Διδακτική της ιστορίας: η ανάπτυξη της ιστορικής σκέψης των παιδιών σε συμβατικό και ηλεκτρονικό περιβάλλον

Abstract

The interest of this research work between the different fields of teaching history focuses on teaching the subject of the history which is the privileged field of theoretical and empirical interest in the teaching of history and is scrutinized on the basis of aims and methods which are preferred and followed. In an effort to transform traditional assets of historical education new methodological strategies focus on the overall approach to human activity, and the emergence of components of historical discipline, in order to overcome and change the teaching paradigm by accepting constructive learning approaches. The research work aims at exploring the dynamics resulting in the formation of historical thinking by adopting an exploratory historical process in historical education on one hand and by using the new electronic learning environment in the course of history in school on the other hand. The possibilities offered by digitization and diffusion of historical material, but also the mental tools that can be exploited in this direction are shaping a new teaching dimension, which cannot substitute the teaching process, but may contribute significantly to the skills and habits of historic scientific discipline. The findings of empirical research contribute significantly to the limited research on the cultivation of historical thinking of the historical education subject, as the development of individual research process allows the formation of interesting and embodying ways referring to the explanatory historical learning as far as the conventional and the computer environment are concerned. The use of authentic historical texts at the primary school allows the identification of opportunities and difficulties inherent in such a process and contributes to the understanding of how this methodological approach to the actual conditions of teaching act at both conventional and electronic interface. The absence of such teaching and learning experiences and the necessary skills related to the use of historical sources and the development of ICT potentials in school practice influence the findings of the research work. The biggest difficulty that arises, is related to the removal of the previous teaching practices and the way of understanding the historical past. Initial efforts of the students’ historical analysis are not usually consistent with the work of historian experts, but this should not be taken as a failure, but as the starting point of historical thinking. The success in the new teaching process is very important, without much differentiation between the two separate teaching conditions, given the complete absence of previous similar experiences, the difficulty of moving from the previous teaching approach, the established historical culture of the subject, the forms and uses of public history and the dominant historical culture of contemporary social reality.