title: Exploration of history teachers’ expertise in teaching historical thinking
Creators: name: Kuzuca, Latife Eda
Publisher: name: University of Reading
Year: 2023

description: This research aims to explore the perspectives and approaches of history teachers in 
England towards teaching historical thinking. This research contributes to our knowledge by 
providing an understanding of how history teachers conceptualise historical thinking within the 
current educational climate and by also linking this to their professional knowledge and 
decision-making processes.
In this research, a qualitative approach, using constructivist and interpretivist
paradigms, has been adopted. Ten history teachers were chosen using convenience sampling 
and have been interviewed twice using online applications. As data collecting tools, semi�structured interviews, mind maps, and narrative interviews have been utilised. Additionally, in 
order to gain better understanding of teachers’ practices for historical thinking, examples of 
their scheme of work have been collected and analysed. A mixture of deductive and inductive 
analysis has been adopted for twenty interview transcripts. The similarities and differences 
between the teachers were evaluated by comparing, interpreting, and grouping their answers 
regarding the relevant codes.
The teachers’ understanding of historical thinking was similar, and it was mainly based 
on teaching historiography and second-order concepts. There was also a close relationship 
between the different knowledge bases teachers used and the extent to which they promoted 
historical thinking. It was found that three of the knowledge bases - subject, pedagogy, and 
pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) – were most likely to inform teachers' approaches to 
historical thinking. Additionally, influential factors in teachers’ decisions were both internal 
(beliefs, values, and self-efficacy) and external (accountability, time, network. schools and
community of practice (CoP)) factors. In this research, teacher agency is associated with 
teachers’ decisions and actions in relation to improving their teaching based on the new ideas 
vand changes – more specifically historical thinking. The participants were found to be driven 
by ecological factors and the ongoing relationships between their internal and external contexts.
Overall, four groups emerged showing teachers’ attitudes towards teaching historical 
thinking. In the first group (Content Orientated), there were two history teachers who were 
found to be less engaged with teaching historical thinking. These teachers appeared to be 
disconnected from communities of practice and historical organisations, and they attributed 
their disengagement with teaching historical thinking to accountability and timing pressures. In 
the second group (Exam Orientated) were two history teachers whose engagement with 
historical thinking was limited and shaped by an exam-oriented approach, and felt restricted by 
a content-heavy curriculum and high accountability pressures. The third group (HT 1
Practitioners) represented three teachers who showed a better engagement in teaching historical 
thinking. Finally, there were three teachers whose approach to teaching historical thinking
seemed more sophisticated (HT Innovators). Analyses showed that their success was connected 
to their strong subject knowledge, personal enthusiasm for teaching, high level university and 
CoP engagement and individual and collective agency and self-efficacy.