Research from Western Sydney University suggests that understanding and finding personal connections with history may have become more important for students as they lived through the disruption of the COVID pandemic.
Re-thinking Historical Consciousness in a Pandemic: From Commemoration to Contestability by Kay Caroll and Kate Littlejohn reveals that students are practicing deep forms of engagement with history at primary and secondary levels – especially when it is framed as challenging, relevant, and open to questioning.
“Understanding our connection to the past, present and future enables young people to question the ideas that surround them and project alternative possible futures,” Dr Kay Carroll, Senior Lecturer of Education at Western Sydney University said.
“The COVID-19 pandemic was a dramatic disruption, living through an exceptional moment can shift how one is conscious of history – history becomes something happening now, leading to an unexpected future,” Dr Carroll said.
“We wanted to explore the significance of historical consciousness to young people in an early period of COVID-19.”
To do this, Dr Carroll and her colleagues used survey data from Australian school children aged 12–18 years. The survey covered 678 students; 33% of responses were from non-government schools, 18% from Catholic schools, 45% from government schools, and a further 3% from college settings.
Interviews were conducted separately with 39 primary and secondary teachers. Respondents across Australia were involved.
One of the most profound results of the research is that today’s students are far more connected to some forms of historical consciousness than they are to others.
Challenge and a gift
History teacher and IEU member Michelle Pearson said the research indicates that history teachers played an active role in helping students to develop critical historical consciousness in a time of “unprecedented social trauma”.
Michelle teaches at Rouse Hill Anglican College in Sydney’s north-west.
“For history teachers, the disruption caused by COVID-19 was a challenge and a gift. The difficulty of online classrooms converged with exciting learning opportunities as teachers raised student awareness of the pandemic as a unique historical event,” Michelle said.
“Everyone had a story to tell, and students documented their experiences by enthusiastically writing COVID journals and creating virtual COVID museums, confirming the study’s findings that learners are engaged by the impact of historical events on ordinary people.
“Students became aware of the importance of conserving the past when the physical evidence of the pandemic was discarded and they collected ‘pandemic artefacts’, such as colourful masks and social distancing signs.
“In multicultural north-western Sydney, the shared, although temporary, experiences of being unable to visit family, whether it was grandparents in India or an aunt in Melbourne. This enabled students to reflect with more empathy on historical events or policies which resulted in families being separated from their loved ones.
“Students were exposed to international perspectives as they discussed the experiences of relatives outside Australia during COVID. Increasingly, young Australians locate themselves as citizens within a global community, another finding of the research.
“The study indicated that the pedagogical practices employed by history teachers enabled students to develop their own narratives of “resilience and resourcefulness” as well as “inclusion and agency,” in response to COVID. This critical historical consciousness, which allows students to effectively engage with other cultures and time periods, was heightened during the pandemic,” Michelle said.
Historical rhetoric
Dr Carroll said students valued Indigenous perspectives, learning about the Stolen Generations, and exploring history through refugee stories. At the same time, engagement with the traditional narratives of Australian history – such as the First Fleet and the ANZACS – was only evident among 33% of students surveyed.
On the other hand, 60% enjoyed and were confident with a more critical take on history – one related to learning to interrogate primary sources and deal with ambiguities and gaps in historical records.
“National-centric history can be used for all kinds of political projects such as building collective memory, promoting reconciliation, memorialising, or obliterating the past to disenfranchise minorities or victims,” Dr Carroll said.
“In Australia our historical rhetoric has centred on mythologising Anzac and the ongoing denial of conflict, genocide, and dispossession. In this study, we see this is largely rejected by history teachers and their students.”
“About a third of young learners in our study still do connect with that traditional historical perspective to some extent. Possibly this connection with their national community during a disruptive time evoked empathy, a narrative of resilience and resourcefulness.
“However, for students who have Indigenous or migrant backgrounds, sharing their stories to challenge the dominant idea of Australian identity is a powerful form of inclusion.”
Critical approach
The study found that a critical approach to history was actively promoted by 87% of Australian teachers.
“This means setting tasks that require students to understand the evidence, interrogate sources and critique events from empathetic and informed standpoints,” Dr Carroll said.
“We heard teachers describe activities that use the lessons of the past to relate to modern problems as drivers of high engagement in their classrooms.”
Researchers perceived a critical consciousness about history in 60% of students’ survey responses.
“This means seeing history as a bit of an active process, an ongoing debate and interrogation. It is not undisputed facts and dates. There is contingency and contention.
“We found strong evidence that teachers have been using primary sources and inquiry approaches that include an awareness of ambiguity and omissions in the historical record.
“Teachers are making choices that show how history involves many perspectives. These choices include the use of inquiry methods, interpreting sources, and assigning open-ended project work.
“There was evidence throughout the surveys that students could see their own perspectives as shaped by history, that they are able to develop empathy with people in other times and understand that history can be framed to subjugate or omit the victims.
“We were able to hear about one student’s enthusiasm for hands-on activities in learning, particularly creating a source about famous Australian architect Harry Seidler, a significant refugee who contributed to Australian society. Many students found learning about the Holocaust and Jewish history powerful.
“A year 10 student brought up the impact of visiting a Jewish museum and hearing from a Holocaust survivor. Others felt a strong connection to research projects on the Stolen Generations and the experiences of Indigenous Australians with dispossession and child removal.
“Students really engage more deeply when presented with meaningful historical challenges that allow them to use multiple sources and connect them to own sense of identity. This is a strong reason for teachers emphasising critical thinking over narrating a tradition.
“Developing historical consciousness is incredibly important for children and young people, it is a root source of active and engaged citizenship and connection with their community.
“In the context of a global upheaval like COVID, with peer and social isolation and disruptions to schooling shaping young people’s lives, I find it so encouraging to see historical consciousness working as a thread, enabling young people to cling to their past, interpret their current story, and to look out towards a wider range of perspectives, possibilities, and choices,” Dr Carroll said.
Reference
Carroll, K., & Littlejohn, K. (2022). Re-thinking historical consciousness in a pandemic: From commemoration to contestability. The Curriculum Journal, 33, 222–237. https://doi.org/10.1002/curj.143