Review article

Didactical and methodological analysis of the history textbooks approved for use in the second grade of high school during the academic year 2008/2009.

Rona Bušljeta ; Hrvatski studiji Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska

Abstract

Scientists who deal with analysis of history textbooks often focus on their historical content, putting aside didactic and methodological characteristics. However, criticism of didactic and methodological characteristics of textbooks can be heard from those who are directly involved in teaching, such as teachers, students and parents.
Writing history textbooks is characterized by a number of conditions and constraints, more so than is the case with other historiographic works. These constraints pose greater difficulty for authors during the lengthy writing process. They do not only have to comply with the requirements and laws defined by the ministry, but all textbooks must also be reviewed and a special commission must approve their
publication. Last and definitely not least is the approval which any author craves for his or her book. While all books target a certain genre of reader, a textbook has to meet the approval of two very different types of users; teachers need to identify with the book to be able to use it in their lessons and, at the same time, students must
also identify with the book as an approachable, clear and useful source of information. Despite the rules and regulations of the textbook, the author is still left alone in the methodological and didactic aspects of the book. During the academic year 2008/2009, the ministry approved three history textbooks by three different publishers. Although on the surface all the books followed the same set of rules and standards and actually followed the high school curriculum, a closer look revealed just how different they really were in their didactic and methodological characteristics. The textbooks standards applied by the ministry with regard to the theme, writing
and approval of textbooks should further include the methodological and didactic benefits and failures of every textbook in order to achieve a more harmonious educational experience in the classroom and a more structured education provided by history textbooks in schools. This analysis of second grade history textbooks should
serve as a starting point from which a modern concept of history teaching will grow; one that is based on the methodological and didactic qualities of history textbooks.

Keywords

textbook; didactics; methodology; authors of textbooks; Ministry of Education

Hrčak ID:

71701

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/71701

Publication date:

5.5.2011.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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