The historical perceptions and epistemic approaches of secondary school students: A grounded theory study

Abstract

The primary aim of this study is to develop a conceptual framework that reveals students’ perceptions of history and their epistemic perspectives on this type of knowledge. Conducted using the grounded theory approach, the research explores how students perceive historical knowledge and how they question its nature. The study group consists of 45 high school students and 8 history teachers. Data were collected through interviews and focus group discussions. Throughout this process, students’ interests in historical knowledge, the meanings they attribute to it, and their epistemic viewpoints were categorized around a central code. The category of interest investment refers to students’ attention toward topics such as wars, victories, periods of chaos, and prominent historical figures. The meaning investment category reflects how students infuse historical knowledge with personal and cultural meanings. Epistemic investment captures their perspectives on the epistemic nature of historical knowledge. These categories collectively illustrate that students’ approaches to historical knowledge go beyond acquiring factual information; they critically interpret and integrate it into their identities. It was observed that students tend to perceive history as a guide and possess a certain level of epistemic awareness, which leads them to verify historical knowledge and assess it from multiple perspectives. Their interest in history appears to be fueled primarily by themes of war, triumph, and the extraordinary.