Barca, Isabel. “ ‘Till New Facts are Discovered’: Students’ Ideas about Objectivity in History.” In International Review of History Education, Vol. 4: Understanding History: Recent Research in History Education, edited by R. Ashby, P. Gordon and P. Lee, 62-76. New York: Routledge Falmer, 2005.
Even when challenged in history, students often overlook objectivity in their assumptions of historical explanations. The study discussed in this chapter focuses on two main points, students’ use of objectivity in historical explanation and the extent and the meanings students assign to them. The author makes two assumptions in her study: that students employ tacit second-order concepts of history, and that these can be traced in a progressive manner. Also employed is an explanation of three different approaches to objectivity: the access to truth, detachment from methodology, and a consistency in explanations. The author states that Portuguese students’ notions of historical objectivity are similar to those of students in the UK as discussed in CHATA. They applied the notion of truth and consistency at varying levels of sophistication, and developed tacit ideas in either an objectivist or relative manner. In conclusion, Barca states that teachers should aid students in moving beyond naïve arguments concerning whether or not a historical account is valid.
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