Studies
Németh, György
Removed, Retained; or The Fate of Social Studies
(Debate-starter)
I wear on my head the ashes of bringing up the fate of the subject of social studies. I can also hear the objections. Why are you making things difficult? The elimination of social studies as an independent subject is a fact, let us rather deal with what will be, certainly not with what was. Is this the biggest problem of Hungarian public education? Does the author starting this debate also have no bigger problem than to deal with the restraint, slow decline and erosion of a genuine subject that has never been become a discipline? Why waste our valuable time with a quibble, a barren discussion of precisely this question? The subject is actually not being eliminated, but transformed into an “integrated element”.
Salamon, Konrád
Random Thoughts on Our Own 20th Century History
Part 1: Can we learn from our own history?
History must be examined without anger and fondness – sine ira et studio – according to the Roman historian Tacitus. We must take this wise advice into account for a simple reason, because only thus can we understand the reasons and the impetus for the deeds of historical actors, among them those tyrants with the most blood on their hands. Understanding does not necessarily mean acceptance, rather the chance to learn from history, the validation of the wisdom of the saying historia est magistra vitae, that history is life’s teacher. What has been said cannot prevent us from naming and condemning the perpetrators of inhuman criminal acts.
Salamon, Konrád
Random Thoughts on Our Own 20th Century History
Part 2: All values of our past are important
A distinctively Hungarian double anniversary is coming up in the middle of November. On November 16, 1918, the first Hungarian People’s Republic was established, and November 16, 1919 is the day Horthy entered Budapest. Whoever enthusiastically commemorates the first anniversary can only declare contempt for the second one. But both are acceptable parts of our national past. At the time, thousands of enthusiastic Hungarians participated at both the former and the latter, and there were even some at both, among them István Friedrich of the Christian National Party, who received Horthy as prime minister and who was at the establishment of the people’s republic a year earlier.
Ravasz-Mitzki, Erzsébet
The Development of Historical Vocabulary
The assessment, development and evolution of vocabulary in the upper grades; the acquisition of the vocabulary of the subject of history in grades 5-8
Shortfalls spanning years in the vocabulary of our children and students require a development and expansion of this vocabulary. This paper contains the presentation of a primary school assessment related to this topic. To complete the work at hand, a diagnosis of the current situation must be established. The primary means of the diagnosis is a measure of vocabulary. In the following study, the results from a series of ongoing assessments are presented on the basis of standard and the author’s own methods.
Latest issues
Drabancz, Áron
The Memory of Gábor Bethlen Reflected in 17th Century Sources
National Middle School Study Competition paper VI, 2012/2013 school year.
Krúdy Gyula Gymnasium, Nyíregyháza
Motto: ”Two steps forward, then three steps back,
Two to the east, two to the west:
We had to be friends with devils
Somtimes on pretense, – always for God!”
(Reményik, Sándor)
The paper assesses and presents the rule of Gábor Bethlen on the basis of 17th century sources. It shows, with the use of a variety of sources, that the ruler practiced Realpolitik. The paper starts from an outline of European power relations, then shows Bethlen’s road to power and his policy of rule, placing primarily the events of the years 1620-1622 in the focus. It touches on his economic and education policy, and with their help casts light on Betheln’s religious thinking. A presentation of his personality and interests sheds light on the most important thoughts behind Gábor Bethlen’s decisions. The main point is that his Calvinist faith inspired the ruler’s so characteristic sober realism.
Workshop
Varga, Emese
Historical Feature Films in History Teaching
The author writes about the use of historically-themed feature films as an audiovisual illustrative tool. She shows that film is an excellent illustrative teaching aid. The author takes into account the similarities and differences between documentary films and feature films, historically-themed films that can be used in the course of instruction, and those films that are recommended as a interface in the new history, social and civic studies framework curriculum. She shows a textbook lesson and its context and connection to the scenes of a feature film, as well as presenting profiles of the films recommended in the history, social and civic studies framework curriculum.
Borovácz, Tünde – Szekeres, Nikoletta
Women in 18th-19th Century Hungary
(Teaching module for 11th grade gymnasium classes)
The Bologna Process changeover in the area of teacher training at the University of Pécs’s School of Liberal Arts has brought a significant renewal to the instruction of history teachers, both in terms of content and method. This study, published in the 2012/1 issue of History Teaching, presents in detail the structure of subject blocks of the master’s degree programme for history teachers, a novelty of methodology courses for the development of history teachers’ competencies. In the paper, we show a micro module plan – part of the core curriculum – that was presented at a modern Hungarian history course in the autumn of 2012 and that we recommend for elective lessons. The module plan was originally 60 minutes and was well liked by the group. The authors developed this into teachable material for two 45-minute elective hours.
