{"id":{"repo_id":"unt","oai_identifier":"info:ark/67531/metadc5192"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/unt/info:ark/67531/metadc5192","repository":{"repo_id":"unt","name":"University of North Texas","base_url":"https://digital.library.unt.edu/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Students As Historians: The Historical Narrative Inquiry Model's Impact on Historical Thinking and Historical Empathy","abstract":"The dissertation explores middle-school students' abilities to engage in historical thinking. I dispute the Hallam-Piaget model, which discourages analytical thinking through the assumption that children lack skills to think critically about history. My historical narrative inquiry model (1) teaches procedural knowledge (the process of \"doing\" history); (2) enhances interpretative skills; (3) cultivates historical perspectives based upon evidentiary history; and (4) encourages student authorship of historical narratives. In the fall semester of 2006, with a classroom of twenty-five seventh-graders, I initiated a research study designed to explore the impact of the historical narrative inquiry model through a sequence of thirty-two lessons. The lessons involved small- and large-group activities, including oral presentations, discussions about primary documents, and consideration of the relation between narratology and the creation of written history. Students generated their own historical narratives in order to articulate their perspectives. Eight students having varied reading-level proficiency served as primary participants in the study. Each of these students received pre- and post-intervention interviews. Outcomes reflected the enhancement of pedagogy intended to facilitate historical thinking and historical empathy in the classroom.","abstract_html":"The dissertation explores middle-school students' abilities to engage in historical thinking. I dispute the Hallam-Piaget model, which discourages analytical thinking through the assumption that children lack skills to think critically about history. My historical narrative inquiry model (1) teaches procedural knowledge (the process of "doing" history); (2) enhances interpretative skills; (3) cultivates historical perspectives based upon evidentiary history; and (4) encourages student authorship of historical narratives. In the fall semester of 2006, with a classroom of twenty-five seventh-graders, I initiated a research study designed to explore the impact of the historical narrative inquiry model through a sequence of thirty-two lessons. The lessons involved small- and large-group activities, including oral presentations, discussions about primary documents, and consideration of the relation between narratology and the creation of written history. Students generated their own historical narratives in order to articulate their perspectives. Eight students having varied reading-level proficiency served as primary participants in the study. Each of these students received pre- and post-intervention interviews. Outcomes reflected the enhancement of pedagogy intended to facilitate historical thinking and historical empathy in the classroom.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Colby, Sherri Rae"],"institution":"University of North Texas","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Wilhelm, Ronald W.","Campbell, Randolph B., 1940-2022","Contreras, Gloria"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2007,"date_issued":"2007-12","date_published":"2007-12","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:35:09Z","subjects":["historical thinking","history education","primary documents","inquiry","historical empathy","History -- Study and teaching (Middle school)","Critical thinking in children."],"languages":["English"],"rights":["Public","Copyright","Colby, Sherri Rae","Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oclc: 229907959","https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5192/","ark: ark:/67531/metadc5192"],"render_values":[{"text":"oclc: 229907959","href":null,"code":true},{"text":"https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5192/","href":"https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5192/","code":true},{"text":"ark: ark:/67531/metadc5192","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.12794/metadc5192","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Wilhelm, Ronald W.","Campbell, Randolph B., 1940-2022","Contreras, Gloria"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Colby, Sherri Rae"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2007-12"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of North Texas"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis or Dissertation"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["historical thinking","history education","primary documents","inquiry","historical empathy","History -- Study and teaching (Middle school)","Critical thinking in children."]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Public","Copyright","Colby, Sherri Rae","Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. 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In the fall semester of 2006, with a classroom of twenty-five seventh-graders, I initiated a research study designed to explore the impact of the historical narrative inquiry model through a sequence of thirty-two lessons. The lessons involved small- and large-group activities, including oral presentations, discussions about primary documents, and consideration of the relation between narratology and the creation of written history. Students generated their own historical narratives in order to articulate their perspectives. Eight students having varied reading-level proficiency served as primary participants in the study. Each of these students received pre- and post-intervention interviews. Outcomes reflected the enhancement of pedagogy intended to facilitate historical thinking and historical empathy in the classroom."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["Text"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Students As Historians: The Historical Narrative Inquiry Model's Impact on Historical Thinking and Historical Empathy"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Wilhelm, Ronald W.","Campbell, Randolph B., 1940-2022","Contreras, Gloria"],"dc:creator":["Colby, Sherri Rae"],"dc:date":["2007-12"],"dc:description":["The dissertation explores middle-school students' abilities to engage in historical thinking. I dispute the Hallam-Piaget model, which discourages analytical thinking through the assumption that children lack skills to think critically about history. My historical narrative inquiry model (1) teaches procedural knowledge (the process of \"doing\" history); (2) enhances interpretative skills; (3) cultivates historical perspectives based upon evidentiary history; and (4) encourages student authorship of historical narratives. In the fall semester of 2006, with a classroom of twenty-five seventh-graders, I initiated a research study designed to explore the impact of the historical narrative inquiry model through a sequence of thirty-two lessons. The lessons involved small- and large-group activities, including oral presentations, discussions about primary documents, and consideration of the relation between narratology and the creation of written history. Students generated their own historical narratives in order to articulate their perspectives. Eight students having varied reading-level proficiency served as primary participants in the study. Each of these students received pre- and post-intervention interviews. Outcomes reflected the enhancement of pedagogy intended to facilitate historical thinking and historical empathy in the classroom."],"dc:format":["Text"],"dc:identifier":["oclc: 229907959","doi: 10.12794/metadc5192","https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5192/","ark: ark:/67531/metadc5192"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:publisher":["University of North Texas"],"dc:rights":["Public","Copyright","Colby, Sherri Rae","Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved."],"dc:subject":["historical thinking","history education","primary documents","inquiry","historical empathy","History -- Study and teaching (Middle school)","Critical thinking in children."],"dc:title":["Students As Historians: The Historical Narrative Inquiry Model's Impact on Historical Thinking and Historical Empathy"],"dc:type":["Thesis or Dissertation"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:35:09Z"}