Understanding What Children Know About History: Exploring the Representation and Testing Dilemmas

Abstract

Understanding what children know about history or social studies has proven illusive. In this think piece, I explore two dilemmas—the representation dilemma and the testing dilemma—that surround the question, “How do we know what children know?” I conclude that teachers, researchers, and policymakers must engage in conversations that put students’ representations of their historical knowledge and understanding at the forefront.

Citation

Grant, S.G. (2007), "Understanding What Children Know About History: Exploring the Representation and Testing Dilemmas", Social Studies Research and Practice, Vol. 2 No. 2, pp. 196-208. https://doi.org/10.1108/SSRP-02-2007-B0004