A Guarantee for Disciplinary Inclusive Education?

Historisches Lernen inklusive? Inklusiver Geschichtsunterricht

 

Abstract: Togetherness and differentiation are two key concepts in inclusive education whose relationship displays a certain tension. They are usually discussed within the field of pedagogy. How can they be applied to history teaching, while considering at the same time the specifics of the subject?
DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1515/phw-2017-8357.
Languages: English, Deutsch


Togetherness and differentiation are two key concepts in inclusive education whose relationship displays a certain tension. They are usually discussed within the field of pedagogy. How can they be applied to history teaching, while considering at the same time the specifics of the subject?

Between Inclusion and Trivialization

With regards to the discussion about inclusive teaching, the field of history has also seen the development, testing and evaluation of didactic approaches and methodical concepts. One such example is the use of easy language, a concept aimed at improving access to historical events and instances for students who have difficulties understanding and communicating in the often abstract language used in historical education.

At the same time, the specific characteristics of easy language, among them the avoidance of past tense and subjunctive form, might not meet the disciplinary demands of historical thinking. This especially refers to history as a narrative process and the importance of language as an essential element for constructing and communicating about the past. Even though easy language offers improved access, it may also trivialize history up to the point where it (unintentionally) becomes a simplified lore about the past.

On the one hand, the examples I am familiar with show an “opening” of the “historical universe” for people who may not have been considered to be acquainted with it, or who had not been introduced to historical issues before. On the other hand, the examples illustrate an endangerment of linguistic expressions used to describe historical contexts in their identity- and orientation-related dimensions.

It is therefore important to ask what inclusive history learning should incorporate: Is it simply about enlarging the group of people who can participate in history lessons and historical culture? This would thereby implicate the removal of “barriers” between the established subject of history on one hand, and certain groups of students that have so far been excluded on the other hand. Or is it also about changing the essence which constitutes the subject as an educational and scientific discipline?

The “Vertical” and “Horizontal” Dimensions

One approach could be to more strongly emphasize the competence of students to think historically, the competence to orientate oneself in time and to connect with the many historical cultures, as well as participation in the history lesson. This includes the construction of a complex “historical universe” consisting of knowledge of (and insights into) events and contexts.

This concept of historical learning has the advantage of being open to elementarization. It allows for us to pose the following question: To what extent can forms of historical thinking with lower degrees of guidance, independence and complexity practically co-exist with the distinctly elaborated form?

The concept permits us to not only reflect upon the reduction (or increase) of the degree of complexity (that is, a “vertical” dimension of differentiation), but also upon the integration of additional perspectives on history (a “horizontal” dimension of differentiation). These perspectives could include the integration of special needs and issues as well as traditional interpretations of individual minorities and identities – such as members of the LGBTQ community or deaf culture.[1]

It is precisely along the lines of this “horizontal” dimension that inclusive historical thinking and learning not only make access to a given “historical universe” feasible, but they also enable collective thinking and discussion of the subject matter at hand.[2]

Both dimensions need to deal with the question whether – and, if yes, when – differentiation in history teaching will endanger the subject-specific core of historical learning. However, easy language is not the only approach that might undermine the core of subject-specific learning, which is defined as “participation in the process of understanding.”[3] Furthermore, it shall be of interest to find out if Sebastian Barsch’s and Myrle Dziak-Mahler’s demand of a problem-oriented approach of “acknowledging the value of non-historic questions for historic thinking”[4] is beneficial.

So, what are the limits of elementarisation, simplification, assistance and diversification? Which criterion can be applied to this question?

The German Constitution as a Role Model

The specific margins between helpful and obstructive differentiation and support will be hard to define. Likewise, strictly-defined criteria also pose a problem. In this situation, an example from the German Constitution may be of help to us. Article 19 states that the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution may be restricted by law or by regulations mandated by it, but never be touched upon at their core (art. 19 II GG). In our case therefore, one could accordingly formulate that didactic measures aimed at dismantling barriers and providing access to learning processes may well diversify the demand on students to think and learn in disciplinary terms. This is achieved by reducing, changing and bringing these demands into focus. However, it shall also be stressed that they may never infringe the disciplinary core of learning.

This specifically means that no such didactic and methodical measures which may be offered in the classroom should be allowed to altogether relieve the students from the task of thinking, interpreting the past and discussing its relevance and meaning for the present. This undesirable scenario would be realized by giving them the full solution or not even offering them the opportunity to think themselves.

To ask individual students to simply paint a pyramid for example, whereas all others reflect upon their meaning for Ancient Egypt and our modern perception of it, would violate this principle. Whereas such lessons may be considered to be socially inclusive, they would not constitute an inclusive historical education. However, a painting-task which places a limit on complex and abstract thinking as a prerequisite for taking part in a common process of interpretation is completely legitimate, as long as the teacher were to carry on in this vein. On the other hand, it would constitute another breach if differentiating measures providing accessibility were to make their recipients dependent on such external support and thus render them dependent.

The “didactic essence” may not enforce learning aimed at achieving equal goals; instead, it rather stands for criteria used for inclusion but not for inclusive specialist learning. This constitution-like guarantee of the core of disciplinary learning does not endorse unconditional teaching with common and identical aims. It is rather a criterion which can help to determine if inclusive teaching and learning processes can be regarded as disciplinary.

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Further Reading

  • Alavi, Bettina and Martin Lücke, eds. Geschichtsunterricht ohne Verlierer!? Inklusion als Herausforderung für die Geschichtsdidaktik. Schwalbach im Taunus: Wochenschau Verlag, 2016.
  • Kühberger, Christoph and Robert Schneider. “Annäherungen an Inklusion im Geschichtsunterricht zwischen Geschichtsdidaktik und Sonderpädagogik – eine Einleitung.” In Inklusion im Geschichtsunterricht: Zur Bedeutung geschichtsdidaktischer und sonderpädagogischer Fragen im Kontext inklusiven Unterrichts, edited by Christoph Kühberger and Robert Schneider, 7-10. Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt, 2016.
  • Musenberg, Oliver and Judith Riegert, eds. Inklusiver Fachunterricht in der Sekundarstufe. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 2015.

Web Resources

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[1] Regina Flatken, “Historische Identitätsarbeit als Beitrag zur Inklusion: Erarbeitung von Kriterien für Materialien zur Geschichte und Kultur von Menschen mit Hörschädigung zur Nutzung im inklusiven Geschichtsunterricht” (BA thesis, University of Hamburg, 2013); Id., “Gehörlose historische Identität? Erkundungen zu historischen Lerninteressen und -erfahrungen gehörloser Schülerinnen und Schüler” (MA thesis, University of Hamburg, 2016).
[2] Georg Feuser, “Lernen am Gemeinsamen Gegenstand.” Lecture given during the lecture series “Offener Unterricht: Antwort auf Heterogenität” at the PH Zentralschweiz University of Teacher Education, Luzern, Switzerland, 2007.
[3] Institute for Teacher Education and School Development Hamburg, “Professionsprofil einer inklusive denkenden und handelnden Lehrkraft im Vorbereitungsdienst” (Draft, Hamburg, n.y.), 1-2.
[4] Sebastian Barsch and Myrle Dziak-Mahler, “Problemorientierung inklusive: Historisches Lernen im inklusiven Unterricht,” in Fachdidaktik inklusiv: Auf der Suche nach didaktischen Leitlinien für den Umgang mit Vielfalt in der Schule, ed. Bettina Amrhein and Myrle Dziak-Mahler (Münster: Waxmann, 2014), 129.

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Image Credits

© Rainer Sturm / pixelio.de

Translation

Stefanie Svacina and Paul Jones (paul.stefanie at outlook.at)

Recommended Citation

Körber, Andreas: A Guarantee for Disciplinary Inclusive Education?. In: Public History Weekly 5 (2017) 5, DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1515/phw-2017-8357

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The assessments in this article reflect only the perspective of the author. PHW considers itself as a pluralistic debate journal, contributions to discussions are very welcome. Please note our commentary guidelines (https://public-history-weekly.degruyter.com/contribute/).


Categories: 5 (2017) 5
DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1515/phw-2017-8357

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4 replies »

  1. Es wäre hilfreich, mehr zum “didaktischen Kern” zu lesen. Worin besteht er genau (und differenziert)? Ohne solche Konkretisierung kann dieser Kern zur Phrase verkümmern.

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    It might be helpful to read more about that “didactic essence”. What is that exactly (differentiating)? Without such a specification the “didactic essence” may degenerate into a mere phrase.

  2. Nun ja, den Kern selbst wollte ich hier nicht definieren – zumindest nicht abschließend, sondern eher das Prinzip, dass es diesen Kern gibt. Die Wesensgehaltsgarantie des Grundgesetzes definiert den Kern der einzelnen Grundrechte ja auch nicht selbst.

    Die Intention war – ähnlich wie bei zeitgleich entstandenen Beitrag von Christoph Kühberger zum sprachsensiblen Geschichtsunterricht – darauf hinzuweisen, dass diese Qualifizierungen von Sprachlicher Sensibilität, inklusivem Lernen und weiteren (etwa interkulturellem Lernen) alle berechtigt sind und auch berechtigte Anforderungen an Fach und Disziplin stellen – und das nicht nur in Bezug auf Methodik des Unterrichtens, sondern gerade auch in Bezug auf die Gegenstände und Prinzipien -, dass bei allen solchen Anforderungen und neuen Perspektiven die “Eigenlogik” des Faches gewahrt bleiben muss und nicht dazu führen darf, dass gerade dieser Kern geopfert wird.

    Das aber wäre etwa der Fall, wenn die – berechtigte – Reduktion von Komplexität im Interesse des gemeinsamen Lernens dazu führend würde, alle Anteile temporaler Reflexion aus einer Thematik, einer Aufgabe etc. zu tilgen, und somit alle Fragen von Erkenntnis von Vergangenem einerseits und der Reflexion auf dessen Bedeutung für Gegenwart und Zukunft andererseits – das (erkennende und orientierende) historische Denken also.

    Damit ist nun eine Formulierung eines solchen Kerns vorgeschlagen. Es kommt mir hier aber nicht darauf an, dass man sich erst auf eine genaue Formulierung dieses Kerns einigen muss, bevor man das Prinzip seiner Garantie formuliert – im Gegenteil: Unter neuen gesellschaftlichen Anforderungen mag (wird) auch das Verständnis dessen angepasst werden müssen, was das Spezifikum des Historischen ausmacht, etwa gerade angesichts gesteigerten Bezugs unterschiedlicher Perspektiven (“kultureller”, regionaler, und sonstiger Art) auf gemeinsame/geteilte Vergangenheit usw. Richtig verstanden verändert das aber nur den Blick auf das Spezifische der Domäne und ersetzt es nicht.

  3. Es ist ja immer wichtig, genau zu lesen. Von daher ist eine kleine Ergänzung an dieser Stelle notwendig: Zwar schreiben Barsch/Dziak-Mahler, wie Andreas Körber richtig anmerkt, dass sich im Kontext eines inklusiven Geschichtsunterrichts der “Fragekompetenz in einem sehr weiten Sinne” zugewandt werden solle, unter Anerkennung des Wertes “nichthistorischer” Fragen.[1] Dabei darf jedoch nicht ausgelassen werden, dass dies vor allem in diagnostischen Phasen der Unterrichtsplanung geschehen soll, in der die SchülerInnen mit ihren subjektiven Fragen im Mittelpunkt stehen. Diese können eben auch – wenn man Subjektorientierung ernst nimmt und wirklich mal genau hinhört, was die “lernenden Subjekte” denn zu sagen haben – auch “nichthistorisch” sein. Nicht jeder Mensch hat etwa ein Konzept von “Vergangenheit”. Das Modell sieht aber darüber hinaus vor, dass in einem auf diese Phase folgenden Schritt der Fokus auf Vergangenheit gelegt wird, indem die vielfältigen Schülerfragen entsprechend dieses Kriteriums geclustert und somit Ausgangspunkt der weiteren Unterrichtsplanung werden. Inklusives “Fachlernen” kann erst dann ernsthaft erfolgen, wenn auch diejenigen SchülerInnen mit ihren Wahrnehmung/ Reflexion/ Gedanken berücksichtigt werden, die den fachlichen Anforderungen noch nicht entsprechen. Die Annäherung der SchülerInnen an die fachlichen Anforderungen ist das hoffnungsvoll erwartete Ziel des Unterrichts. Nicht der Anfang.

    Anmerkungen
    [1] Sebastian Barsch/Myrle Dziak-Mahler: Problemorientierung inklusive. Historisches Lernen im inklusiven Unterricht. In: Bettina Amrhein/Myrle Dziak-Mahler (Hrsg.): Fachdidaktik inklusiv. Auf der Suche nach didaktischen Leitlinien für den Umgang mit Vielfalt in der Schule. Münster 2014, S. 119-132.

  4. I have been asked to provide my comment answering Jörn Rüsen’s comment in English also. I am glad to do so, but have to ask forgiveness for its being late, the request having reached my just before taking off from home and office.

    OK, it was not my intention in the initial contribution to substantially and ultimately define the disciplinary core referred to as such – just like the German basic Law (Grundgesetz) does not define the “core” of its basic freedoms again after they have been formulated in Art. 1 through 19.
    My intention – very similar to that of Christoph Kühberger in his piece on language-sensitive history teaching – rather was to hint to the fact that all these qualifications of history teaching (language-sensitive, intercultural etc.) are legitimate as such and that there are specific claims to be requirements to be formulated to school subject and academic dicsipline from their perspectives, and not only as to teaching methodology in the narrow sense, but also with regard to topics and principles – but that all this granted, the specific proprietary logic of the discipline needs to be preserved and must not be sacrificed on behalf of their benefit.
    This, however, would be the case if the – legitimate – reduction of complexity on behalf of inclusive learning (learning together) would lead to the elimination all elements of time-related reflection from learning-tasks, and thereby all questions of insights into the past (being past) on the one hand and its relevance for the present and future. Perceiving and orientating forms of historical thinking would be missing alltogether.
    That said, one formulation of this core has now been suggested. I don’t postulate, however, that the discipline has to come to any agreement of what this core essentially is, in advance to postulating the principle of guaranteeing it. Quite to the contrary: Changing societal conditions might (will) change the concept of the core of historical thinking, e.g. in the light of increased diversity, etc. But this will only change our concepts of the domain’s specificties, not replace them.

    As for the comment by Sebastian Barsch: Yes, it may have been intended in your article not leave the “ahistorical questions” in their status, but to work on their historicity. On the other hand, the article I cited, does not say so. There the further steps after the initial “diagnostic” phase, where a-historic questions are to be accepted are designed to “cluster” the questioins along the line of historicity (present-related vs. past-related), and to find material to work on these questions, which seem to remain unchanged – or, if only past-related questions are to be worked upon – to be neglected which would undermine the inclusive character of teaching or question the decision of honouring them in the first place.
    No, I think what is missing here (unintentionally) is a further qualification of the first processing of the initial questions stemming from the (“diagnostic”) phase: not only to cluster but to a) frame them in a way introducing a temporal dimension (not “what is pedagogy”, but “what concepts of pedagogy can we formulate for the time under scrutiny and how is it different from earlier/later/today’s concepts?”) or to identify a temporal dimension in them.
    This could be an example of referring to the core of the discipline — marking the point in a very useful concept, where it in its presented form may lead to unwanted reductionism if simply applied without specific attribution of the concept of a domain’s core which needs to be guaranteed.

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