Schools sometimes feel dominated by the intense monitoring of narrow, questionably valid measures of student success. Focus on these limiting assessments can distract teachers from the underlying learning they wish for their students. When I presented some of the shortfalls in history assessment to Dylan Wiliam some years ago, his reasonable solution was ‘tests worth teaching to.’
At present, I don’t believe the tests are worth teaching to. The prescribed content is narrow; expecting linear progress through sub-divided National Curriculum levels is intellectually dishonest; aspects of Key Stage 3 level descriptors are more challenging than GCSEs. These complaints are not original however, and in general and over time, test performance correlates with increased knowledge and proficiency in history. My real objection is more fundamental: I teach the subject because I believe it offers a unique, powerful way of understanding the world and ourselves, one I invite students to share. Our current measures offer high grades without recognising or expecting students to adopt this altered view of the world; I’m not sure this can be described as success.
In designing assessments, alongside ‘conventional’ questions, I’ve sought to identify changes in students’ appreciations of history. Alongside termly reflections, end of year exams over the last two years have included additional questions: these seek to identify how students’ perceptions of the discipline, themselves and the world have changed. In part, this is push-polling: by asking, I hope to induce reflection and reinforce the idea that these developments matter. More importantly however, I want to see what deeper understanding students have gained from the year. I’ve collected some interesting examples. I present them unvarnished: they show students’ attempts to make sense of history and the world with limited prompting.
I asked Year 7…
Choose any topic we have studied this year. How has understanding this topic helped you to understand something outside history better? You could discuss a modern event or a topic or book you have studied in a different subject.
Private Peaceful because it helped me to understand the war because it helps me in history because it have a story like Private Peaceful.
Time periods has helped me to understand how we have everything currently surrounding us in the world right now. It helped me to answer questions about when something was invented and what time period it is in. I enjoyed learning time periods because it made me look at my surroundings differently and wonder what time period it was from. Buildings such as houses are interesting to evaluate as you can sometimes spot a Victorian building.
History has helped me in many outside subjects but there are two in particular: English and Philosophy. In English when we read Private Peaceful, the knowledge of WWI and II helped me to picture and understand the story much more clearly. In Philosophy, one of our philosophers ideas that we studied was Descartes. Because we were learning about him in history, I could understand his ideas an chis backstory in more depth.
Choose any historical skill we have developed this year. How has this skill been useful to you outside history?*
We have developed essay writing. This has helped me as in PPE we can now understand the question better and structure our essay better. I can also now know what I need to do to get to the highest levels that I can.
At the start of the year, we thought of life questions, like ‘What is success? How can we be happy? How can we influence other people? What happens after death?’ Which philosophical questions of yours has history helped you to answer?*
(These may be tricky to read on a phone or tablet. Sorry).
I asked Year 8…
Choose any topic we have studied this year. How has understanding the topic helped you understand something outside history (another subject, the news, something else) better?
Learning about the history of who Britain invaded, and why and Iraq and Syria. I’ve been able to understand a lot more about what is happening in the world and why some countries might be having similar problems etc.
I think learning about the British Empire has helped me understand why quite a lot of foreign people don’t like the British…
The whole unit on Syria has helped me understand and have an opinion in the current affairs in Ukraine as I know, now, of previous, similar situations, what we did and what the outcome was. I can then link this knowledge to current goings-on.
The British Empire has helped me to understand our country more because before I didn’t know how we got tea and things like that. It has helped me understand the news more because when they talk about other countries I now understand it a lot more than I used to.
I think history has helped me to write better essays and analyse scenarios and events better which will help in philosophy and English.
Studying the wars has helped with my general knowledge especially outside. Before when there was news about Syria I wouldn’t have any idea what was going on, but now I do.
Learning about Syria, Iraq and WWII has really helped me understand how to weigh up why and why not to do something which is a really important life skill. It has also helped em to understand that when I am stressed, my problems are really small, which helps.
What have you learned about yourself, Britain and the world through studying history this year?
I have learnt stuff that I never knew I would enjoy studying like the British Empire and the different interpretations of the British Empire.
I learned that I have quite divided views about the British Empire, I learned the British had an empire and I learned that the world is quite developed and in some cases, that’s thanks to the British.
I have learned the empire wasn’t all good and my opinion is still biased based on my background. I have also learnt why most things are the way they are today. I have learnt how important history really is.
I have learned what I think about the British Empire and I think they did some things good for other countries and they did a lot of things bad for the world. But I mostly think that because of my background.
I have learnt to listen more to people’s opinions and this a reason why they have that opinion. I have learnt that British is a bit more selfish than I thought when the British Empire took over South Africa. I learn that the world is quite co-operative with decision-making.
I have learned about how the British Empire greatly affected our lives today and the lives of other people in different countries. I have also learnt that the British Empire was not all bad and helped some countries. I have learnt about some of the bad parts to war and how just intervening, however good it seems, is not always the right thing to do.
I have learnt that I did not know a lot of things before which I did not know. And that has helped me know more about myself. It has helped me learn more on how Britain runs and works and how the past has affected us today. And what it would of been like if we had not of developed.
What I have learned about myself throughout history this year, is I can actually enjoy history, and enjoy that fact that history is hard and challenging, also push myself.
I have learned that I can be a great history and a “President/king” and fight for the rights of black people and white as well and restore balance to England and different countries of the world.
(I also asked: How likely is it you will study history at GCSE? Why/why not?)
Tentative conclusions
When students learn, they reshape their understanding of the world around them, and, sometimes themselves. These students make this clear in their writing: they have rethought motherhood, Game of Thrones, essay writing, how change happens and how Britain interacts with the world. At every level of attainment, every student who made it this far into the paper (90% or so) was able to write intelligently and interestingly about the ways in which history is changing their lives and understanding of the world. I don’t agree with everything they’ve written, but I’m delighted at the introspection they are demonstrating. I’m not arguing that such reflections alone are sufficient evidence of success: these comparisons rely on a strong knowledge of the past; stronger answers explicitly draw on this. Nor do I claim any great achievement: I believe any student taught history well over a year will develop similarly.
If I wished, I could turn this into a quantitative measure. (My own mark book records the links students have made and summarises each answer they have given). But I’d suggest such measurements are at the very limits of what it is necessary or desirable. I’m sufficiently unhappy about the toxic influence much of our measuring and judgement has on teachers and teaching that I don’t want to propose anything of the sort. I merely offer this as an example of how we might continue to measure what we value, not just rely on valuing what we measure.
The last word goes to Jade. Much of her writing last year masked how well her ideas were developing. In her exam she underscored how liberating and inspiring learning about the past can be.
* I’m aware that there are plenty of problems with these formulations of questions
For more on my attempts to demonstrate the relevance of history by linking ‘philosophical questions’ with our studies, see this post.
For a primer in problems of assessment in history, try this from Michael Fordham.
Splendid post Sir …. I quoted this to my SLT when they didn’t take to kindly to my blog post on over zealous use of data and judgements that come from it!
Love being able to read your student’s writing. Very powerful.
Splendid post Sir …. I quoted this to my SLT when they didn’t take to kindly to my blog post on over zealous use of data and judgements that come from it!