In history education, history teaching materials plays an important role in helping students to understand the learning contents and think about it. Students are able to learn about the history through history teaching materials, and by using the supp...
In history education, history teaching materials plays an important role in helping students to understand the learning contents and think about it. Students are able to learn about the history through history teaching materials, and by using the supplement included in the teaching materials, they could experience the past era more specifically and vividly. Thus, success or failure of history education depends on the history teaching materials and the learning materials of which provided to the students.
Among various history teaching materials, textbook is by far the most commonly used teaching material and it will continuously remain as the most popular teaching material. The 7th academic curriculum Korean history textbook which is currently being used in the Korean highschool education has been changed remarkably. It is now more diverse than the former textbook and the pages of the textbook has been increased. The most remarkable learning material is 「Reading Material」. It contains various kinds of historical materials that verify the historical events or facts that is considered important among the contents describe in the text more precisely. In history education, historical materials are prerequisite in helping students to perceive the historical facts objectively and develop historical thinking, perception and attitude. Therefore the practical value of historical materials are very high. Thus, 「Reading Material」contained of historical materials have higher importance and efficiency compared to other learning materials.
The first characteristic of 「Reading Material」in the history textbook is that it is composed of relatively more 「Reading Material」related to economic history and modern society compared to other field's history and other time's history. Secondly, it is almost completely dependent on domestic materials according to national history and native history-based principles. And it also pursued accuracy as the national textbook by making full use of history books compiled by government and individuals, and newspaper materials. Thirdly, it enables people to experience the past era by quoting a lot of newspaper materials in the modern contemporary historical 「Reading Material」. As the Korean modern contemporary history class is offered as an optional deepening subject, 「Reading Material」 of <Stream of modern contemporary history> has been neglected. However in 2006, as the second edition was published 「Reading Material」 of modern contemporary history has been increased.
When we observe the 「Reading Material」 carried in a history textbook carefully, even though it is overall composed to the contents appropriately we can notice that there are a few problems that need to be fixed. 「Reading Material」 is an empirical learning material of a historical fact that is emphasized in the corresponding contents. Therefore, it has to choose a historical material which includes a more specific and objective historical facts. However, there are some cases where this can't be achieved so it has to be revised. Secondly, the systematical construction of 「Reading Material」 is not satisfying. Therefore, it needs to be revised so that the 「Reading Material」 can keep the overall balance in understanding the contents of history textbook. Thirdly, there are no composition of 「Reading Material」 that reflects the characteristics of historical materials. The contents of historical materials are either consciously or unconsciously chosen by the person who made it and the interpretation also varies depending on the person who uses it. Therefore, students should be instructed not to accept the contents of 「Reading Material」 as it is, but they should be provided a learning experience that enables them to criticize the contents. Fourthly, the composition of 「Reading Material」 should be revised as there are not enough materials related to general public, and it is not composed systematically according to the units. Lastly, among the historical materials related to the text contents, a 「Reading Material」 which is relatively less important has been chosen, therefore a revision is required.
Next, the poll of teachers and students who are making use of the 「Reading Material」found out that most of the teachers and students are highly aware of the effect of 「Reading Material」, so it was pointed out that the numerical value should be increased. Moreover, although the teachers were aware of the necessity of historical materials-based learning that makes use of 「Reading Material」, but they couldn't execute the historical materials-based learning in the actual class due to the time arrangement and lack of materials. The students also wanted various learning methods such as discussion, internet application, various research study, production learning and so on, but the class was only based on the lecture.
In order to make use of 「Reading Material」 effectively, firstly 「Reading Material」 carried in the textbook and the related historical materials should be supplemented and then presented to the students. After that, the fact that could be grasped through this procedure can be connected to the textbook. Secondly, an accomplishment evaluation can be executed using the 「Reading Material」 as a material. The teacher assigns several 「Reading Material」 in the textbook to the students and the students shall choose one from them and look for the related historical materials by themselves. After that, they shall write a report or make a history newspaper based on the historical facts that they researched earlier.
「Reading Material」 is a learning material which is newly introduced in the 7th academic curriculum of highschool history textbook, and it has a close relation with the recent historical science circle flow that emphasizes historical materials-based learning. The importance of it has been emphasized in the respect that historical materials-based learning could be proceeded through the textbook learning material-「Reading Material」, and that the students are able to understand that the contents of a textbook is based on the historical materials. In order to enhance the students' understanding in historical contents, composition and characteristics of 「Reading Material」, problems and improvement plan, and the studies related to the actual conditions of the application in class and the positive application plan should be conducted actively.