Stages of Learning in The Humanities - History

The VELS take account of the developmental stages of learning young people experience at school. While student learning is a continuum and different students develop at different rates, they broadly progress through three stages of learning. General statements about characteristics of learners in these three stages are available at Stages of learning.

The following statements describe ways in which these characteristics relate to learning experiences and standards in each of the three stages of learning in the History domain.

In the Humanities – History domain students progressively develop knowledge, skills and behaviours to understand themselves and their world, to apply their understanding in their present lives and consider futures they desire. The past provides a great narrative of people, events, ideas and ways of thinking and helps students understand how the world has changed in the past, how it might change in the future and the significant continuities that exist.

In Years Prep to 4, history learning takes place through the general Humanities domain. Students are introduced to history in local and familiar contexts such as the family and the local community as well as stories and key events which introduce them to events in the far past. In Years 5–8 students become more complex thinkers and begin to develop independent inquiry skills. They are introduced to events in Australia, their region and the broad sweep of human history in ancient and medieval times. In Years 9 and 10, students are encouraged to be more oriented and aware of the world beyond school and increasingly independent in their learning. They analyse the impact of a range of events in national and global history, conduct independent inquiries to deepen their knowledge and evaluate links between the past and contemporary events.

Years Prep to 4 – Laying the foundations

Children begin schooling with knowledge, skills and a sense of time which are developed in the family learning environment. Learning historical skills begins in familiar contexts of home, school and community. Students are introduced to chronology and change, narrative and evidence though activities such as creating a family or personal timeline, sharing stories and examining artefacts such as photographs, baby books and houses and considering differences between ‘then’ and ‘now’. Through sharing information and experiences with others, students begin to learn about experiences that are different from their own and cultural groups that are represented in their class.

Students are introduced to the broader community and ideas and events beyond their immediate experience through listening to personal accounts, reading and listening to narratives, considering symbols such as the national flag and the Australian anthem and participating in school celebrations of events such as Anzac Day. They begin to learn about the history of Australians, significant events and people in the history of their nation. They begin to develop simple descriptions which explain the significance of events.

Years 5 to 8 – Building breadth and depth

Students in Years 5–8 progressively develop greater cognitive ability and skills and become more complex thinkers. They are introduced to a broader understanding of Australian history, including the establishment of the Australian nation and key events in its growth. They increase their understanding of the culture and history of groups that make up Australia and become increasingly aware of the complexity and diversity of their nation. Students also become aware of the range of cultures, beliefs and histories through a study of one or more countries in the Australian region. They are introduced to the far past and the broad sweep of human history through the study of ancient and medieval civilisation.

Students are increasingly independent, flexible and self-motivated, and can organise their thinking and understand inquiry processes. They are supported to develop skills in questioning historical sources and making judgments about points of view, the completeness of the evidence and the values represented. They deal with an increasing range of historical sources including oral, visual and written and online sources. They are supported to plan historical inquiries and begin to work independently and with others to develop deep understanding of particular events and issues.

Students develop understanding of the conventions of historical explanation including citing evidence and using a bibliography. They are able to use a range of forms to present explanations including oral, written and electronic. They understand that explanations may be partial and incomplete and that there are a range of views that must be taken into consideration.

Years 9 to 10 – Developing pathways

In these years students are more oriented to the future and aware of the world beyond school. They are beginning to think of themselves as adults. They are more independent as learners and able to assume greater responsibility for their learning.

Students are more focused on developing skills of critical understanding, analysis and evaluation. They examine and recognise the significance of events in the Australian history and world history in the twentieth and twenty–first centuries. They analyse aspects of global interconnections past and present and make links and comparisons with contemporary events and issues. They reflect on key ideologies, social and cultural movements and their effects on people and nations and analyse human rights issues in a range of contexts.

Students explore events and issues in depth through inquiries related to their interests. They frame and refine questions for historical inquiry, locate resources and actively engage in independent research. They critically evaluate sources and recognise multiple interpretations and partial explanations. They use conventions such as footnotes and bibliographies. They present historical explanations with arguments based on evidence and justify interpretations of events. They evaluate the effectiveness of their work.

National Statements of Learning

The Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) incorporate the opportunities to learn covered in the national Statements of Learning (www.mceecdya.edu.au/mceecdya/statements_of_learning,22835.html). The Statements of Learning describe essential skills, knowledge, understandings and capacities that all young Australians should have the opportunity to learn by the end of Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in English, Mathematics, Science, Civics and Citizenship and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

The Statements of Learning were developed as a means of achieving greater national consistency in curriculum outcomes across the eight Australian states and territories. It was proposed that they be used by state and territory departments or curriculum authorities (their primary audience) to guide the future development of relevant curriculum documents. They were agreed to by all states and territories in August 2006.

During 2007, the VCAA prepared a detailed map to show how the Statements of Learning are addressed and incorporated in the VELS. In the majority of cases, the VELS learning focus statements incorporate the Statements of Learning. Some Statements of Learning are covered in more than one domain. In some cases, VELS learning focus statements have been elaborated to address elements of the Statements of Learning not previously specified. These elaborations are noted at the end of each learning focus statement.