Thinking skills, assessment for learning and literacy strategies in teaching history

Abstract

This article is about a small-scale research project which investigated changing the authors' classroom practice at General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) level and how that change impacts on both teachers and students. This project emerged out of earlier classroom research funded and supported by the National Union of Teachers and Newcastle University, where the authors looked at the use of thinking skills activities in history classrooms. This article tells the story of how two teachers embarked on a second research project, where they attempted to combine thinking skills, assessment for learning and literacy strategies in teaching history and produce a revision programme for 132 GCSE students. They also worked with three other members of their department, thus linking the project to continuing professional development. The authors aim to share what they learned as two teacher researchers working collaboratively, what impact this work had on their students, as well as the ‘departmental learning’ that took place.