Eliciting Historical Thinking: The Use of Archaeological Remains in Secondary Education

Abstract

This paper investigates the expression of historical thinking by students in the school and museum environment, based on the study of the past through archaeological remains. The empirical investigation was carried out in five schools in Athens, four state and one private, and included a total sample of 189 middle and high school students (12–13 and 15–16-year-olds). The students were exposed to archaeological remains in three different forms, actual physical objects, printed images of the objects, and digital representations thereof. Data was collected from written responses to a questionnaire and from their responses during a semi-structured interview, as well as from observations by the researcher during the whole process. Based on an analysis of their responses, it was clear that most of the students had grasped the historical significance of the archaeological remains they had studied. They referred to them in relation to their historical context, based on their recollection of pre-existing historical knowledge or the use of relevant information given to them. However, the expression of interpretative historical thinking in several responses appears to be influenced by the historical or non-historical character of each question or task, as well as the type of archaeological remains they had studied. Parameters such as age, gender, and socio-cultural background also appear to have influenced their expression of historical thinking.