Concept- and Strategic-Knowledge Development in Historical Study: A Comparative Exploration in Two Fourth-Grade Classrooms

Abstract

This study explored how historical concepts and research strategies were taught and made sense of by students in 2 fourth-grade classrooms. We examined the teaching and learning of a unit on Native Americans in the Chesapeake Tidewater area in each classroom. In 1 classroom, the teacher intentionally sought to enhance students' concept and strategic historical knowledge through integration of history and research strategies (based in reading-language arts), and in the other, the teacher did some inquiry-based study of history but expressed no direct intention of using it to enhance student conceptual or strategic knowledge. Daily observations of teaching practices were conducted throughout the units. The teachers were interviewed both formally and informally about what they were trying to accomplish. Six students from each class were interviewed in depth directly after they studied Native Americans and again at the end of the school year to get their perspectives on what they thought they had learned, and to assess differences in concept development and strategic knowledge about research practices. These data were augmented by informants' descriptions of their attitudes about doing research. Results suggest that the differences between the classrooms with respect to the ways the teachers taught the units were rather obvious. However, the differences reported by the 6 students from each classroom regarding concept- and strategic-knowledge development were quite subtle. The teacher in the first classroom noted appeared partly successful in helping her students develop historical concepts and strategic knowledge about research practices. The teacher in the second classroom also promoted some development of conceptual and strategic knowledge. The partial successes in both classes as well as the between-class differences are the focus of the discussion. Based on the study results, commentary is offered about how to improve concept and strategy development in historical study along with a consideration of the subject matter knowledge demands such improvements would make on elementary school teachers.