| Module Title |
Practices & Learning in History Education |
| Module Code |
EDP1038 (ITS: SG218) |
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Faculty |
STEM Ed, Innov, Global Studies |
School |
DCU Institute of Education |
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NFQ level |
8 |
Credit Rating |
5 |
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Description
In this module, students will examine the theory and research underpinning children’s historical thinking while actively engaging with embodied, practical approaches to history. Alongside reflective study, students will participate in experimental archaeology and other experiential activities designed to bring the past to life through making, doing and re-creating historical practices. These exemplars will serve as pedagogical tools to reflect on how embodied engagement can deepen children’s historical learning.
Through immersive workshops (indoors, outdoors and on-site at historical or reconstructed settings), the module will explore key themes in history education such as the purpose of school history, historical consciousness and the lived, material dimensions of the past.
Students will engage with the five stages of the History Enquiry Framework (Ní Cassaithe, 2020) and explore how embodied, experimental and creative strategies can support purposeful historical enquiries. In doing so, they will consider how active re-creation and hands-on engagement can help children confront epistemic challenges, rethink assumptions about the past and make meaningful connections to the present.
Throughout the module, students will be encouraged to challenge their own assumptions about the teaching of history and to develop a personal teaching statement that articulates their evolving understanding of history and history education.
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Learning Outcomes
1. Critically engage with public perceptions on the purpose of history and examine how these impact on teaching and learning in classrooms
2. Draw on current research on children’s historical thinking to plan and activities to challenge common ‘epistemic bottlenecks’ students encounter in the history classroom
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the historical enquiry framework as an effective pedagogy to support children’s historical learning
4. Use the historical enquiry framework to plan appropriate historical enquiries that display an understanding of the underpinning concepts, key ideas, relevant content and skills of history education.
5. Reflect on the module content and readings to develop their understanding of issues relating to teaching and learning in history
6. Develop personal teaching statement for history drawing on course content.
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| Workload | Full time hours per semester | | Type | Hours | Description |
|---|
| Seminars | 24 | Two Hour Seminars (one per week) | | Independent Study | 51 | Engagement with readings, research and policy pertaining to History Education. Online engagement. Time provided to students engaging in group work and group discussion. Evaluation of resources/sources for the teaching of history. | | Independent Study | 50 | Design of history activities for teaching in the classroom. Completion of reflections on learning throughout the module. |
| Total Workload: 125 |
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| Section Breakdown | | CRN | 10388 | Part of Term | Semester 1 | | Coursework | 0% | Examination Weight | 0% | | Grade Scale | 40PASS | Pass Both Elements | Y | | Resit Category | RC1 | Best Mark | N | | Module Co-ordinator | Caitriona NI Cassaithe | Module Teacher | |
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| Assessment Breakdown |
| Type | Description | % of total | Assessment Date |
|---|
| Assignment | Students must select 3 Seminars to reflect on over the course of the Semester. Guiding questions for reflection are provided
Reflections must show evidence of engagement with the seminars and with the associated literature (2 readings assigned to each seminar – see Loop).
Reflections must demonstrate knowledge of the curriculum and how the seminar content/concepts links to the Primary History Curriculum (Students cannot reflect on a seminar that they have not attended). | 30% | n/a | | Group assignment | Students select and research (using at least four historical texts) a topic from the senior strands of the primary history curriculum (3ed-6th class).
Students devise a suitable enquiry question. This question should be open ended, challenging and offer potential for historical enquiry.
Using the Historical Enquiry Framework, students design a progressional plan using a range of highly suitable activities to develop children’s content knowledge in tandem with historical thinking skills.
The progressional plan should highlight a diverse range of high quality sources and resources to support effective teaching and learning and make connections to current issues. | 50% | n/a | | Assignment | Students create a 500 word personal teaching statement for history drawing on course content. | 20% | n/a |
| Reassessment Requirement Type |
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories;
RC1: A resit is available for both* components of the module.
RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module.
RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment
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Pre-requisite |
None
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Co-requisite |
None |
| Compatibles |
None |
| Incompatibles |
None |
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All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml
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Indicative Content and Learning Activities
Indicative Content
This course will provide students with a research-informed rationale for teaching primary history by developing a deep knowledge and understanding of historical thinking, experiential learning and historical enquiry as pedagogical pillars for teaching and learning history. In each seminar, students will discuss and review key considerations in planning for history. Pedagogical content knowledge will be developed through engagement with and reflection on exemplar activities. Student readings will be carried out through using a range of hands-on activities, allowing them to engage with and analyse a broad range of literature in history education including practitioner-based book chapters and peer-reviewed research articles in a creative way.
Seminars
This module allows students to critically reimagine the teaching of history in Irish primary classrooms through the lens of historical consciousness, inclusive pedagogies and interdisciplinary learning in alignment with the evolving vision of the NCCA SEE curriculum. Drawing on contemporary research, policy and global educational movements, they will actively explore history not just as a body of knowledge but as a process of enquiry, interpretation and engagement with the past.
Using the five-stage Historical Enquiry Framework (Ní Cassaithe, 2020) as a key pedagogical approach to both planning and teaching history, they will actively engage with learning experiences that draw on each stage of this framework.
Through practical workshops focused on active learning strategies, the course content draws on a range of age-appropriate resources such as visual, documentary, oral and physical evidence and demonstrates how these can be used to explore enquiry-based learning approaches in the classroom. Creative, enquiry-led planning and assessment strategies will be exemplified in each of the seminars to allow students to engage successfully with the planning, teaching and assessment of history in junior and senior primary classroom.
Students will engage with historical periods: Stone Age Ireland, Viking Ireland and Medieval Ireland through hands-on activities and will be introduced to an in-depth examination of historical enquiry through active learning.
n/a
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Indicative Reading List
Books:
- Barton, K. C. and Levstik, L.: 2015, Doing History: Investigating with children in elementary and middle schools, 5th Ed Ed., LEA Mahwah, N. J.,
- Counsell, C., Burn, K. & Chapman, A.: 2016, MasterClass in History Education: Transforming Teaching and Learning, Bloomsbury Publishing London,
- Donovan, S. M. & Bransford, J. D. (eds): 2005, How Students Learn History in the Classroom, National Academies Press National Research Council, Washington D. C.,
- NCCA: 1999, Primary School Curriculum: History - Teachers Guidelines, The Stationery Office Dublin,
- NCCA: 1999, Primary School Curriculum: History, The Stationery Office Dublin,
- Arias Ferrer, L., Ní Cassaithe, C., Egea Vivancos, A., Nordgren, K., and Johansson, M.: 2025, LETHE. (e-)Learning the invisible history of Europe through material culture., 1st, Editions of the University of Murcia, Spain,
Articles:
- Ní Cassaithe, C., Waldron, F., & Dooley, T.: 2022, “We can’t really know cos we weren’t really there”: Identifying Irish primary children’s bottleneck beliefs about history., Historical Encounters, 9(1), 78-10, https://doi.org/10.52289/hej9.105, 522534
- 1998: ), “Developing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement,” Essays on Teaching Excellence 9 (3), 1-2. Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education., 522535, 2
- Putting Principles into practice: Teaching and planning. In M. S. Donovan & J. D. Bransford (Eds.) How Students Learn: History in the classroom, Washington: National Academies Press: 522536, 2, Ashby, R.
- 522540: 1, Lovorn, M., 2014, Focus on Elementary: Deepening Historical Themes in the Elementary School: Four Developmentally Appropriate Ways to Engage Young Students in Historical Thinking and Historiography, Childhood Education,
- 1: Lee, P., & Ashby, R., 2000, Progression in historical understanding among students ages 7-14. In P. Stearns, P. Seixas, & S. S. Wineburg (Eds.), Knowing, teaching, and learning history: National and international perspectives (p,
- Vella, Y.: 2010, Extending Primary Children’s Thinking Through the Use of Artefacts., Primary History, 54,
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Other Resources
- 1: Peer Reviewed Journals, Historical Encounters,
- 419177: 1, Peer Reviewed Journals, HERJ,
- 419178: 1, Journals, Primary History,
- 419179: 1, Journals, Teaching History,
- 419180: 1, Journals, Historical Association,
- 419183: 1, eLearning, Caitriona Ni Cassaithe, 2025, What can we learn from Traditional Medical Knowledge?, The Hague
- http://hi.st/Brf: 419184, 1, eLearning, LETHE, 2025, ● LETHE: E-Learning the invisible stories of Europe. 21 fully resourced enquiry-based cases (including 3 Irish cases)
- LETHE: https://letheproject.eu/,
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