Approaches to History Teaching According to a Structural Equation Model

Abstract

Approaches to the teaching and learning of history imply a series of changes and improvements which are adapted to the new epistemological and disciplinary contexts. This calls for a series of transformations in teaching approaches and methodological strategies in order to bring them more into line with the current model of history education. The purpose of this article is to analyse the validity of a questionnaire designed to identify the perceptions of in-service teachers regarding the teaching approaches they believe to be most appropriate for teaching history in primary and secondary/baccalaureate education in Spain. The research methodology employed was quantitative with a non-experimental design based on a Likert-type questionnaire. The sample is non-probabilistic and consists of 332 active teachers who teach history in primary and secondary/baccalaureate education in Spain. For the analysis of the data, a structural equation model was used based on exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The results indicate that the teachers surveyed identify three teaching approaches in accordance with the theoretical approach underlying the research. Specifically, a traditional approach based on the memorisation of content; an intermediate model in which there is interaction between teachers and students, through strategies such as discussion, and a third focused on students and the development of historical and critical thinking. These results have important implications for the initial and on-going training of teachers, especially in terms of content.

Design and validation of two tools to observe and analyze history lessons in secondary education

“…The most commonly used methodological strategy is the master class, and the main resources used are the textbook and class notes. In addition, a final examination of the learning contents is usually established (Galvis, 2007;Castejón et al, 2009;Hernández et al, 2012;Guerrero-Romera et al, 2022).…”

“…In contrast to the previous model, which encouraged competitiveness and individualism, this approach favors interaction and cooperation between the individuals involved in the teaching and learning process and prioritizes continuous assessment (Vermunt and Verloop, 1999;Kember and Kwan, 2000;Trigwell et al, 2005;Henze and van Driel, 2011). Finally, there is a third, intermediate model based on teacher-student interaction, although it should be noted that there is a hierarchical relationship between the different approaches, with each including elements of the previous one (Guerrero-Romera et al, 2022).…”

“…Therefore, it is important to be aware of developments in the incorporation of competency-based social sciences teaching and a learner-centered model at all levels of education. For this reason, it is necessary to analyze the teaching profiles of history, geography, and art history teachers by means of observation instruments that make it possible to describe and analyze their classroom practices (Guerrero-Romera et al, 2022).…”

Validation of an Instrument on Perceptions of Heritage Education through Structural Equation Modeling

“…The purpose of this research is to validate, by means of structural equation modelling, an instrument based on the one designed by [23] and its subsequent adaptations to identify the heritage teaching models used by teachers in primary education [22,29,32,49]. The questionnaire has been designed with three models of heritage education in mind.…”

“…In Spain, there has also been a quite extensive line of research into teaching approaches at different educational stages [28][29][30][31][32][33]. As mentioned above, in general two or three teaching models are identified, depending on whether an intermediate model is added that brings together characteristics of the other two.…”