challenges in studying history essay

• 3. Historical Analysis and Interpretation

One of the most common problems in helping students to become thoughtful readers of historical narrative is the compulsion students feel to find the one right answer, the one essential fact, the one authoritative interpretation. “Am I on the right track?” “Is this what you want?” they ask. Or, worse yet, they rush to closure, reporting back as self-evident truths the facts or conclusions presented in the document or text.

These problems are deeply rooted in the conventional ways in which textbooks have presented history: a succession of facts marching straight to a settled outcome. To overcome these problems requires the use of more than a single source: of history books other than textbooks and of a rich variety of historical documents and artifacts that present alternative voices, accounts, and interpretations or perspectives on the past.

Students need to realize that historians may differ on the facts they incorporate in the development of their narratives and disagree as well on how those facts are to be interpreted. Thus, “history” is usually taken to mean what happened in the past; but written history is a dialogue among historians, not only about what happened but about why and how events unfolded. The study of history is not only remembering answers. It requires following and evaluating arguments and arriving at usable, even if tentative, conclusions based on the available evidence.

To engage in  historical analysis and interpretation  students must draw upon their skills of historical comprehension . In fact, there is no sharp line separating the two categories. Certain of the skills involved in comprehension overlap the skills involved in analysis and are essential to it. For example, identifying the author or source of a historical document or narrative and assessing its credibility (comprehension) is prerequisite to comparing competing historical narratives (analysis). Analysis builds upon the skills of comprehension; it obliges the student to assess the evidence on which the historian has drawn and determine the soundness of interpretations created from that evidence. It goes without saying that in acquiring these analytical skills students must develop the ability to differentiate between expressions of opinion, no matter how passionately delivered, and informed hypotheses grounded in historical evidence.

Well-written historical narrative has the power to promote students’ analysis of historical causality–of how change occurs in society, of how human intentions matter, and how ends are influenced by the means of carrying them out, in what has been called the tangle of process and outcomes. Few challenges can be more fascinating to students than unraveling the often dramatic complications of cause. And nothing is more dangerous than a simple, monocausal explanation of past experiences and present problems.

Finally, well-written historical narratives can also alert students to the traps of  lineality and inevitability . Students must understand the relevance of the past to their own times, but they need also to avoid the trap of lineality, of drawing straight lines between past and present, as though earlier movements were being propelled teleologically toward some rendezvous with destiny in the late 20th century.

A related trap is that of thinking that events have unfolded inevitably–that the way things are is the way they had to be, and thus that individuals lack free will and the capacity for making choices. Unless students can conceive that history could have turned out differently, they may unconsciously accept the notion that the future is also inevitable or predetermined, and that human agency and individual action count for nothing. No attitude is more likely to feed civic apathy, cynicism, and resignation–precisely what we hope the study of history will fend off. Whether in dealing with the main narrative or with a topic in depth, we must always try, in one historian’s words, to “restore to the past the options it once had.”

HISTORICAL THINKING STANDARD 3

The student engages in historical analysis and interpretation:

Therefore, the student is able to:

• Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas , values, personalities, behaviors, and institutions by identifying likenesses and differences.
• Consider multiple perspectives  of various peoples in the past by demonstrating their differing motives, beliefs, interests, hopes, and fears.
• Analyze cause-and-effect relationships  bearing in mind  multiple causation including (a)  the importance of the individual  in history; (b)  the influence of ideas , human interests, and beliefs; and (c) the role of chance, the accidental and the irrational.
• Draw comparisons across eras and regions in order to define enduring issues as well as large-scale or long-term developments that transcend regional and temporal boundaries.
• Distinguish between unsupported expressions of opinion and informed hypotheses grounded in historical evidence.
• Compare competing historical narratives.
• Challenge arguments of historical inevitability  by formulating examples of historical contingency, of how different choices could have led to different consequences.
• Hold interpretations of history as tentative , subject to changes as new information is uncovered, new voices heard, and new interpretations broached.
• Evaluate major debates among historians  concerning alternative interpretations of the past.
• Hypothesize the influence of the past , including both the limitations and opportunities made possible by past decisions.

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College students struggle to make sense of evidence from the past, stanford researchers find.

Historians have long held that the value of studying history goes far beyond learning names and dates—it helps students develop the skills to think critically and discern the credibility of claims they encounter.

A new study by researchers at Stanford Graduate School of Education calls into question whether college history courses are delivering on this promise. Asked to complete a series of tasks aimed at judging the reliability of historical sources, the vast majority of students—including upper-level history majors—struggled. 

The findings suggest that educators are missing opportunities to make sure students are learning how to investigate questions about historical events.

“If there’s anywhere you’d expect these skills would be taught, it would be in college to history majors,” said Mark Smith, director of assessment for the Stanford History Education Group  (SHEG) and one of the study’s authors, along with Professor Sam Wineburg and Joel Breakstone. “But we’ve found that students aren’t adopting these basic ways of thinking about evidence.”

Tasks for students

The study, which appears in the March 2018 issue of the Journal of American History, builds on previous research by SHEG that found high school students struggle with tasks asking them to evaluate primacy source documents.

To see whether more advanced students experienced the same challenges, the researchers gave a series of similar tasks to 127 college students enrolled at state universities on the West Coast. Participants ranged from first-year students taking requisite introductory classes to history majors who had already completed at least five university-level history courses.

In one task, for example, researchers presented the students with an early 20th century painting titled The First Thanksgiving 1621, by Jean Leon Gerome. The painting shows Pilgrim settlers and the Wampanoag Indians coming together peacefully for a feast. Students were expected to reason that the gap in time between when the event took place and when the painting was created diminished the source’s reliability as evidence of what happened at the event it depicts.

Only one of the 78 freshmen and sophomores who completed the task addressed this gap and provided a rationale for why it mattered.

“It’s not terribly surprising that we saw this with freshmen in an introductory course,” Smith said. “But history majors in upper-level courses didn’t do very well, either.”

Only 20 percent of juniors and seniors showed proficiency in the task by noting the time gap in explaining why the painting was an unreliable source for someone who sought to understand the relationship between the Indians and the settlers.

Reading like a historian

History majors go on to pursue careers in a multitude of fields, from business and law to journalism and politics—professions that all benefit from what the researchers call “historical thinking,” the ability to put a source into context and evaluate its trustworthiness.

“We can’t expect that students are going to bring these skills to the college classroom,” said Smith. “And if they’re taking a college history class, just because they’re exposed to higher-level content and learning from someone who’s mastered these skills doesn’t mean they’re going to pick them up.”

Previous research from SHEG has shown that students who use a curriculum built around historical documents outperform their peers in traditional, textbook-oriented history classes on measures such as reading comprehension, general reasoning and even the ability to recall historical facts.

The researchers emphasize the need for meaningful assessment tools to inform ongoing instruction. “Historians offer evidence when they make claims about the past. They also need evidence for claims they make about what’s learned in their classrooms,” said Wineburg, the Margaret Jacks Professor of Education and History (by courtesy).

Unlike final exams, periodic assessments gauge students’ thinking throughout a course, indicating where instructors might need to adjust their course content or pace to help students stay on track.

“We know from past research that young students, even sixth-graders, can engage in historical reasoning,” Smith said. “It’s just a matter of teaching it and making sure they understand it."

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1 The Challenges of History

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What does it mean—and what might it yet come to mean—to write ‘history’ in the twenty-first century? This chapter takes its cue from Eric Hobsbawm’s capacious interests in subject and method to address a series of key challenges facing history writing today. It insists that historians must think about the implications of what they write as well as about the wider societal and political frames within which their stories will be received and understood. It addresses a series of challenges historians face when trying to make their work speak out beyond the discipline and the profession. These include the challenges arising from the increasing specialization and fragmentation of the discipline, from the difficulties of making such expertise speak to a broader audience, and from the particular circumstances of the present within which they must make their work relevant.

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Periodization in World History: Challenges and Opportunities

• First Online: 10 November 2017

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• Peter N. Stearns 2  

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Starting with the premise that the historian’s effort to manage time—to make change and continuity over time both more intelligible and more manageable—is a scholarly choice, open to discussion, Stearns systematically works through a tentatively proposed world historical framework aimed at developing critical thinking skills through debate over world history periodization. He argues that the basic themes of each period need to be made explicit in comparative relation to one another, while the periodization framework selected must not be too intricate or complicated. This open-ended approach aims to foster fresh, creative and hopefully improved approaches amid ongoing debate over world history periodization.

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Department of History, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA

R. Charles Weller

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Stearns, P.N. (2017). Periodization in World History: Challenges and Opportunities. In: Weller, R. (eds) 21st-Century Narratives of World History. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62078-7_3

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What to expect when you choose to study History at University

A student's guide from personal experience to challenges you may have to face

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Challenges you may have to face include:

No comprehensive text

I don't know about you, however when I studied History at A Level there was a textbook for each module; a comprehensive book that covered all the compulsory material that you would need to learn for your exam. Real life is not like this. No such books exist when you arrive at University. As much as it pains me to tell you, your teachers are right when they tell you that "You won't be spoon fed, like you are now, when you get to University."

University history truly is about independent thought, requires the skills to think independently, you cannot depend on one author who wrote one book. After all, that is simply one person's opinion. You need to read around. To gauge a true understanding of a historical topic you will need to question the author's thoughts themselves, argue with their conclusions and evaluate their reasoning. You will gain these skills by reading widely and gaining a wider breadth and depth of knowledge. 

Themes NOT chronology

You might think when studying history, that chronology would be the most vital part of your study. Oh, but no. When you get to university you will soon realise that themes within history are as equally important. There have been several occasions when I have attended lectures and about three centuries have gone missing, or rather, the lectures have gone against everything natural and jumped back a few centuries. Not to fret, this is primarily because University is about giving you breadth of knowledge.

For example, you may be studying the Tudor Reformation. However, in order to truly appreciate this historical ‘event' within its context you may well have lectures dating back to the 1300's and the Crusades. Don't worry, you haven't slept through any lectures, this is University history providing you with an extensive range of knowledge that will soon bear the £9,000 fees. The heart palpitations when entering said lecture, of course, come for free. 

Essay questions on unfamiliar topics

Another challenge that I faced, and perhaps you will too, is random and unfamiliar topics in essay questions. You will be expected to go to the library, find half a dozen or so books and journals, and complete the essay. At no point will you get an ‘essay plan' from your tutor, you will just have to use your intuition, read a lot and make your own judgements.

The main thing to remember when writing a university standard history essay is that you are presenting an argument. I know that in secondary school there is emphasis on providing a balance in your argument; however at this level, this may be mistaken as indecision. Further to this, your argument may not be presented to you in your essay question. The questions can be extremely vague, however this is as I mentioned before, to make you think independently. My advice: Pick a stance (not an unreasonable and unarguable one of course) and stick to it, but being careful as part of your argument to discredit other possibilities or ideas. 

Historiography over History

This caused me the most trouble and frustration; I still grapple with it now. Basically a considerable emphasis of any history degree will be on the historiography of a topic. This will most likely be touched on at A-Level, however at University you will study historiography in much more depth. Essentially, for those of you who don't know, it is the study of what the historian has said and why they have said it. For example, let's take the Cold War as a case study. One historian may argue that the Cold War was caused by the aggressive policies of the USA, such as the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan. Other historians however may argue that it was the fault of a hostile USSR or the pressures of the power vacuum that had developed in Europe. Studying historiography is to study these reasons and why these historians have come to these different conclusions. You will need to ask yourself several questions: When were these authors writing? Are they politically biased? What sources did they use? Is there a pattern? What is the author's background? Can this explain their conclusions?

Although this may seem reasonably simple, trying to identify an argument within a text can be extremely difficult. Don't be embarrassed if you can't figure it out straight away, practice really does make perfect. In my first year of History for example, my study group was given a particularly obscure topic. We were to write an essay on the historiography of death during the Reformation. After days of reading, head scratching, some tears and several cups of tea we came to the conclusion that the Reformation only changed religious beliefs towards death to a veneer-like level. Some historians argued that the Reformation was welcomed with open arms and thus rituals in death swiftly changed, whilst others stated that the Reformation was slowly and sullenly accepted which meant attitudes towards death remained covertly Catholic. Identifying why these different historians thought differently wasn't exactly easy however we realised that opinions began to change in the 1970's, a time of renewed thought, political change and questioning. It is these patterns that you will need to identify when studying the historiography of a specific topic.

Reading, reading and more reading

Lastly, one thing I feel I must prepare you for is the amount of reading. There has been many a time where I have been simply incapable of reading a certain article or document, not necessarily because of its contents but because of what I call "reader's block": a mental block where words on a page/screen will simply appear as gibberish due to excessive reading. This will happen, however don't fear, it is simply your brain adjusting to the influx of information that it is perhaps not accustomed to! Chocolate, a nap and some socialising tends to cure this one. Take breaks, but do keep on top of the reading!

• Transition to university: guides to help you

Overcoming Historical Challenges: Common Problems and Solutions.

The study of history is an important aspect of comprehending the evolution of societies and cultures over time. However, many students encounter difficulties in mastering the intricacies of history.

This article will address some of the common challenges that students face when learning history, and suggest possible solutions. It will explore the challenges related to:

• grasping themes
• retaining information
• identifying sources
• analyzing sources
• understanding chronology
• answering essay questions
• answering multiple choice questions
• answering document-based questions
• writing essays

All of these challenges will be examined in detail, offering potential solutions to assist students in overcoming their obstacles.

Key Takeaways

• Having a historical understanding is crucial to prevent disconnection between the past and present, comprehend themes, and take into account opposing perspectives.
• Effective strategies for overcoming challenges include breaking down information, creating visual aids, putting events into context, identifying and evaluating sources, and summarizing the material.
• Some key terms to remember when facing challenges are understanding context, analyzing sources, examining facts, contextualizing history, and synthesizing information.
• To successfully answer essay questions and use evidence, it is necessary to recognize significant terms, understand context, identify patterns, question sources, and interpret to support the argument.

Lack of Understanding of Themes

The absence of comprehension regarding historical themes can result in an inability to properly contextualise the present, leading to a feeling of disconnection between past and present. This disconnection may be worsened when opposing perspectives and cultural contexts are not taken into consideration. To overcome this challenge, it is crucial to not only grasp the history of the theme, but also be mindful of the cultural context it is rooted in, as well as any contradicting views that may exist. By doing so, it is feasible to gain a superior comprehension of the theme and its implications on the present. It is also imperative to be patient and meticulous in one’s research, as well as engaging when presenting the information to ensure that the audience can gain a better understanding of the theme.

Difficulty Retaining Information

Retaining information can be a challenging task, especially for those who have limited access to resources. To overcome this challenge, it is necessary to contextualize events and interpret symbolism.

This can be achieved by breaking down information into smaller chunks, creating visual aids, and taking notes. Moreover, connecting present experiences to past ones can aid in contextualizing and retaining information. Other techniques include summarizing material, using mnemonic devices, and studying with a group or partner.

Understanding the underlying themes of history and remembering them requires contextualizing events and interpreting symbolism.

Difficulty Identifying Sources

Identifying and evaluating sources for reliability is an important step in academic research.

To begin, it is important to be able to distinguish between primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are documents that are written or produced during the time period being studied and are often firsthand accounts. Secondary sources are usually written or produced after the time period being studied and are usually interpretations or analyses of primary sources.

Lastly, it is important to evaluate sources for reliability, objectivity, and accuracy. This can be done by analysing the author’s credentials, the publisher, and the reviews of the source.

Identify Primary Sources.

Analysing primary sources can be the key to understanding the past. To gain a better understanding of the context in which the data was collected, it is effective to interpret the sources first. This information can then be used to contextualise the data for a deeper understanding of the past. A thorough and patient approach is necessary when interpreting primary sources, as it can be easy to make incorrect assumptions about the data without proper analysis. To serve an audience that has a subconscious desire for serving others, an engaging style of writing should be used. By using this method of analysis, many of the common challenges associated with studying history can be overcome.

Identify Secondary Sources.

Examining secondary sources can offer further insights into the past, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the events that occurred. Secondary sources may also aid in identifying patterns in history and interpreting information from primary sources.

Some examples of secondary sources include:

• Historiographies: a type of secondary source written by a historian, which provides an analysis and interpretation of primary sources.
• Documentaries: non-fiction films that provide insight into a historical event or topic.
• Textbooks: written materials used to teach a subject, typically compiled by an expert in the field.

Evaluate Sources for Reliability

When it comes to assessing sources for reliability, it is crucial to take into account the accuracy and verifiability of the information presented in them. One of the most effective ways to do this is by fact-checking and determining the credibility and trustworthiness of the source. To gain a better understanding of the reliability of sources, the following table provides a summary of some of the key factors to consider when evaluating sources for reliability:

Difficulty Analysing Sources

Analysing sources can be a challenging task.

It is essential to recognise bias in any sources employed, to compare multiple sources, and to identify any cause and effect relationships that may exist.

Achieving this necessitates a patient and well-informed approach, as well as a comprehensive comprehension of the material being researched.

Identify Bias

Uncovering bias in historical sources is a crucial step in comprehending the past. Recognising bias in sources is a vital skill for any historian and can assist in revealing hidden motivations, agendas, and perspectives that may not be immediately apparent. Questioning sources is an important aspect of this process and can aid in identifying inconsistencies or discrepancies in the narrative that could indicate bias. It is also significant to consider the context in which the source was produced, as well as its intended audience, to gain a more complete understanding of the source’s message and any potential bias. By identifying and questioning sources, historians can acquire a more precise and comprehensive understanding of the past.

Compare Multiple Sources.

After identifying potential bias in sources, it is crucial to compare multiple sources to ensure accuracy. Researching methods such as comparing multiple sources can help to provide a more comprehensive understanding of a given topic and contextualize data. Furthermore, comparing multiple sources can also help to identify any conflicting information and determine which sources are more reliable. To maintain accuracy, it is essential to consider the context in which the source was created, the type of source, and the author’s point-of-view.

Identify Cause and Effect Relationships

Write the Input in the language of UK English:

Output: Identify cause and effect relationships.

Identifying cause and effect relationships can aid in explaining complex phenomena and providing a greater understanding of how one factor impacts another. When it comes to overcoming historical challenges, analyzing cause and effect relationships is crucial in comprehending the various influences that have shaped the present.

Incorporating culture is a pivotal factor in comprehending the influences of the past. By analyzing the cause and effect relationships of different cultures, one can acquire a comprehensive understanding of how the past has shaped the present. Furthermore, examining the impacts of diverse cultures can offer insight into how to overcome historical challenges.

Difficulty Understanding Chronology

Understanding the order of events in history can often be challenging. To comprehend the timeframes of a specific period, it is crucial to analyze patterns and connections between events. This can be difficult for those new to the study of history, so it is important to break it down into smaller parts and focus on one period at a time. Looking for similarities between different timeframes can also help to understand the larger context of history. With perseverance, focus, and commitment, it is possible to gain a better understanding of chronology and the historical record.

Difficulty Answering Essay Questions

Answering essay questions can be a difficult task for numerous students. It requires recognizing the significant terms in the question, creating a structure, and providing proof to support arguments. To effectively answer essay questions, students need to be knowledgeable, patient, and comprehensive in their approach. The key to success is to meticulously read the essay question and divide it into manageable sections, allowing enough time for research and writing.

Identify Keywords.

The input is already in the language of UK English.

Output: None given, as the task only states to identify keywords.

Analysing key concepts is vital to comprehend the complexities of conquering historical obstacles. To ensure triumph, it is crucial to recognise the key terms linked to the subject of overcoming history challenges. These terms comprise of:

• Understanding context
• Analysing sources
• Examining facts
• Contextualising history
• Synthesising information.

By becoming proficient in these terms, it is feasible to develop a profound understanding of the topic and to be better equipped to converse and respond to any queries related to overcoming historical challenges.

By means of understanding context, analysing sources, examining facts, contextualising history, and synthesising information, it is possible to gain insight and tackle any challenges encountered in overcoming history effectively.

Construct a plan or overview of the main points or ideas to be covered in a piece of writing or presentation.

After identifying the relevant keywords for the topic of ‘overcoming history challenges common problems and solutions’, it is time to create an outline.

Creating an outline involves understanding the context of the topic and identifying patterns that can help in identifying the most important points. This can be achieved by following a systematic, step-by-step process, which involves identifying the main issue and any underlying patterns or themes.

Once this is done, the main points can be further broken down into more specific topics, allowing for a comprehensive overview of the subject.

By adopting this approach, it is possible to ensure that all the pertinent points are covered in an organized manner.

Use Evidence to Support Arguments.

When creating arguments on any topic, it is crucial to use evidence to back up claims and reinforce the argument. Adapting evidence to fit the argument can be achieved in a few ways:

1) by questioning the sources of the evidence and determining if the evidence is trustworthy;

2) by taking into account the bias of the source, and if it aligns with the argument;

3) by ensuring the evidence is relevant to the argument;

4) by examining the evidence and interpreting it in a manner that supports the argument.

When evaluating evidence for an argument, it is vital to be aware of any potential drawbacks, such as disregarding evidence that contradicts the argument. By carefully assessing evidence, an argument can be made more robust and persuasive.

Difficulty Answering Multiple Choice Questions

Teaching strategies and research techniques are crucial aspects of accurately answering multiple choice questions in history. Such questions can be challenging to answer due to the complexity of the topics involved, and often require a thorough understanding of a given time period or historical event.

To achieve success, students must have patience and be willing to engage in research. This may involve reading primary sources, analyzing historical documents, or consulting experts in the field. Furthermore, comprehending the context in which a question is asked is essential for formulating a correct answer.

By utilizing appropriate teaching strategies and research techniques, students can develop the knowledge and skills necessary to answer multiple choice questions with proficiency.

Difficulty Answering Document Based Questions

Document based questions (DBQs) are a significant assessment tool utilized in history classes to evaluate students’ capacity to read, analyze, and interpret historical documents. DBQs necessitate that students recognize key themes within documents, make connections between documents, and draw conclusions from their analysis. DBQs can be challenging for students as they require an advanced understanding of the historical context, as well as the ability to think critically and interpret material. However, with practice and guidance, students can acquire the skills required to effectively respond to DBQs.

Read and Analyse Documents.

Analysing documents is a crucial aspect of comprehending the difficulties and remedies needed to overcome historical events. To effectively accomplish this, one must employ storytelling techniques, research methodologies, and other review methods. Those interested in comprehending history should take into account the following:

• Grasp the context of the document.
• Analyse the facts and details presented.
• Consider the implications of the document.
• Examine how the document fits into the broader picture.
• Create queries to acquire a more profound understanding.

Identify important topics.

Identifying key themes within a document can provide a greater understanding of the subject matter contained within the document. By exploring perspectives in the document, and understanding the context in which it was written, key themes can be identified. This can be done by analysing the language, structure, and visuals within the document. It is important to approach this task with a patient and thorough attitude, as it can be difficult to identify some key themes. Breaking the document down into smaller chunks and exploring the key concepts in those chunks can help to identify key themes. Additionally, it is important to engage with the audience in an objective and impersonal way, to ensure that the key themes are presented in a knowledgeable manner.

Make Connections Across Documents

Moving on from identifying key themes, it is important to make connections across documents, as this will help to identify how the themes interact and influence one another.

This requires careful analysis of the text, as well as an ability to think critically and assess the different learning styles used.

By engaging in this type of analysis, it is possible to understand how the themes interact, and to create solutions that can overcome the historical challenges faced.

Critical thinking is an essential tool to make connections across documents, as it allows for a more nuanced understanding of the underlying issues, as well as the potential solutions.

Difficulty Writing Essays

Constructing essays can be a challenge for many students. To overcome this, there are several steps they can take:

• Develop brainstorming techniques to generate ideas
• Create an outline to organize thoughts
• Construct a thesis statement to focus their essay
• Develop a structure for their essay to ensure an efficient flow
• Utilize the proper formatting and citations to ensure accuracy

By implementing these strategies, students can develop the framework to write an effective essay. With careful planning, thoughtful consideration, and a thorough understanding of the essay structure, students can confidently approach essay writing and produce quality work.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to revise for a history exam.

The optimal method for preparing for a history examination is to employ efficient time management and exam preparation techniques. Create a study schedule that encompasses all subject matter and divide it into workable segments. Use study resources like notes, diagrams, and practice assessments to review material. Seek assistance if necessary, and exercise patience and meticulousness throughout the process.

How can I enhance my comprehension of historical events?

To enhance comprehension of past events, it is necessary to utilize time management and critical thinking abilities. This involves exhibiting patience, diligence, and showing an interest in subjects for the benefit of others. Through deconstructing and examining intricate occurrences, individuals can develop a more profound comprehension and gratitude for history.

How can I discover trustworthy sources of historical information?

When researching historical information, it is important to practise source evaluation and fact-checking. Thoroughly investigate the accuracy, credibility and reliability of the sources to ensure the information is valid. Involve questioning the source’s authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency and coverage. Engage in research with knowledge, patience and an intention to serve others.

What techniques can I use to analyse primary and secondary sources?

To analyse primary and secondary sources, one must contextualise the information, evaluate the sources, and synthesise the data. This requires knowledge, patience, and thoroughness while engaging the reader with a desire to serve.

How can I write a more effective history essay?

To write a more effective history essay, it is important to take into account the historical context, analyze and interpret the sources, and employ a knowledgeable, patient, and thorough writing style that will capture the reader’s attention. It is essential to maintain objectivity and avoid personal pronouns in the essay.

The study of history poses a range of difficulties for pupils. These include struggling to comprehend themes, retaining information, recognising sources, analysing sources, comprehending chronology, answering essay questions, answering multiple choice questions, answering document-based questions, and writing essays.

To tackle these challenges, pupils must work hard in their studies and build a knowledge base that will enable them to identify and understand the complexities of history. Additionally, they should be patient and thorough in their analysis of primary and secondary sources, and develop an understanding of chronology and its impact on historical events.

By comprehending and overcoming these challenges, pupils can become skilled at studying and discussing history in an informed and meaningful manner.

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The Benefits and Challenges of Studying History

Katie Quach-Noice Nov. 28, 2018

Studying history can work wonders in helping students develop critical thinking skills. It does not matter what subject in history one is studying, or what level; they all help students learn to look at a variety of issues from different points of view. Because at some level we know the outcome of historical events, and we often have multiple viewpoints of those events, students can begin to understand how humans in the past have approached a variety of issues that in turn provide insight into how to approach the issues of today. Students can start seeing in history that there is never just one correct way to approach an issue, and while that variety can be overwhelming, it can help them start to learn how to make decisions about their own issues even when it is very difficult and overwhelming to do so. Studying history can also help students develop understanding about humans in general by seeing how people of the past were all trying to do the best they could, with varying degrees of success and different metrics for measuring that success. The study of history can also help learners gain empathy, grow as people, and better understand the nuances and complications inherent to human civilization.

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History is a subject that most parents and students often assume will go smoothly, even at an AP level, as they often do not realize that history in high school is no longer about just memorizing dates, places, people, things, and events. Students typically come to AJ Tutoring a few weeks into first semester or even second semester with a low grade, frustration, and confusion. Our history tutors are here to help them out! Often, the main reason students struggle is that they have never encountered history like this before, so it is not surprising that they may be a bit lost. Individualized history tutoring is a great guide for this complicated subject, and, as time progresses, we can work with students to develop critical thinking skills that will help them now and later in life.

Despite the stereotype of history being a dull subject or a “not useful” subject that is not relevant to the world today, it is in fact a vital part of a student’s education and should not be dismissed. It is a subject that can help them grow and develop as people, which will help them go far in the world regardless of what goals they pursue as adults.

Even if students are committed to studying history, they can often struggle with keeping track of all the information covered in history classes, especially AP history classes. Teachers often expect students to absorb a myriad of seemingly specific facts which will be reviewed on quizzes and tests. It can be intimidating and frustrating for students when they try to study thoroughly and correctly, only to realize that they missed that one tiny section about an apparently random person or event that then pops up on an examination. With these difficulties in mind, here are a few strategies that our history experts recommend for students engaging with a challenging history subject.

A key solution to support intimidated and frustrated students is to help them develop critical thinking skills that will allow them to use the information they do remember to answer questions on details that they don’t remember. These skills can manifest in a number of forms. For instance: helping the students build their own timeline of key events that are less difficult to remember, then making educated guesses about things like cause and effect or continuity and change over time using that bedrock of information.

If a teacher provides a study guide before tests or quizzes, we recommend that students aim to absorb all the information from those guides. Then, they should pick one or more events that they think are the most important, engaging, and memorable. From there, students can start building their own timelines from these well-understood subjects that they can continue to build on throughout the school year until any kind of cumulative exams they might have, including AP exams.

Also, it is important to remind students that history is a story, so there is always a (rough) beginning, middle and resolution to every event that then causes new stories to branch off with their own narratives. Putting historical events together like a multi-book novel series that is constantly being written and rewritten can be a fun way to interact with and remember historical events. Certain characters continue to pop up in different or similar places (Henry Clay the great compromiser is directly involved in many of the political wheelings and dealings of the early to mid 1800s, for example), while old problems that everyone thought were solved come back and challenge new (or even the same) groups of people (the issue of slavery in the US and its potential expansion into the territories is a great example). Helping students see that history is less about memorizing thousands of facts and more about exploring and understanding a story is vital in helping them effectively approach the subject and begin to think critically.  

Students can be resistant to this new way of engaging with history, especially if their history classes in the past have focused entirely on memorizing a list of information. They think they already know how to approach history, but then at a high school level when they are expected to use the historical information to write and analyze events, they find they are not able to do so successfully. Students can often write down the information that is relevant to the prompt, but they are unable to explain why it is relevant to the prompt, thus earning a lower grade. Or they think that there is only one possible piece of information that is going to answer a very broad historical writing prompt and spend all of their time trying to figure out which of several potential events they are supposed to write about. In fact, there may be a variety of inroads or possible responses to the prompt.

This new sets of challenges can be difficult to tackle, and each student learns differently, so trial and error with a variety of strategies is usually the most effective pedagogical approach. One of the strategies that we find helps many students is to have them practice answering writing prompts by breaking them down into more specific questions, thereby narrowing the focus of their ideas. From there, students can connect their thoughts and explanations into a unified answer. Also, if they are caught up and stalled by trying to find the ‘correct’ answer, it is often helpful to give them a very short time period to brainstorm and then write freely based on what they could brainstorm, even if they think it may not answer the question completely.

The best resource for writing about history at an AP level is the collection of past AP history exam free response questions that can be found on the College Board website. For example, you can find some highly useful AP US History resources here . For timeline-building, a crucial test-taking technique that is a very student-specific process, there is not just one best resource. The timeline can be something students start building on a piece of notebook paper, a Google doc, a photo of one drawn on the whiteboard during tutoring… the list is endless!

If your student is looking to build confidence and achieve success in a history course, please reach out to us today!

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The Importance of Studying History Essay

The saying goes that those who don’t remember history are condemned to repeat it. The last few years have proven that is far more than just a cliché. History encompasses every other subject that is taught and every lesson that is learned. The danger of avoiding knowledge is far greater than the effort it requires to learn. Those who avoid studying history because it is boring or doesn’t affect them today are only setting themselves up for an avoidable failure tomorrow. History can enrich one’s life far more than most of the entertainments that take people away from it in contemporary society.

An excellent example of how history can be a benefit to one—could even possibly save one’s career or even one’s life—is being played out on a world stage. The fallout from the current war in Iraq, both political and otherwise, could have avoided. The deterioration of the situation there could have been predicted by anyone who has cracked open a history book. The fall of Saddam Hussein as the ruler of Iraq is eerily analogous to the situation that befell the Balkans following the death of communist dictator Marshall Tito. Like Iraq, Yugoslavia was a nation of warring factions that were held together primarily through the strong arm of a ruthless leader. When Tito died the country disintegrated into a civil war that claimed millions of lives. Iraq, to anyone paying attention, held the same promise. Had someone inside Pres. Bush’s White House merely done an internet search on Yugoslavian history, Bush’s career as well as the lives of thousands might have been saved.

History also enriches one’s life by giving a sense of place and heritage. Unless you know where you came from, you can’t know where you are going. It is important to understand the structure of time that has led us to where we are. Too often people make foolish statements while claiming to have great knowledge. It may be as meaningless as saying they know who originally sung a popular song when in fact they are referring to a later cover version, or it can be as vital as knowing the history of the Middle East so you no longer make the ridiculous claim that Islam is responsible for all the horrors and violence that are taking place today. Without knowing the history of the Crusades and the religious intolerance of the Christians, too many people today live under the delusion that the violence of Muslim terrorists is occurring in some kind of vacuum. Learning history helps to connect the dots to better understand the course of events that have brought us to this place.

History is the subject that binds all else together. Studying music or science or engineering is fine, but one is missing vital elements if they don’t fully appreciate where the knowledge that they have access to today came from. Without understanding the path that brought men to the state of knowledge at his access today, there is also the risk of repeating the mistakes that delayed the introduction of that knowledge. Everything is done in shifts; all knowledge is accomplished over time and through trial and error. If we avoid history, we tend to avoid learning about the error and the trials. And by doing that we increase the chances of wasting time with our trials made as to the result of unnecessary errors. History is the timeline of man’s accomplishments. To avoid learning about it is to suggest that we have learned nothing of value at all.

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IvyPanda. (2023, November 1). The Importance of Studying History. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-importance-of-studying-history/

"The Importance of Studying History." IvyPanda , 1 Nov. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/the-importance-of-studying-history/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'The Importance of Studying History'. 1 November.

IvyPanda . 2023. "The Importance of Studying History." November 1, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-importance-of-studying-history/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Importance of Studying History." November 1, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-importance-of-studying-history/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Importance of Studying History." November 1, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-importance-of-studying-history/.

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The Significance of Studying History

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• Topic: Oral History , Study

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