RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

This project recognizes that the shape of instruction in history education is subject to individual beliefs, knowledge and ways of understanding. Accepting this premise, a teacher's conception of history education is vital to any understanding of how it is characterized or delivered in a classroom. Therefore, the central questions of this study are: (1) what are teachers’ conceptions of history education, (2) what are the constituent components of these conceptions, and (3) upon what sources of teacher knowledge are these conceptions based?

METHODOLOGY:

Fourteen public high school teachers who taught social studies for the Calgary Board of Education were interviewed in an effort to explore what teachers think are the purposes of history education for them as teachers. Research was conducted by a phenomenographic approach aiming at the description, analysis and understanding of experiences. In a formal and transcribed interview, each teacher was asked the following: (1) briefly describe the most significant lesson or series of lessons you teach in the history section of social studies, and (2) briefly state the topic and central ‘things’ you want students to acquire.) These were sent to each teacher a few days prior to the formal interview.

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS:

This dissertation found that the interviewees had six ways of seeing the purposes of history education for teachers. Their conceptions are focusing upon historiography, developing social studies methodology, developing a national collective identity, developing a non-national identity, developing an understanding of current issues, and developing lessons from the past. University scholarship, educational materials, the wisdom of practice, and the role of students and collegial interaction are discussed as prominent in shaping conceptions of history education. The study concludes that a link of some form between undergraduate courses in history and teacher education courses would aid in developing the content for the discipline. Moreover, the research suggests that making explicit the purposes of history may benefit both pre-service teachers and history students.

DISCUSSION:

This study includes a discussion of theoretical understandings of “history education,” sources of knowledge which are believed to shape teacher conceptions of history education, and phenomenographic research.

IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH:

The notion of multiple conceptions of history education raises questions regarding the extent to which students understand teachers’ aims in teaching history. Research has yet to be conducted on students’ thinking patterns necessary to understand the different conceptions of history education. Further research is also necessary to discern whether the conceptions derived from this research are similar to those of other teachers, and to what extent they represent or reflect effective pedagogical practice.