The role of self-directed learning in the promotion of historical thinking in first year Senior and FET History for Education students

Abstract

Historical thinking allows an individual to understand the past by analysing and evaluating sources. These skills are not only critical in the discipline of history, but it also emphasises critical thinking to ensure a deeper inquiry and interpretation of the past. This study aimed to explore the factors that influence historical thinking and how these factors relate to self-directed learning and higher-order levels of historical thinking with first-year Senior and Further Education and Training (Sr. & FET) History for Education students. To reach the aim of the study, a qualitative exploratory case study was employed. This exploratory case study focused on the relationship between historical thinking and self-directed learning within the lived experiences within the case of first-year Sr. & FET History for Education students at the North-West University. Three data sets were collected for the empirical study. Data were collected in the form of two documents and two 45-60 minute online semi-structured interviews with each of the participants. The two documents were two essay assessments from each of the first-year student participants that completed the first year, first-semester module (HISE112) at the North-West University on the Vanderbijlpark and Mahikeng campuses. The audio of the interviews was transcribed verbatim and analysed using an inductive thematic data analysis. Both documents were analysed by means of summative content analysis. With the data analyses, the researcher found that the participants’ conceptual level of historical thinking mostly aligned with the theoretical concepts. With the application of historical thinking, the participants’ application did not align with most of the historical thinking concepts, pointing to a low level of historical thinking skills. The only historical thinking concepts that improved throughout the semester were taking historical perspectives and establishing historical significance. This improvement was due to the feedback that was provided by the lecturer on the first assignment. The participants also only improved in identifying these concepts from secondary sources, pointing to a lack of originality in creating their own interpretations. The participants’ lack of originality was also highlighted by mostly being influenced by external factors in forming not only their perceptions of the different historical thinking concepts but also their perceptions of history in general. The participants were also externally influenced regarding their self-directed learning process. The participants relied on the lecturer to evaluate their work. Only after receiving feedback from the lecturer, did the participants fulfil the rest of the steps in the self-directed learning process. The dependent nature of the participants to form perceptions and to be guided on what to improve in their learning points to a serious lack of independence in interpreting history and in their learning process. The participants were only consumers of information and did not understand why and how they understood the information that they consumed, pointing to a clear lack of micro- reflection or metacognition. The factor in self-directed learning that may improve historical thinking was independence, more specifically independently creating information based on metacognition. By only understating a concept to its fullest extent, can an individual independently reach the highest level relating to that specific concept. Only once participants’ lack of understanding was pointed out by the lecturer, did they manage to take the first steps in the self-directed learning process. The result was a marginal improvement with the second essay assignment.