The History Education specialisation is designed to provide professional training for practising pre-trained graduate teachers or graduates desirous of entering the teaching profession. The programme provides participants with a core of experience in the theory and practice of education with special courses catering to the training needs of teachers of history. It is expected that the programme will stimulate the desire to acquire further knowledge and skills in the discipline on an ongoing basis.
Combined, the courses offered in the programme are intended to address some of the fundamental weaknesses which plague the teaching and learning of history in secondary institutions. Chief among these is the continued perception students have that the study of history requires the acquisition and recall of large amounts of information. This perception is surely related to their own experience.
This issue must be addressed as we consider the teaching of the subject. History teaching must cease to be heavily content-based, unidirectional and monotonous. It should be exciting and activity-based and reflect the nature of the subject. Teachers must be able to illustrate its relevance and practical value if required to justify history’s place in the curriculum.
The programme therefore offers, among other things; insight into the nature of the discipline, how to organize and plan for instruction, the selection and use of the appropriate teaching/learning strategies and how to assess student achievement in the learning of history.
