This textbook heads the Open University's flexible PGCE Perspectives on Practice series, which provides a practical illustration of skills, knowledge and understanding required to teach in the secondary classroom. As well as describing concepts and ideas, the book provides a critical examination of some of the key issues, and will encourage the reader to engage with the ideas and consider their views and beliefs. This book accompanies each of the subject-specific books in the series, providing a valuable link between disciplines. The series complements our other OU series, Teaching in the Secondary School which addresses theoretical issues relating to teaching. Together these to series provide a complete resource for students.

Against a background of controversy surrounding the teaching of history, this reader gathers the current thoughts of the leading practitioners. The development of school history up to the national curriculum and beyond is traced, and the main issues concerning history teachers today are examined. These issues include access to history, the definition of 'British' history in a multicultural society, gender and the place of history with the humanities. Progression and attainment are discussed as is the development of pupil's historical understanding, and practical approaches to teaching history to 11-18 level pupils are explored.

This text heads the Open University's flexible PGCE Perspectives on Practice series, which provides a practical illustration of skills, knowledge and understanding required to teach in the secondary classroom. As well as describing concepts and ideas, the books provide a critical examination of some of the key issues, and will encourage the reader to engage with the ideas and consider their views and beliefs. They will be an invaluable resource for those who are learning to teach of for those teachers who wish to reflect on their own teaching practice. This title accompanies each of the subject-specific books in the series, providing a valuable link between disciplines. The series complements our other OU series, Teaching in the Secondary School which addresses theoretical issues relating to teaching. Together these to series provide a complete resource for students.

Recent controversy over the teaching of history has focused first of all on how history itself can be defined. This reader is designed to help teachers to reflect upon the ideas and issues which will inform their answer to this question. After tracing the development of school history up to and including the National Curriculum, it considers some of the main issues involved in teaching history today: the definition of British history in a multicultural society; gender and history; the place of history within the humanities curriculum; and the assessment of progress and attainment in the learning of history. The final section looks at the practicalities of teaching secondary history in the classroom and in the field.