Formalities

1. you select two topics from the field of history didactics. These can be theoretical (multi-perspectivity, historical awareness, historical culture, etc.), content-related (Caesar/The Reformation/The First World War, etc. in history lessons) or media-related (images, films, factual sources, extracurricular learning locations, etc.).

2. the topics must not be too close together thematically.

3. discuss these topics with the first and second examiners.

4. three weeks before your examination, send both examiners a literature list with 6-10 titles per topic. If there is a relevant monograph on your topic, you must also use this. Please cite correctly (template on the History homepage) and only what you have read or will read.

5. one week before your exam, send us a thesis paper with 6-10 theses per topic. The thesis paper will not be tested in the exam, but will serve as a basis for discussion and for structuring the exam. If you have chosen an example that you would like to use to illustrate something, please let us know the example, e.g. a chosen extracurricular learning location. For media, please scan in pictures, cartoons etc. and email them to us.

6. for literature list and thesis paper: Word format, please indicate name, matriculation number, date of examination! Please no cover sheet, logos, bold print etc. - we print everything out.

1. preparation:

After selecting and agreeing on the possible topics, you should bibliographize widely on these topics. This is the only way to decide which titles might be interesting and useful. Take into account both the handbook literature on history didactics and the current publications on research questions in history didactics. Then select the titles that are relevant for the examination, in consultation if necessary. Please only write the titles on the list that you have actually read/will read. Work through the topics based on the literature in such a way that you formulate at least one thesis for each aspect for the examination discussion.

2. topic preparation:

Every didactic history topic has theoretical, empirical and pragmatic points of reference that can be prepared for the exam using the following guiding questions, among others:

Theory:

- What are relevant concepts? How are they defined? Are there different approaches by different authors? What theoretical models and concepts are there?

- What features characterize the specific didactic-methodological potential of the medium, the method, the teaching-learning concept?

- Are there connections to other historical didactic topics? (e.g. multi-perspectivity, imagination)

- Are there open or hidden controversies on these topics? (cf. relevant articles in journals and conference proceedings)

- What historical perspectives does the topic have? Did it play a special role in a phase of history didactics or history teaching? (e.g. historical narrative in the 1950s, etc.)

- Are there any points of reference to general didactics/pedagogy or to what extent can a subject-specific distinction be made? (e.g. station learning, group work, action orientation)

Empiricism:

- Are there any empirical studies on the topic?

- Where are there gaps in the research? Where should further research be conducted?

Pragmatics:

- How can the practical relevance of the topic be described? (e.g. new media as a hitherto neglected form, which nevertheless emphatically shapes pupils' historical awareness in the sense of a manifestation of historical culture)

- What exemplary forms/approaches of implementation exist?

- Are there examples in articles in history didactic publications that can be included (cf. Geschichte lernen, Praxis Geschichte, Historica & Didactica)?

- You should be very familiar with all examples of topics, media and methods, i.e. you should not refer to examples that you do not know exactly or only in passing.

- You should have a sound knowledge of the subject areas if you use them as examples to explain media and methods. (e.g. the French Revolution in historical pictures, National Socialism in documentaries/hist. feature films)

- They should have a basic understanding of and be able to explain the following theoretical points of reference, which are often discussed outside of their specific subject areas (cf. handbook literature and Ulrich Mayer/et al (eds.): Wörterbuch der Geschichtsdidaktik. Schwalbach/Ts. 2006; Hilke Günther-Arndt (ed.): Geschichtsdidaktik. Practical handbook for secondary levels I and II. Berlin 2003; this. (ed.): eschichtsmethodik. Handbook for secondary levels I and II. Berlin 2007): Historical awareness, historical culture, narrativity, judgment formation, educational standards/competence models historical learning (e.g. Gautschi), alterity/understanding others, historical method, multi-perspectivity, reference to the present, personalization/personification, teaching concepts (especially problem and action orientation, research-based learning), chronological history teaching (and alternative structuring concepts), syllabuses and curricula (especially History NRW), rough overview: History of history didactics.

Basic literature on history didactics:

- Barricelli, Michele/ Lücke, Martin (eds.): Handbuch Praxis des Geschichtsunterrichts. 2 vols., Schwalbach/Ts. 2017 (older editions can also be used).

- Baumgärtner, Ulrich: Wegweiser Geschichtsdidaktik, Paderborn 2015.

- Bergmann, Klaus / et al. (eds.): Handbuch der Geschichtsdidaktik. Seelze-Velber, 5th ed. 1997.

- Günther-Arndt, Hilke/Zülsdorf-Kersting, Meik (ed.): Geschichts-Didaktik, 7th ed. Berlin 2018 (older editions can also be used).

- Günther-Arndt, Hilke/Handro, Saskia (eds.): Geschichts-Methodik, 5th ed. Berlin 2015 (older editions can also be used).

- Mayer, Ulrich/Pandel, Hans-Jürgen/Schneider, Gerhard (eds.): Handbuch Methoden im Geschichtsunterricht, Schwalbach/Ts. 2016 (older editions can also be used)

- Mayer, Ulrich / et al. (eds.): Dictionary of History Didactics. Schwalbach/Ts. 2014 (not sufficient for the bibliography!)

- Norden, Jörg van / et al. (eds.): Geschichtsdidaktische Grundbegriffe. A picture book for studying, teaching and working. Hanover 2020.

- Peters, Jelko: Geschichtsstunden planen, St. Ingbert 2018 (older editions can also be used)

- Peters, Jelko: Dictionary of methods for history lessons, St. Ingbert 2016.

- Sandkühler, Thomas/Bühl-Gramer, Charlotte/John, Anke et al. (eds.): Geschichtsunterricht im 21. Jahrhundert. A historical didactic assessment, Göttingen 2019.

- Sauer, Michael: Teaching history. An introduction to didactics and methodology. Seelze-Velber 2001 (not sufficient for the bibliography!)

- Schneider, Gerhard/Pandel, Hans-Jürgen (eds.): Handbuch Medien im Geschichtsunterricht, Schwalbach/Ts. 2017 (older editions can also be used).

Journals/research discussion

- Journals: Geschichte lernen, Praxis Geschichte, Geschichte in Wissenschaft und Unterricht (GWU), Geschichte heute (Zeitschrift des Geschichtslehrerverbandes), Zeitschrift für Geschichtsdidaktik

- Annual volumes of the Conference for History Didactics

- Conference proceedings: Research workshop on history didactics

- "Yellow" series Historica & Didactica (Röhrig Verlag)