Gauging reflexive historical thinking: An exploratory study of Colombian undergraduates

 

Authors

Joshua Large, Juan Pablo Román Calderón

​

Affiliations

Universidad EAFIT, Colombia

​

Abstract

This study gauges the development of an historical thinking skill we term reflexive historical thinking and its relationship to economic ideology among a group of undergraduate business students in an introductory history course at a Colombian private university.  A survey was conducted twice during a semester in which students answered questions regarding historical agency, personal agency, and economic ideology. We measured the relationships and changes in responses regarding these factors. We hypothesized that students with greater awareness of broad social and economic forces as determinants of historical events would also be aware of an array of social and economic forces informing their personal outlooks. Moreover, we expected such awareness – both historical and personal – to increase during the course.  Finally, we wondered how economic ideology influences such awareness. We found little support for the expectation that reflexive historical thinking developed over time, but interesting correlations between historical thinking and economic ideology. 

​

Keywords

Reflexive historical thinking; Effective historical consciousness; Historical perspective taking; History education; Economic ideology

​

How to Cite:

Large, J., & Román Calderón, J. P. (2021). Gauging reflexive historical thinking: An exploratory study of Colombian undergraduates. Historical Encounters, 8(1), 139-155. https://doi.org/10.52289/hej8.109

​

_______________________________________

​

• Published 8 November 2021

• Double Blind Peer Reviewed

• Authors Retains Copyright

• Distributed under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License

​

​