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Who Are the Protagonists of History? Exploratory Study on Historical Relevance after Completing Compulsory Secondary Education in Spain

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  • Pilar Rivero

    (Department of Specific Didactics, Faculty of Education, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
    Research Group ARGOS, Faculty of Education, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
    University Institute of Research in Environmental Sciences of Aragon (IUCA), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain)

  • Iñaki Navarro-Neri

    (Department of Specific Didactics, Faculty of Education, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
    Research Group ARGOS, Faculty of Education, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
    University Institute of Research in Environmental Sciences of Aragon (IUCA), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain)

  • Borja Aso

    (Department of Specific Didactics, Faculty of Education, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
    Research Group ARGOS, Faculty of Education, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
    University Institute of Research in Environmental Sciences of Aragon (IUCA), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain)

Abstract

Which historical figures do Spanish students think are relevant after completing their compulsory schooling in the subject of history? The main objective of this research is to discover which four historical figures students choose as the most important in human history after completing their compulsory schooling, and the type of reasons they give to justify their answers. By means of a mixed study, this research involved asking 165 students, aged 16 to 17, which four figures they think are the most relevant in history and why. Based on this statement, a quantitative and qualitative analysis was conducted to explore the students’ discourses justifying their choices using the categories proposed by Partington, Hunt and Lévesque. The results show a clear tendency in students to choose key figures in Spain’s history, such as Christopher Columbus or Francisco Franco, or a prominent person, such as Adolf Hitler, as the most relevant historical figures, who appear in the curriculum in their last year of compulsory secondary education. Lastly, the argumentative approach regarding the level of historical significance focuses primarily on the impact of their actions on a large number of people during their historical moment, with no critical reflection on their long-term impact or consequences.

Suggested Citation

  • Pilar Rivero & Iñaki Navarro-Neri & Borja Aso, 2022. "Who Are the Protagonists of History? Exploratory Study on Historical Relevance after Completing Compulsory Secondary Education in Spain," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-15, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:11:y:2022:i:4:p:175-:d:791062
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Glória Solé & Marília Gago, 2021. "The history teacher education process in Portugal: a mixed method study about professionalism development," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-12, December.
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