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Abstract
The teaching of historical time is an important aspect in elementary school curricula. This study focuses on the effects of a curriculum intervention with “Timewise,” a teaching approach developed to improve students’ understanding of historical time using timelines as a basis with which students can develop their understanding of historical phenomena and periods. The study, in which 16 teachers from grade 2 (ages 7–8) and from grade 5 (ages 10–11) participated, represents the first curriculum intervention on the understanding of historical time in elementary schools in the Netherlands. The effects were measured in a quasi-experimental pre-/post-test design. Mixed model linear analyses showed that for both grade 2 and grade 5, students in the experimental condition (N = 396) scored significantly higher on the post-test than students in the control condition (N = 392), with a medium effect size. Implications for the teaching of historical time in elementary school and in teacher training are discussed.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank Prof. Dr. Huub van den Bergh, Dr. Bonne Zijlstra, Dr. Niels Smits and Dr. Judith Conijn for their assistance with the statistical analyses.
FUNDING
This study was funded by The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) grant number 023.001.084.
Notes
1 These ten eras, with rounded dates, are Hunters and Farmers (until 3000 BC); Greeks and Romans (3000 BC–500 AD); Monks and Knights (500–1000); Cities and States (1000–1500); Discoverers and Reformers (1500–1600); Regents and Princes (1600–1700); Wigs and Revolutions (1700–1800); Citizens and Steam Engines (1800–1900); the World Wars and the Holocaust (1900–1950); and Television and Computer (1950–now).