Skip to Content
Citation: 

Lee, Peter. “Understanding History.” In Theorizing Historical Consciousness, edited by Peter Seixas, 129-64. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2004.

Abstract/Summary: 

In this chapter, Peter Lee uses Rusen’s theory of historical consciousness and his disciplinary matrix to emphasize that history education should focus on the discipline of history, specifically the metahistorical understandings of historical evidence, historical explanation, historical accounts, and historical change. In this way, Lee wants to complicate how history is conceptualized as a subject to teach and learn in schools. To argue this, Lee uses his research with the Chata or Concepts of History and Teaching Approaches 7-14 history project, to stress that while students can, and do, progress in their level of historical understanding, they need explicit lessons to develop their metahistorical skills.

Source/Credit: 
Cutrara