Nowadays, historical learners who study about chronology, recorded events and documents
related to the past are also be taught about historical thinking skills. The abilities from these
skills are assessed to be the necessary of learning history. To have a clear understand, historical
thinking or reasoning skills are formed when studying history and they are the primary elements
to evaluate various perspectives of a specific time period that occurs in the previous time. These
skills are one of the most significant purposes that has a vital key to create the enthusiasm for
learners to learn history. By studying about historical thinking skills, learners also master about
chronological reasoning, historical research and analysis, interpretation and synthesis, and
especially, the capability about argumentation and problem-solving are upgraded rapidly . So the
improvement of these skills can help researchers gain more insights about the causes from the
past effect the world at the present time and in the future as well as the worth conclusions result
from important decisions. In this part of the literature review, some arguments and debates about
historical thinking skills will be explored.
Historical skills are related to critical thinking skill which is obliged to learners at the present
time due to a similarity, analytical skill. To have a correct perception about an event, researchers
should make full use of the abilities of linking events, identifying resemblances and differenes
with the previous happenings or deeper digging into the culture literacy before concluding
consequences. So understanding a historical event's causes and effects is necessary for analytical
skills. Otherwise, it is confined to narrate the past and comprehend current events, therefore, the
cause and consequence explanation is essential in history (Boadu & Donnelly, 2020). Learners
who are proficient in cause and consequence analysis have a thorough understanding of
historical events (Alcoe, 2015). From the argurments, historical thinking skills including analysis
skill can construct historical interpretation and have a significant role in giving conclusion from
the causes and consequences. Therefore, historical skills are higher level thinking skills that
learners can exercise when studying history.
Besides, historical thinking skills also have a drawback which is depend on the researchers. In
historical studying process, the first element of researchers’ skills in analysis is the knowledge
should be accurate and plentiful. This is a shortage in the definition of historical thinking skills
because argumentative explanations demand on those thinking skills but the information used to
give a conlusion depend on the information that the experts gain . However, people have a
tendency to absorb more encounter information than those in official books. Therefor, Mike
Maxwell (2019) find a limit in historical thinking skills in the insight-receiving and concentrate
more on the valuable knowledge about history before concluding that useful thinking shoul
require useful knowledge and Sam Wineburg (2018) also mention that knowledge is prerequisite
when people begin to thinking and give assumption. Across these study, the solution to eliminate
the inaccurate information is learners should develop a critical mindset and become more selfregulated to encourage metacognitive awareness.
conclusion => figuring out the significant of historical skills to give a comprehensive deduction
of what happening and motivation for learning history and fostering skills.
References:
Boadu, G., & Donnelly, D. J. (2020). Toward historical understanding: leveraging cognitive
psychology for progression in school history. The Social Studies
https://doi.org/10.1080/00377996.2019.1659748
Alcoe, A. (2015). Post hoc ergo propter hoc? using causation diagrams to empower sixth-form
students in their historical thinking about cause and effect. Teaching History
https://bit.ly/3rqCCzY
Wineburg, S. (2018). Why learn history (When it’s already on your phone). Chicago: The
University of Chicago Press. Contemporary Education Dialogues
Maxwell, M. (2019). Historical Thinking Skills: A Second Opinion. Future Focused History Blog
https://futurefocusedhistory.blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ncss-article102019-1.pdf