ABSTRACT: This study was aimed to examine how teachers manipulate teaching methods and materials to develop historical thinking process, to make the lesson meaningful for the students, and to increase their awareness of the events studied. This is a survey by using questionnaire as the research instrument to identify knowledge and the implementation of thinking approach for the history lesson through the use of certain methods and teaching aids. The sample consisted of 56 randomly selected teachers from secondary schools in the Kinta Valley, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia, involving 39 history option teachers (69.6%) and 17 non-option teachers (30.4%). For the aspect of teaching experience, 27 (48.2%) teachers had 1 to 9 years of experience, while 29 (51.8%) teachers have taught more than 10 years. Teachers have knowledge on the elements of historical thinking and commitment to inculcate the thinking elements through questioning methods and techniques, discussion, inquiry, and systematic exploration of the historical information to find cause and effect, chronology of events, and rationalization. Pictures or portraits were also analyzed and interpreted by the history teachers. Findings show that option teachers have better thinking skills and better applications than non-option teachers. In addition, option teachers also have a better and more systematic teaching plan through the use of greater teaching methods and aids.

KEY WORDS: Value and history lesson, historical thinking, teachers of secondary school, methods and teaching aids, and systematic teaching.

About the Author: Assoc. Prof. Dato Dr. Haji Abdul Razaq Ahmad is a Lecturer at the Faculty of Education UKM (National University of Malaysia), Campus of UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. For academic interests, he can be contacted via his e-mail at: razaq@ukm.edu.my

How to cite this article? Ahmad, Abdul Razaq. (2014). “Determination of Teaching Aids and Methods to Inculcate Thinking Skills in History Subjects” in TAWARIKH: International Journal for Historical Studies, Vol.6(1) October, pp.1-12. Bandung, Indonesia: Minda Masagi Press and UNHAS Makassar, ISSN 2085-0980.

Chronicle of the article: Accepted (August 28, 2014); Revised (September 27, 2014); and Published (October 28, 2014).

Abbott, J.P. (2009). “Malaysia's Transitional Moment? Democratic Transition Theory and the Problem of Malaysian Exceptionalism” in South East Asia Research, 17(2), pp.175-200.

Afendey Hamimi, Kamarul & Ishak Saat. (2013). “Kemahiran Pelestarian Pemikiran dalam Pendidikan Sejarah”. Paper presented in the Conference on History and Geography Education, organized by UMS (Malaysia University of Sabah) in Kota Kinabalu.

Ahmad, M.F.B. (2010). “Orientalism and Integrative History: A Study of an Early 20th Century Islamic Periodical in Singapore”. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Singapore: NUS [National University of Singapore].

Arnold, J. (2000). History: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Awang Wahab, Awang Salleh. (2006). “Tahap Perkembangan Bahasa dan Tingkah-Laku Sosial Kanak-kanak Pra-Sekolah: Satu Kajian Kes”. Unpublished Graduated Thesis. Bangi: Faculty of Education UKM (National University of Malaysia).

Aziz, Zahara, Abdul Razaq Ahmad & Ahmad Rafaai Ayudin. (2009). “Kepelbagaian Sumber Pengajaran untuk Penerapan Nilai dalam Pembelajaran Sejarah” in Abdul Razaq Ahmad & Isjoni [eds]. Strategi & Model Pembelajaran Sejarah. Pekanbaru, Riau: Cendikia Insani, pp.103-126.

Balai Muhibbah [magazine]. Kuala Lumpur: Julai-September, 1987, p.42.

Barbie, E. (1983). The Practise of Social Research. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Co.

Barr, J. (2005). “Dumbing Down Intellectual Culture: Frank Furedi, Lifelong Learning, and Museums” in Museum and Society, 3(2), pp.98-114.

Barton, K. & L. Levstik. (2004). Teaching History for the Common Good. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Beyer, B.K. (1984). “Improving Thinking Skills: Defining the Problem” in Phi Delta Kappan, 65(7).

Beyer, B.K. (1987). Practical Stratergies for the Teaching of Thinking. Boston: Ally and Bacon.

Booth, M.B. (1987). “Skills, Consepts, and Attidudes: The Development of Adolescent Children’s Historical Thinking” in History and Theory, 22, pp.101-117.

Carin, A.A. & R.B. Sund. (1971). Developing Question Techniques: A Self-Concept Approach. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill.

Chan, F.K. et al. (1997). “Randomised Trial of Eradication of Helicobacter Pylori Before Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Therapy to Prevent Peptic Ulcers” in The Lancet, 350(9083), pp.975-979.

CSBE [California State Board of Education]. (1988). English-Language Arts Curriculum Framework: Criteria Committee. California, USA: California State Board of Education.

Dewan Masyarakat [magazine]. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 15 September 1976, p.47.

Drake, F.D. & S.D. Brown. (2003). “A Systematic Approach to Improve Students' Historical Thinking” in The History Teacher, 36(4), pp.465-489.

Evans, R.W. (1996). A Critical Approaches to Teaching United States History. Washington DC: NCSS [National Committee for Social Studies].

Fines, J. (2002). “Imagination in History Teaching” in International Journal of Historical Learning,Teaching, and Research, 2(2), pp.63-77.

Foxter, S.J. & E.A. Yeager. (1999). “You've Got to Put Together the Pieces: English 12-Year-Olds Encounter and Learn from Historical Evidence” in Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 14(4), pp.286-317.

Garrey, B. & M. Krug. (1987). Models of History Teaching in the Secondary School. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Haris, Hassan. (1993). “Masalah Pengajaran Guru dalam Pelaksanaan Kurikulum Sejarah di 4 Buah Daerah di Negeri Perak Darul Ridzuan”. Unpublished Master Thesis. Bangi: Faculty of Education UKM (National University of Malaysia).

Hashim, Yusup. (1998). Teknologi Pengajaran. Selangor: Fajar Bakti.

Hassan, Aini. (1999). “Disiplin Sejarah dan implikasinya terhadap Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sejarah di Sekolah”. Paper presented in the Conference on History in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

Husbands, C. (1996). What is History Teaching? Buckingham: Open University Press.

Iskandar, Yusuf & Khalil Yusuf. (1989). Diskusi Sejarah. Georgetown: Teks Publications.

KPM [Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia]. (2003). Kemahiran Pemikiran Sejarah. Kuala Lumpur: Pusat Perkembangan Kurikulum, Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia.

Lande, R. (1982). “A Quantitative Genetic Theory of Life History Evolution” in Ecology, pp.607-615.

Lawson, A.E. (1995). Science Teaching and the Development of Thinking. California: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

Missimer, A. (1990). Good Arguments: An Introduction to Critical Thingking. New Jersey: Prentice Hall England Cliffs.

MoE [Ministry of Education] Malaysia. (2003). Integrated Curriculum for Secondary Schools: Curriculum Specifications, Mathematics Form 3. Kuala Lumpur: Curriculum Development Centre Ministry of Education.

Newmann. (1990). “Higher Order Thinking in Teaching Social Studies: A Rationale for Assessment of Classroom Thoughtfulness” in Journal of Curriculum Studies, 22, pp.41-56.

Nik Ismail, Nik Azleena. (2003). “Kesediaan Guru-guru Sejarah Menerapkan Kemahiran Pemikiran Sejarah kepada para Pelajar: Satu Tinjauan di Daerah Dungun”. Unpublished Research Result. Bangi: UKM (National University of Malaysia).

Philip, E.M. (2004). “Promoting Student Inquiry: Webquest to Web Inquiry Projects”. Available online also at: http://www.webinquiry/projects/concept/paper.htm [accessed in Bangi, Malaysia: September 15, 2014].

Sarjit Singh, Jasbir. (1985). “Pengajaran Sejarah Secara Moden: Pembelajaran Inkuiri” in Majalah Pendidikan, 7, pp.59-67.

Seixas, P. (1996). “Conceptualizing the Growth of Historical Understanding” in D.R. Olson & N. Torrance [eds]. The Handbook of Education and Human Developmenthlm. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers Ltd., pp.765-784.

Sidney, Parnes. (1997). Creative Behaviour: Guidebook. New York: Scribner’s Publisher.

Tally, B. & L.B. Goldenberg. (2005). “Fostering Historical Thinking with Digitized Primary Sources” in Journal of Research on Technology in Education, Vol.38, International Society for Technology in Education, pp.1-21.

Trombino, D.L. (2010). “The Experience of Secondary Social Studies Teacher with Historical Thinking Skills”. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis. Virginia, USA: University of Old Dominion.

van Sledright, B.A. (2004). “What Does it Mean to Think Historically and How Do You Teach it?” in Social Education, 68(3), pp.230-233.

Walsh, P. (1993). The Aims of School History: The National Curriculum and Beyond. London: Institute of Education.

White, C. (1996). “History 14-16: Challenges and Opportunities” in Teaching History, 82 [January], pp.23-26.

Wood, S. (1995). “Developing an Understanding of Time: Sequencing Issues” in Teaching History, 79, pp.11-15.