de Oliveira, Luciana. “History Doesn't Count”: Challenges of Teaching History in California Schools.” (2008)

A study examined the challenges history teachers face, with a particular emphasis on the issues they encounter when they address writing in history classes in California. Findings revealed that although the participants all highlighted the importance of reading, writing, and analysis in school history, they found it particularly difficult to instruct on these skills effectively because of many curricular constraints, lack of time, and students' limited abilities; they felt that a systemic priority given to reading and math in state requirements created a major hurdle for the teaching and learning of history; and they wished for fewer standards to cover so more time could be spent on the development of these reading, writing, and analysis skills.