Exploring historical thinking and agency with undergraduate history students

Adele Nye*, Marnie Hughes-Warrington, Jill Roe, Penny Russell, Desley Deacon, Paul Kiem

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    22 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Recent research on historical thinking has instigated important disciplinary conversations and changes in pedagogical practice. They have, however, largely focused on the primary and secondary school sector, highlighting the gap in corresponding research into tertiary education. It is important to look at the experiences of history students at tertiary level, to assess the impact of perceptions and practices on graduate employment outcomes and transitions to research careers. In 2008 a national scoping study on student and staff perceptions of the nature and purposes of historical thinking was undertaken at 12 Australian universities, involving 1455 student questionnaires and 50 interviews with academics. This article examines student and staff perceptions of the social benefits of historical thinking, highlighting the great potential for transformative learning and civic contribution, and the vital role of agency in this process.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)763-780
    Number of pages18
    JournalStudies in Higher Education
    Volume36
    Issue number7
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Nov 2011

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