RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

This study examines secondary-school history education in Nova Scotia during the era that provincial history examinations were written (1892-1972). It strives to give insight into how these examinations affected secondary school history education in Nova Scotia during the provincial examination era. This issue is particularly pertinent as the province of Nova Scotia considers the re-introduction of external assessment.

METHODOLOGY:

Research about Nova Scotia's secondary school history education is based upon an examination of five sources of information connected to the provincial examination era: the documents which organized the history courses, primarily the courses of study; the prescribed textbooks; the provincial examinations; the comments of the examiners; and the observations of many educational officials as well as comments from the Journal of Education which provides a record of provincial examinations written in history from the beginning of the provincial examination era in 1893 up to and including the provincial examinations of 1950. The Journal also includes information regarding history course offerings, Chief Inspector of Schools reports, reports on educational reform, and speeches from educational officials in Nova Scotia.

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS:

This dissertation finds that provincial examinations severely constricted secondary history education in Nova Scotia by forcing teachers and students to focus upon the memorization of textbook information for the provincial history examinations. Examination questions rarely asked students to judge, analyse, apply knowledge, be creative, or to give opinions. Yet the history examinations were the focus of the entire history education system, and the importance of the examinations made prescribed textbooks central to history courses. These textbooks, both organizing and providing content for the history courses, provided a tightly organized and chronological mass of historical information to be memorized for the provincial history examinations. History education was handcuffed by the examinations and, as a result, students and teachers were limited in their study of history.

DISCUSSION:

This study includes a discussion of secondary history education in Nova Scotia during the provincial examination era, the textbooks that held the prescribed content for history courses during this time, the provincial history examinations themselves as well as the examiner’s notes, and a literature review of history education in Nova Scotia.

IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH:

This study strongly suggests that the present-day move towards external assessment would be the wrong move and would negatively affect secondary history education in Nova Scotia. Further research is required to explore the experiences and consequences of external assessments in other provinces or during other eras.