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Compares two approaches for improving instructional text with a sample of eighth grade students (N=64). The first approach emphasized the reduction of the reader's comprehension; the other was oriented toward triggering causal inferences in the reader. Only the second procedure produced benefits on inferential learning, though both procedures had a limited effect on recall. (Author/MKA)

Passages from a standard American history textbook were revised by three pairs of writers: text linguists, college composition instructors, and former Time-Life editors. Students who read the magazine writers' rewrite were able to recall about 40 percent more of what they read than students who read only the original. (KH)

Examines Charles A. Beard's contribution to how scholars interpret the framing of the Constitution and other events of U.S. history. Describes his work in some detail and includes a transcript of a 1926 conference at which Beard spoke in 1926. (RKM)

Presents an overview of textbooks on government and politics published from 1793 through the nineteenth century. History and geography textbooks were the main vehicle for civic education until 1830 when political textbooks began to be published. (Author/KC)

Reviews the development of new Ontario History and Contemporary Studies Guidelines directed by Ontario Ministry of Education. Explains changes that occurred in curriculum such as Canadian and U.S. history courses being dropped in favor of a new course entitled "Canada in North American Perspective." Concludes that the new curriculum has revived history instruction and that students are better prepared. (SLM)

This article examines the anti-Japanese textbook issue, a diplomatic controversy from 1914 to 1937 between Japan and China over whether the Chinese government was inciting hatred against Japan by promoting school textbooks with offensive and xenophobic content. I argue that the issue represents a legitimation process, whereby Japan's concern about the content of these textbooks was determined by, and fluctuated with, its need to mobilise domestic and international audiences for its China policy in changing geopolitical contexts. Such an approach helps to explain why the anti-Japanese textbook issue persisted for more than two decades after 1914 and why Japan's approach to the matter inconsistently oscillated between interventionist and non-interventionist principles. More broadly, the article illustrates the value of paying closer attention to the internal inconsistencies of Japanese imperialism rather than merely its expansionist tendencies, and of analysing education and the writing of textbooks in early modern East Asia not just as a means of nation-building but also as part of Japan's efforts to build its empire in a broader, transnational context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on how four U.S. History textbooks portrayed the COVID-19 pandemic as a recent historical event. The findings from the study suggest that the textbooks provided a disjointed narrative that did not fully explain aspects of the pandemic, such as why COVID-19 caused so much societal upheaval. The textbooks also often dodged significant questions about the origin of the virus and societal lessons learned from the U.S. pandemic response. As such, the article concludes by arguing that these "first drafts of history" will do little to help future generations think critically about the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the connection between American exceptionalism and empire denialism by examining high-school World History textbooks approved for use in the state of Texas from the 1920s to 2016. Scholarship suggests that the powerful ideology of American exceptionalism is deeply uneasy about the role of the United States as an imperial power in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. But despite this widespread assumption, World History textbooks for the past century have routinely labelled the United States an empire, and directly compared US actions with those of European colonising powers. Some textbooks portrayed this as a unique and aberrant time in US history. But other textbook accounts over the past century have made the case that US imperialism brought about material and political benefits to colonised peoples. In other words, a common thread in World History textbooks suggests that America created an exceptional empire. American imperialism was linked to an underlying narrative of the spread of European or Western civilisation, viewed as a cornerstone of modern world history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper, we analyze the image of the Soviet Union and Russia presented by the Lithuanian and Polish states to the youngest generation. Our empirical data comes from textbooks for social sciences and recent history, beginning from the gaining independence of both countries after the First World War until the aggression on Ukraine in 2014. We focused on the ways of presenting to the pupils the politics, society, and culture of the Soviet and Russian states. We show how textbooks present the Russian state as irrational and dangerous and how the longue durée of the imperial thinking is seen as the leitmotiv of the narratives on Russian history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on how historical contextualisation is reflected in 12 history textbooks for primary schools in Ghana. The study employed a content analysis design to analyse how historical contextualisation is reflected in history textbooks. A multi-stage sampling technique was used in selecting 12 textbooks to represent the 6 classes in the Ghanaian primary school. A thematic matrix was developed from historical thinking frameworks to collect data from the textbooks. Microsoft Excel functions were used to rate the textbooks on a scale of 0–5, depending on the amount of evidence of historical contextualisation. Descriptive statistics and Maton's (2013) principle of shift in the Semantic Wave were used in the analysis to determine the level of evidence of historical contextualisation in the textbooks. The study established that historical contextualisation is reflected in the history textbooks used in the study. This study contributes to understanding how textbook writers incorporate historical contextualisation within textbook narratives to meet history curriculum requirements. It gives an understanding of how historical contextualisation is needed in history textbooks to promote historical reasoning among textbook users such as teachers and students. Possible implications of the findings are discussed in the main text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past two decades, Gyula Popély, Attila Simon, László Szarka, Árpád Popély, Gergely Sallai, József Gyönyör and Katalin Vadkerty have written numerous summaries on the history of Hungarians in Slovakia, but what is less known is what children learn about this period sitting in the classroom. What can Hungarian students in Slovakia learn about their history from the textbooks, so that they can develop and shape their image of Hungarianness and form an emotional attachment to their nation, which could greatly contribute to halting the assimilation process that is affecting Hungarians in Slovakia. Of course, in addition to the school, the values conveyed by the family and home environment, society and culture are also decisive (e.g. commemorating the anniversary of the Treaty of Trianon or the day of remembrance of the Hungarians expelled from southern Slovakia). Since the school is the main source of such impact, we chose to study how our own history is reflected in history textbooks, and so we based our research on history textbooks for primary schools in Slovakia. Unfortunately, however, we do not know what other important events and additions, apart from the information in the textbooks, are mentioned in the lessons by the teachers who teach history. To explore this further, a comprehensive questionnaire survey of history teachers in primary schools in Slovakia would be needed, so in our study we have made observations and drawn conclusions only on the basis of the history textbooks analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a critical discourse analysis of the Gerakan 30 September (G30S) event's portrayal in Indonesian Grade XII history textbooks across various curricula from 1994 to 2013. By analysing four textbooks, the study reveals an evolving narrative of the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) from a predominantly negative portrayal in earlier curricula to more nuanced and multiperspective representations in later editions. Early textbooks, aligned with the New Order's anti-communist ideology, depict the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) as a malevolent force, whereas later texts, especially under the 2013 curriculum, offer diverse viewpoints, reflecting a shift toward critical thinking and balanced historical understanding. This shift indicates changing political ideologies and educational approaches in Indonesia, highlighting the role of textbooks in shaping historical perception and national identity. The findings illuminate the transformation in educational narratives, emphasizing how these changes in textbooks are indicative of broader societal and political shifts and their significant impact on shaping collective memory and national consciousness in Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feature of the concept of “minorities” is the invisibility and stigmatization of communities, more so within the idea of the nation. This article analyses the representation and construction of the concepts of “Europe”, “Nation” and “Minority” in eight German, Turkish and Spanish secondary school history textbooks, particularly 16th-21st century (7th-10th grade). In times of strengthening nationalism, it is also discussed here whether the representations convey essentialist ideas and imperialistic structures hidden between the lines, or whether they reflect the concept of “minorities” as a component of a pluralistic and hybrid European society. The research is divided into two areas: A comparative quantitative research will be carried out on the representation of 'minorities' in German, Turkish and Spanish history textbooks and a qualitative hermeneutic analysis. Key findings indicate that each country predominantly imparts a history curriculum with a strong national focus, with the pronounced emphasis found in Turkish history textbooks. European-centered history is often portrayed and based on myths as emblematic of modern civilization in comparison with other civilizations or countries, especially in Spanish and German history textbooks. Similarities in the portrayal of “minorities” tend to be either nonexistent or negative, further reinforcing a sense of belonging for national identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistani educational system is broadly divided into public and private sectors. Due to specific financial and administrative issues, the public sector has failed to produce social capital that could serve as an advocate of human rights. However, elite schools in the private sector are better equipped to educate their students on human rights. Through qualitative content analysis, the present study explores the status of human rights in history textbooks taught in elite schools from grade 6 to O-levels and the International Baccalaureate (I.B.) Middle Years Programme (MYP). It was observed that the human rights issues in Pakistan remained part of the null curriculum in the books published for Pakistani students. In the I.B. books, human rights issues were discussed at the global level, leaving elite students ignorant and oblivious to the state of human rights in Pakistan. It is suggested that human rights should be transformed from abstract and generalized statements to absolute and concrete reality, first stemming from local society and then advancing to a global community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Complutense de Educación is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This case study of the Russian Empire, based on the analysis of more than 100 primary sources in the form of textbooks on domestic history (uchebniki otechestvennoi istorii) and archival documentation, is intended to help understand the evolution of the formation of domestic history as a school subject as an integral part of the imperialist state's historical policy. The essence of the work was an attempt to periodise the development of the educational narrative as one of the components influencing the mentality of the Russian population – or rather, certain segments of it – and the extent of this phenomenon from the point of view of postcolonial studies. Special attention was also paid in the text to considerations based on discourse analysis of how the history of rulers-tsars gradually became the history of the people-Russians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the implications of recent policy changes for the portrayal of minority nationalities in the latest China's history textbooks published around 2017. We argue that ideological responses to the fierce ethnic clashes of the late 2000s and the leadership transition since 2012 have generated increasingly contradictory official discourses on the relationship between Chinese identity and cultural diversity, which are manifested in the textbooks. On the one hand, policies and textbooks still appear to endorse a multi-minzu, inclusive understanding of nationhood and Chinese history. On the other hand, an increasing emphasis on nationalist discourses celebrating the Han culture and achievements reinforces assimilationist narratives based on a monolithic and homogenising vision of Chinese nationhood. We argue that such tensions reflect conflicts over contradictory understandings of Chineseness that have intensified since 2008–2009, and that the increasing marginalisation in textbooks of non-Han groups may contribute to further exacerbating problems in the handling of inter-minzu relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada's new membership to the International Remembrance Alliance in 2009 bore the anticipation of Canada's commitment against racism of any kind. In this context, I review Holocaust representation in an Ontario Grade Ten course curriculum, 'Canadian and World History 10', and its provincially advised textbook, Canadian Sources: Investigated (1914 to the Present) (2008). I critique three main aspects of the portrayal: an ambiguously framed introductory paragraph which may harvest Hitler-centric misconceptions, antisemitism in Canada is presented via various opposing perspectives which obscure a clear image of the term, and an inadequate definition of the term 'Holocaust'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Historia y Memoria de la Educación is the property of Historia y Memoria de la Educacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives of the research: The aim of the article was to identify and analyse problematic areas related to how early Islam is presented and narrated in history textbooks, taking into account the local context. Research methods: The data corpus consists of 12 history textbooks. The mixed methods approach applied in the study included cluster analysis and discourse analysis. A brief description of the context of the issue: Islam and Muslims occupy limited space in the Polish school curricula, yet there is a plethora of information about the Islamic world in the public discourse. This puts a tremendous challenge on the shoulders of teachers and textbook authors to accurately present information about Islam and Muslims in schools. Research findings: Three problematic areas were discovered and analysed: (a) narrating Islam from a mainstream, non-Muslim perspective, which in the Polish case might be skewed into presenting Islam through the lens of Catholicism; (b) navigating between historical accounts and legends whilst presenting early Islam; and (c) explaining past events by interpreting them through contemporary events. Conclusions and recommendations: The article concludes by indicating challenges of teaching different religions in a largely mono-religious school setting, from the perspective of the classroom majority and Muslim students. Due to the marginal presence of Muslims in the public sphere, these narratives call for a more balanced approach. Otherwise, they can only further alienate and otherise Muslim students in the classrooms -- and Islam in mainstream society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined how the perceptions of war and peace and the perceptions of both countries towards each other are handled in the textbooks corresponding to social studies course in Russia and Ukraine. The analysis of the compared textbooks in terms of targeted images is also related to the current Russia-Ukraine war. In this study designed as qualitative research, the data were obtained through descriptive analysis. The first finding of the study revealed that in the textbooks analysed in terms of the frequency of use of the concepts of war and peace and the target country-nation expression; the concept of war is more frequent than the concept of peace at all grade levels in both countries. The second finding showed that in general, the Ukrainian-Ukraine image in Russian social studies textbooks is neutral, while the Russian-Russia image in Ukrainian history textbooks is negative. Another finding of the study is that the Russian and Ukrainian social studies textbooks use various visuals that evoke the concepts of war and peace. The last finding of the study revealed that various metaphors, implicit messages, or slogan-like expressions in terms of the concept of war, peace and target country-nation were encountered in the textbooks corresponding to social studies course in Russia and Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than a study aid and repository of contents to be taught, History textbooks contain values that are intended to be transmitted. Aware of this reality, the Iberian dictatorial regimes controlled the knowledge to be taught. This article intends to show the historical knowledge to be transmitted in each of the Iberian dictatorial regimes through the analysis of a sample made up of Spanish and Portuguese school textbooks. Discourse analysis was used to compare the content of the textbooks in both countries, concluding that there were similar processes of ideological inculcation, even if there were slight differences regarding the form to do that. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that complex substantive knowledge in South African school history textbooks may challenge learners who struggle with reading and comprehension. While debates continue about the balance of substantive and procedural knowledge, both fundamental elements of history knowledge (Lee, 2004), this study employs a qualitative analysis of the substantive content within a Bernsteinian framework. Seven purposively sampled history textbooks, covering grade 3 to grade 9, across the foundation, intermediate, and senior phases of the South African school curriculum are analysed using Maton's (2013) language descriptions of context and semantics as conceptual tools. Additionally, nominalisation techniques (Coffin, 2006) are used to examine language in the text. Findings indicate significant growth in substantive knowledge manifesting through time, space, context, and semantics.1 Substantive knowledge shifts from a rudimentary and contextualised nature to a more abstract and dense form, including domain-specific conceptual knowledge. Advancing grades produce decontextualised knowledge with heightened semantic density. Increased events under study accompany greater participant diversity. A History student working with these materials would need to be highly proficient in language skills and also capable of processing substantial volumes of abstract content knowledge. Alarming statistics from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (Department of Basic Education, 2023) reveal that 81% of grade 4 learners struggle with comprehension in any language, ranking South Africa at the bottom of 57 countries. It is likely that learners would encounter difficulties with the substantive knowledge evident in these textbooks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic climate change is a scientific fact, but U.S. public discourse around the issue remains mired in controversy, including in education. Our study leverages natural language processing methods to give a precise look into the extent to which climate change-related topics are covered in 30 of the most widely used high school history textbooks in California and Texas. We find that history textbooks situate climate change-related topics within narratives of U.S. progress and development, and focus on the role of government in climate action. Consistent with analyses of science curricula, we also find that history textbooks emphasize controversy in climate discussions. Despite differences in state-level standards, the content of textbooks in California and Texas is surprisingly similar in the extent and nature of climate change-related discourse. Our study indicates that history textbook reform is an important arena for expanding and improving climate change education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how Christian–Muslim relations are presented in Syrian history textbooks and deployed by the embattled regime of Bashar al-Asad in its quest for legitimacy both at home and abroad since the eruption of the war that displaced half the country's population. To that end, Critical Discourse Analysis is applied to selected texts from the school curricula stressing the harmonious coexistence between the country's only two officially recognized faiths (Islam and Christianity), in addition to the Syrian Christians' commitment to national unity from time immemorial, as nationalist discourses retrospectively assert. The historical narratives in question are juxtaposed with the ideological inconsistencies of the Arab nationalist Ba'th party that has ruled Syria since 1963 vis-à-vis religious sects and minorities, while being discussed against the backdrop of the recent geopolitical developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Social & Education History / Historia Social y de la Educación is the property of Social & Education History / Historia Social y de la Educacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

School history textbook narratives of a nation's past often present limited perspectives, which may impede the aim of teaching history from multiple perspectives. Less is known about the influence of including multiple perspectives on students' representations of the past. This study examines the extent to which students include multiple perspectives when processing a schoolbook text that includes multiple perspectives compared to a schoolbook history text containing fewer perspectives. Tenth grade students (N = 104) in four schools were randomly assigned to read one of two texts on the Dutch Revolt and asked to make a summary. Multiperspectivity was analysed through the representation of actors, aspects of scale, dimensions and historiography. The students working with the text having high multiperspectivity showed more perspectives in their representations. In the summaries, these students included significantly more perspectives than did the students using the text with fewer perspectives. Moreover, these students' representations of the main actors were more nuanced. The students using the text with high multiperspectivity situated the conflict in a broader international context and integrated more historiographical dimensions. The insights generated by these outcomes emphasize the important role of textbooks when aiming to teach history from multiple perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]