1. History: what do pupils think?

2. Key issue addressed by the study   This study aimed to: – –reveal the ideas about history which young people bring as preconceptions to their learning – –explore the links between views of history and social cohesion among indigenous and non-indigenous students in England and the Netherlands

3. Young people’s views of history  Young people saw history as important for understanding their society  Pupils were interested in different periods of history from those they could typically study at secondary school  Around 40% of young people from the UK agreed that sharing a common history creates “mutual bonds”

4. The kinds of history pupils are interested in  All the groups of pupils: –recognised the importance of their country’s history –believed history helped them understand the society they lived in – –believed family history was important; more so by pupils from BME backgrounds than pupils not from BME backgrounds

5. Historical periods pupils were most interested in All the students liked these topics:  ancient history (most popular)  post war era from 1945 to the present  1900 to 1945

6. Pupils’ interest areas as compared with the national curriculum  Pupils’ preferences were sometimes at odds with the periods most commonly taught in their schools e.g. –There was very little teaching of post-war events –Teaching of ancient history tended to be limited to when they were in primary school

7. Young people’s definition of identity  Depending on their background pupils tended to identify with their country of residence or by their own or their parents’ country of origin or religion  Very few pupils from either country regarded their prime identity in terms of either ‘world citizen’ or ‘European’

8. Who were the children in the study?  442 pupils from metropolitan areas in the Netherlands and England  The pupils were aged 14 -18 years and were of various ethnic backgrounds

9. How was the information gathered?  Pupil questionnaire with questions about e.g. identity, importance of history, historical periods  Pupils’ answers were grouped according to various criteria: the country of residence (England or the Netherlands), ethnic background, gender, age, level of education, etc

10. How can teachers use this evidence?  Young people, particularly from ethnic minority backgrounds, rated family history as highly important –Could you include family history as part of school history to make it more meaningful to them?  Pupils expressed greater interest in some periods of history rather than others –Would it be helpful to explore with your students the less popular periods of history and possible teaching/learning approaches?

11. How can school leaders use this evidence?  Young people stated they liked ancient history most. What do students in your school think? –Could you survey your students to find out which periods of history they are interested in? –Having surveyed your students could you organise professional development for your colleagues to explore how they could incorporate students’ preferences into the curriculum?

12. Follow-up reading  Study reference: Grever, M., Haydn, T. and Ribbens K. (2008) Identity and School History: the Perspective of Young People from the Netherlands and England British Journal of Educational Studies, Vol. 56, No. 1, March 2008, pp. 76-94 Identity and School History: the Perspective of Young People from the Netherlands and England British Journal of Educational Studies, Vol. 56, No. 1, March 2008, pp. 76-94  You might like to read a more detailed summary, accessible at: http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/research/them es/pupil_voice/studentsthink/ http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/research/them es/pupil_voice/studentsthink/

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