuga

The article deals with the biography and the academic merits of Vladimir I. Mazhuga (born 15 of April, 1949), a prominent modern Russian specialist in medieval studies and Leading Researcher of the Saint Petersburg Institute of History, Russian Academy of Sciences. A disciple of some great Russian scholars (in different times his masters were Matvey Gukovskiy (1898-1971), Alexandra Lublinskaya (1902-1980), Maria Sergeenko (1891-1987) and Elena Skrzhinskaya (1894-1981)), Vladimir Mazhuga was a tutor of some modern medievalists like Pavel Krylov, Andrey Kasatov, Alexandra Chirkova, Andrey Karnachev, Ekaterina Denisova, Piotr Shamaro, Gleb Schmidt and some others. The main spheres of Vladimir Mazhugas academic interests are Latin paleography, Diplomatics of medieval acts and Codicology of Latin manuscripts. He studied and connected with the cultural context of the Latin Medieval West some important medieval manuscript materials from the Saint Petersburg collections. Between them were the manuscript versions of the works written by Gregory of Tours, Paul Orosius, Hrabanus Maurus and some other medieval writers. His studies in these spheres were logically connected with some problems of linguistics studied by him (history of Ancient grammar and textbooks, biographies of Roman grammatists, historical phonetics etc.). In the same time, he dealt with some other spheres like history of medieval culture and history of Roman law (mainly of the medieval period). His main studies in medieval culture are about the symbology of Medieval City and the role of the Christian Church as a main custodian of Ancient Culture inheritance in the Middle Ages. As a historian of Roman law Vladimir Mazhuga worked over some important Saint Petersburg medieval Latin manuscripts of Roman law texts (like Justinian Institutions and Digesta) and he studied the theoretical works of famous medieval Italian jurists like John Bassianus (died before 1194) and Bartolus de Saxoferrato (1313-1357). In the same time V Mazhuga researched some problems of Latin legal terminology, which was made using the methodology of linguistics. Vladimir Mazhuga's studies in history of Saint Petersburg School of medieval studies must be specially emphasized because he continues some best traditions of this School like scholar and tutor in the same time. He continues to work hard and fruitfully, so the citied conclusions about Mazhuga's academic merits and inheritance have a previous character.

Using picture channel in textbooks to teach Vietnamese history

The goal of Vietnam's current general education program is to help student’s Comprehensive development of morality, intelligence, physical strength, aesthetics and basic skills, developing personal capacity, dynamism, creativity, forming the personality of socialist Vietnamese people... History as a science subject plays an important role in shaping the personality, ideology and spirit of each person, making an important contribution to realizing the goal of training the young generation. Research article image channel in current Vietnamese history textbooks.

Livros brancos, imagens negras: uma abordagem (in)disciplinar

This paper aims to contribute with elements for the problematisation, expansion, and improvement of the study of African history textbooks in Brazilian education. Textbooks are often limited by new stereotypes, with images that erase the violence present in interracial relationships. On the other hand, the authorship of these images in textbooks still does not belong, for the most part, to black artists and intellectuals. We propose an approach to the art of Rosana Paulino, with the aim of thinking about how her work: a) incorporates elements that allow us to recognise the presence of black women in the contemporary artistic context; b) calls into question the proliferation of a vision of the world that excludes women; and c) profiles any content of African History from an anti-racist horizon.

Perceptions of War-Peace and Ukraine-Russia in Textbooks Corresponding to Russia and Ukraine Social Studies Course

This study examined how the perceptions of war and peace and the perceptions of both countries towards each other are handled in the textbooks corresponding to social studies course in Russia and Ukraine. The analysis of the compared textbooks in terms of targeted images is also related to the current Russia-Ukraine war. In this study designed as qualitative research, the data were obtained through descriptive analysis. The first finding of the study revealed that in the textbooks analysed in terms of the frequency of use of the concepts of war and peace and the target country-nation expression; the concept of war is more frequent than the concept of peace at all grade levels in both countries. The second finding showed that in general, the Ukrainian-Ukraine image in Russian social studies textbooks is neutral, while the Russian-Russia image in Ukrainian history textbooks is negative. Another finding of the study is that the Russian and Ukrainian social studies textbooks use various visuals that evoke the concepts of war and peace. The last finding of the study revealed that various metaphors, implicit messages, or slogan-like expressions in terms of the concept of war, peace and target country-nation were encountered in the textbooks corresponding to social studies course in Russia and Ukraine.

ANALISIS MATERI PERAN WALISANGA DI INDONESIA DALAM BUKU SEJARAH KEBUDAYAAN ISLAM KELAS XII MADRASAH ALIYAH

Material analysis in textbooks needs to be done to provide input as revision material for books that are published later and become a consideration for teachers so that in carrying out learning to be more creative and innovative. Therefore, the authors conducted research on the feasibility analysis of Walisanga's role in Indonesia in the Islamic Cultural History textbook published by the Ministry of Religion in 2020. This research includes qualitative research with a literature study method. The results of the study show that the material for Walisanga's role in Indonesia is in accordance with core competencies, basic competencies, and learning objectives. Presentation of material and language feasibility is good. As well as the material is in accordance with the development of Madrasah Aliyah students. However, weaknesses were found, namely the material was felt to be incomplete, the lack of illustrations as supporting aspects of the presentation and there were several writings that were not in accordance with the correct Indonesian language rules. So that the material on Walisanga's role in Indonesia in this book needs to be improved. Quality subject matter will support the achievement of optimal learning objectives.

Bukhara from the history of the events of the organization of the air fleet of modern new technology and the introduction of aircraft

In 1920-1924, the activities carried out in Bukhara regarding the establishment of the air fleet and the establishment of airplane traffic were covered through the analysis of primary sources and literature. The discovery of airplanes as a means of transport and the beginning of their use is related to the history of countries in Europe such as France and Germany. In 1924, a total of 1,000 passengers, 200 kg of mail, and 5 tons of cargo were transported by air in our country. The history of the establishment of the air fleet and the arrival of the first airplanes in Turkestan dates back to the first decade of the 20th century. On March 28-29, 1912, the pilot Sedov flew over Tashkent in his plane, and on March 29, 4 women and 3 men flew over Tashkent. The guests who visited Tashkent also flew in an airplane and watched the city view from above. The article serves to improve state programs aimed at creating a new generation of history textbooks and training manuals, writing fundamental works, organizing special courses, and implementing socio-economic and cultural innovations.

역사 교과서와 교육과정의 마한사 서술 분석

The history of Mahan is historically important in relation to the identity of today's Republic of Korea and the Korean people. Nevertheless, the lack of relevant materials and the resulting indifference are treated lightly in textbooks. Textbooks dealing with Mahan alone do not exist, but are described as part of Samhan. The first Korean history textbook published immediately after independence devoted a significant portion to history of Mahan. During the 3rd Curriculum period, the amount of description of the history of Mahan increased significantly. However. Most of the content was copied directly from the Sanguozhi dongyizhuan. In addition, as the introduction of related archaeological materials was reduced, both the quantity and quality of the content deteriorated.
 In order to normalize the description of the history of Mahan in history textbooks in the future, it is necessary to properly recognize the problems and their causes and correct them. In particular, the status and existence of Mahan as a regional history should actively reflect recent research results and be written in content that everyone can accept.

Environmental history in the school textbooks of technical institutes

The author analyses the adoption of history textbooks in grades 11-13 of Italian Technical Institutes during the school year 2022/2023, considering national and international secondary literature. The paper aims to evaluate the extent to which history textbooks cover topics of environmental history by investigating a sample of textbooks widely adopted in these schools. On the basis of the results, the author highlights issues regarding updating textbooks to current academic research. In addition, he formulates proposals to increase the presence of environmental history and enhance the connections between individuals, societies and the Earth following a planetary education (Morin 2016).

THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF TURKIYE IN MALAYSIA: OTTOMAN HISTORY IN MALAYSIAN SECONDARY HISTORY TEXTBOOKS (1989-2022)

This article explores the teaching of Ottoman history and the image of the Ottomans through a close and critical reading of Malaysian secondary history textbooks used between 1989 and 2022. It argues that Malaysian secondary history textbooks focus mainly on the political and military aspects of sixteenth-century Ottoman history. They do not, consciously or subconsciously, make detailed reference to political and socio-economic turning points in nineteenth-century Ottoman history. Sejarah Tingkatan 2 (History: Form 2), one of the history textbooks examined in the article, exceptionally discusses the impact of Ottoman pan-Islamism and Turkish nationalism on the political and religious thought of the Malays. Nonetheless, history textbooks published after the 2000s have not touched on these important issues. In history textbooks, the Ottoman Empire is regarded as one of the significant states of the Islamic world; therefore, Ottoman history is analyzed within the framework of Islamic history and Islamic civilization. The portrayal of Ottomans is positive and favourable. There are no distortions, biases, or stereotypes concerning Ottoman history in Malaysian secondary history textbooks.

Critical Discourse of the Chinese Rebellion in Indonesian History Textbook

This study aims to reveal the discourse practices in the narrative of the Chinese Rebellion in the Indonesian History textbook. Having long disappeared from Indonesian historiography, the Chinese-Javanese alliance against the VOC, often called Geger Pacinan (1740-1743), has reappeared in history textbooks. Its presence needs to be studied to understand the discourse practices that are to be conveyed by the narratives that are constructed. This study's subject was the Chinese Rebellion text in the Indonesian History textbook for class XI SMA based on the 2013 Curriculum published by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia in 2017. The Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) method, according to Teun A. van Dijk, was used to analyze the dimensions of the text, social cognition, and the social context of the narratives that are the research subject. The result is that the report in the text dimension does not present the Chinese role through the history of the event as a whole. In the size of social cognition, it is found that there is a potential to strengthen the practice of discourse, which leads to the marginalization of the Chinese role. The social context dimension has not entirely shifted from the New Order paradigm, which harbored stereotypes against the Chinese. In conclusion, the text of the Chinese Rebellion requires the teacher’s role to make the deconstruction process in learning history meaningful for students, especially in internalizing the value of diversity for national integration.