Historical Reasoning Among Students With Disabilities: Exploring Multiple Source Use in Writing

• In Event: Thinking Historically: Narratives, Reasoning, Argumentation, and Assessment

Abstract

Historical reasoning, as a disciplinary literacy, aims to develop higher order thinking and depth of historical knowledge beyond the textbook and memorization of facts. Studies on the use of multiple sources to develop historical reasoning among students with mild to moderate disabilities are scarce. The current study seeks to explore and describe how 7th grade students in a special education classroom used multiple historical sources when writing essays. The 96 essays that students wrote throughout the academic year are the primary data source for this paper. Data memos and interview transcripts were used to triangulate themes found in the essays. With exposure to explicit, repeated instruction on multiple source use, participants composed complex and sophisticated essays that incorporated historical reasoning.

Authors

• Eric Claravall, California State University - Sacramento

• Robin Irey, University of California at Berkeley