How Hong Kong history teachers could make secondary school lessons less boring
Children will lose their passion for the past if classes are too focused on content, so educators need to encourage creative and critical thinking that is more student-driven – and parents can chip in as well
My daughter loved history at primary school and often had her nose in a Horrible Histories book, a Hong Kong parent writes. But since entering Year Seven at secondary school, she says the subject is really boring. Apparently the teacher talks for most of the lesson and the class just have to take notes or answer questions from a textbook. Is this normal?
As with most areas of the school curriculum, the enthusiasm and teaching methods of the individual teacher is crucial to the success and enjoyment of the lesson. In my own case, I remember that when considering my exam options at secondary school, my main concern was who my teachers would be rather than whether I needed a particular subject for future career choices. I was not alone.
A good history teacher, whether primary or secondary, will make learning meaningful and relevant to pupils’ current stage of development. They will try to take their students’ thinking far beyond simply answering closed questions on a worksheet and their ability to inspire students remains the key to learning.
History is one of those subjects that can seem a bit dry, especially if the lessons are content-driven or based on textbooks. However, this doesn’t need to be the case.
I recently attended a history open day at a Hong Kong primary school. The excitement of the students was palpable as I entered the hall. Each child had made or acquired a fake artefact from a particular time in history linked to a king or queen they had been studying. A great example from one of the pupils was an “original” needle, covered in blood, that legend has it had stitched a nobleman’s head back on after he was beheaded.