Choosing historical materials in History class

Abstract

This paper aims to present some results of a research with Portuguese history teachers, teaching grades from 7th to 12th (11 to 18 years). Using a questionnaire, 98 teachers were asked to select historical documents to prepare and give classes about the European Renaissance (a compulsory subject of the 8th grade classes of History). They were also asked to justify their answers. The questionnaire used a dichotomise scale that allowed a specific statistical treatment with SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). The main results show that these teachers preferred to choose primary evidence (written or iconographic) and the technology they knew how to work with.