Integrating the NSW 7-10 history syllabus' skills and concepts prescriptions

This study investigated to what extent the skills and concepts mandated in the current New South Wales (NSW) History 7-10 Syllabus are being implemented, and explored the barriers and challenges to teaching History in NSW secondary schools. It also aimed to identify effective approaches to teaching historical skills and concepts in NSW. Deriving from the Australian Curriculum, the current New South Wales History syllabus explicitly details the knowledge, skills and concepts to be taught in schools from Foundation to Year 10. The expectation is that through the study of History, students will gain knowledge and be able to think critically as they develop skills of historical understanding and inquiry. Constructivist learning in the History classroom has been an evolving objective of NSW History syllabuses over several decades and has been given greater prominence in the current Years 7 – 10 syllabus. While research has shown that teachers’ understanding of the discipline has influenced how they shape students’ thinking about school History, the practicalities of teaching historical skills and concepts are often overshadowed by concerns about content coverage. This research project used a qualitative method research design which analysed data collected from surveys, semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and a thematic analysis of teaching resources that were shared in the COVID Pandemic lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. The research found that the current NSW 7-10 History Syllabus fails to articulate the expected and desired relationship between the mandated knowledge, skills and concepts components. The definitions of the mandated skills and concepts lack clarity. Compounding this, due to a lack of professional development and NESA supplied exemplars to support syllabus implementation, there is minimal explanation or direction for how to implement or assess these mandated skills and concepts. This impairs the application of these within the classroom and so impacts students’ development of historical thinking. Further clarity around definitions of the skills and concepts, implementation expectations and syllabus layout would greatly assist in navigating its intent. As Meuwissen (2017) observes, providing support to teachers in the form of professional learning and sample resources would strengthen this clarity. A less crowded school curriculum would allow for optimum implementation of this syllabus. This research identified some gaps in History teachers’ understanding of the syllabus mandated skills and concepts and makes appropriate recommendations to enable effective implementation strategies for the classroom and for assessment.