Museums and Primary Sources as Opportunities for Introducing Teaching History in the Context of Hungary and Slovakia

Abstract

The integration of primary sources in history education is indispensable for the development of students’ historical consciousness and critical thinking skills. At the early stages of primary school history teaching, it is of paramount importance that teachers introduce students to the fundamentals of utilizing historical sources, as source interpretation can often be challenging for younger learners. The application of playful learning, particularly through museums as an educational method, offer an effective means of introducing the analysis of historical sources. The aim of this study is to examine the potential of museums as a methodological tool in history education, with a particular focus on the didactic processing of primary sources. The research explores theoretical challenges involved in source analysis, outline the opportunities provided by museums for teaching, and places special emphasis on history education for students in grades 5-8, particularly with regard to teaching source analysis in the context of Hungary and Slovakia. Additionally, the study presents exemplary tasks and application strategies, demonstrating how museums can be incorporated into classroom instruction, how history teachers can approach source analysis from a didactic standpoint, and how these methods can be applied in pedagogical practice. The approach outlined in this study offers a novel perspective on history teaching, facilitating the achievement of cognitive learning objectives and supporting the active learning process of students.