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Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

Canonical standards or frames of reference? The ten era system in Dutch history education and the ‘canon of the Netherlands’ Arie Wilschut Netherlands Institute for Teaching and Learning History. Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek. VOC = Vereinigte Ost-Indische Compagnie 1602-1799.

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Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

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  1. Canonical standards or frames of reference? The ten era system in Dutch history education and the ‘canon of the Netherlands’ Arie Wilschut Netherlands Institute for Teaching and Learning History Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  2. VOC = Vereinigte Ost-Indische Compagnie 1602-1799 VOC ist Kolonialis-mus VOC ist Ausbeutung Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  3. VOC (Dutch East India Company) • - Source of inspiration? • Something to be proud of? • Something to be ashamed of? • Something one should know about because it is part of ‘our’ national heritage? / ‘canonical knowledge’? • But why is it part of the canonical knowledge? • - What is ‘thinking historically’ about the VOC? Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  4. Thinking historically • What is history teaching and which are its requirements? • Memorizing facts about the past. • Learning to think historically. • The ‘academic method’: • the method of inquiry • studying primary sources • draw conclusions: interpretations (causes, continuïty, etc.) • Is this really the essence of ‘thinking historically’? Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  5. Thinking historically • The shift towards ‘empathy’ / perspective taking • ‘Standing in other people’s shoes’ • Wineburg: An Unnatural Act. • Lee: Counter-intuitive thinking (CHATA). • Results of Barton/Levstik: ‘back then’ / the role of progress / the present as ‘measure of all things’. • The core of this might be: thinking historically in time / in terms of historical time. Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  6. Ecological time Social time 4 or 5 generations Mythical time historical time awareness seems to be lacking John Macdonald, The Arctic Sky: Inuit Astronomy, Star Lore, and Legend. Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum, 1998. Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  7. Thinking historically • - To what degree do people without schooling in history have a ‘social’ and ‘mythical’ time awareness? • What is the use of trying to replace these with an historical time awareness? • Some tentative answers to the second question: • More sense of alternatives. • More sense of how things might have developed differently. • More sense of relative nature of ideas, values and beliefs, and their being a product of their time. Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  8. Creating a frame of reference • - Historical time awareness: dimension and articulation. • The spatial metaphor when talking about time. • A map: two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional reality. Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  9. Creating a frame of reference • - Historical time awareness: dimension and articulation. • The spatial metaphor when talking about time. • A map: two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional reality. • Two-dimensional representations of time (timelines) present a larger degree of conceptual difference. Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

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  11. Zeit der Jäger und Bauern Zeit der Griechen und Römer Zeit der Mönche und Ritter Zeit der Städte und Staaten Zeit der Entdecker und Reformer Zeit der Regenten und Fürsten Zeit der Perücken und Revolutionen Zeit der Bürger und Dampfmaschinen Zeit der Weltkriege Zeit des Fernsehens und des Computers Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

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  13. christianity in Europe emergence of islam Token event: 965 Harald Bluetooth converts to Christianity. Token event: 622 Mohamed conquers Medina. feudalism manors and peasants Token event: ca 794 Charlemagne issues Capitulare de Villis. Token event: 911 Rollo the Viking pleads allegiance to Frankish king. monks and knights Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  14. parliamentary democracy ‘isms’ / ideologies Token event/ example Token event / example industrial revolution modern imperialism Token event / example Token event / example citizens and steam engines Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  15. Creating a frame of reference • - Eras supposed to be ‘imaginative’ and easy to associate with. • Are they? • Enquiry among some 500 students taking part in exam experiment. • Not familiar with eras. • Presented with only names and time limits. • Asked to mention persons, events, and associations. Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  16. Creating a frame of reference Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  17. Creating a frame of reference • The history of South Sulawesi • How much can you understand using your frame of reference? Statue of Makassarese prince Hasanuddin in Makassar. Dutch fort in background. Statue of Buginese prince Palakka in Bone. Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  18. What happened since 2001 • - 2001: proposal for ten era system published • implemented in general terms (only the names • of eras) in primary and junior secondary education • 2004-2006 experiment with new final exams havo/vwo • 2007 implemented in final exams in detailed terms • (eras including characteristics) Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  19. What happened since 2001 • Events in Netherlands society • killings of Fortuyn and Van Gogh • discussion about islam and immigration/integration • Hirsi Ali • ‘who are we?’ ‘what is Dutch identity?’ ‘what is our heritage?’ • “We need a national canon.” Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  20. What happened since 2001 2006 National canon published 50 items on a line Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  21. What happened since 2001 2006 National canon published 50 items on a line CANON FRAME OF REFERENCE What everyone should know to be a member of society, a good citizen, etc. What is necessary to know to be able to think in historical time dimensions. Meant to give someone the tools to express his own thoughts and feelings and develop his own values. Meant to forge someone’s thoughts, feelings and values. Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  22. What happened since 2001 • The 50 items do not correspond with the 10 eras. • They are not meant as concrete examples • for the characteristics in the ten eras, but as • items in their own right. • The 50 items are very different in character: • sometimes persons • sometimes events • sometimes objects • sometimes themes • Official reaction of education minister: ‘source of inspiration’. • There is considerable pressure in society (outside education) • to promote this ‘canon’. Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

  23. Conclusion • - Historical thinking is essential for members of our societies. • A major difficulty is thinking historically about time. • To support the development of this kind of thinking a frame of reference is necessary. • A frame of reference may best be imaginative and easy to associate with. • A frame of reference is not a canon: not a ‘cage but a scaffold’. • A canon, however, appeals to strong popular sentiments. Instituut voor Geschiedenisdidactiek

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