Thinking historically in community history museums: A case study in contextual learning

Abstract

This case study describes how a class of seventh-grade students (aged 12–13 years) worked collaboratively with a group of adult volunteers in a community history museum, to deconstruct the museum’s narratives and reconstruct their own interpretations of the past. It focuses upon the Historical Thinking concept of Evidence and Sources. Qualitative data is analyzed according to Falk and Dierking’s contextual model of learning. Student activities included historic space mapping, photography, thinking aloud, and a material history framework for historical thinking. With repeat museum visits, students came to perceive themselves as active members of a community of inquiry. In turn, adult participants came to relinquish their position of authority. These findings demonstrate how students can be empowered to take charge of their learning in community history museums, and how museum objects can become central to formal classroom instruction in Historical Thinking. Recommendations for museum educators are provided.

Cette étude de cas décrit comment une classe de 7^e année (élèves âgés de 12 ou de 13 ans) a collaboré avec un groupe d’adultes bénévoles dans un musée d’histoire communautaire pour déconstruire le récit du musée et le reconstruire selon ses propres interprétations du passé. Elle porte principalement sur le concept de pensée historique de la preuve et des sources. Les données qualitatives sont analysées selon le contextual model of learning (modèle d’apprentissage contextuel) de Falk & Dierking. Les activités des élèves comprennent la cartographie historique dans l’espace, la photographie, la réflexion à voix haute et une approche matérielle de l’histoire pour la pensée historique. Grâce à des visites répétées au musée, les élèves ont pu se percevoir comme des membres actifs d’une communauté d’apprentissage. Les adultes ont, pour leur part, délaissé leur position d’autorité. Ces résultats démontrent comment les élèves peuvent prendre en charge leur apprentissage dans les musées d’histoire communautaires et comment les objets de musée peuvent intervenir dans l’apprentissage en classe relativement à la pensée historique. Des recommandations pour les éducateurs œuvrant dans les musées sont offertes.

Keywords:

• Historical Thinking
• community history museums
• material history
• object-based learning
• museum education

Mots-clés :

• pensée historique
• musées d’histoire communautaires
• histoire matérielle
• apprentissage basé sur l’objet
• éducation muséale

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Pseudonyms have been used throughout this dissertation.

2. Based upon 2012 enrolment figures.

3. Instructions for this assignment were as follows: In your journal: Using the pieces of evidence that you have drawn from museum sources at the Museum, write a paragraph in your own words (50–90 words), responding to the research question: What was life like in British North America in the 1800s?

4. Instructions for this assignment were as follows: In your journal: Using the pieces of evidence that you have drawn from your material history analysis of one artifact in the Museum, write a single label paragraph in your own words (50–90 words), responding to the inquiry questions: What, Where, When, Who and Why?

5. For an example of teaching with big ideas, see Grant and Gradwell (2010).

Additional information

Funding

This research has been supported by The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada, the University of New Brunswick, and The History Education Network/Histoire et éducation en réseau (THEN/HiER).