Using historical fiction to engage junior secondary students in the study of history: A case study

There is evidence in the literature that Junior Secondary students are becoming disengaged from school generally and, specifically, find History boring. In this respect, the recently implemented Australian Curriculum: History mandates the content and skills required to be taught in History but gives no pedagogical advice on how engagement can be fostered in the classroom. This research used a three-phase case study approach to an intervention - in the teaching of History to Year 8 students in a Queensland school, utilising historical fiction as a pedagogical tool for engagement. In Phase 1 of the research, a pre-unit survey was conducted to identity student attitudes to learning history. In Phase 2, an in-class intervention using historical fiction was designed and delivered. In Phase 3, the post-intervention focus group interviews were conducted to explore the impact of the use of historical fiction. The results from the research have identified four key insights into student perceptions of the use of historical fiction: • students made a connection between engagement in learning and entertainment; • students responded positively to reading historical fiction; • students thought historical fiction was an effective pedagogical approach to History for first-year high school students; and • students wanted autonomy in how they accessed the historical fiction. The findings from this research can be used by teachers and curriculum leaders as an example of a pedagogical strategy, using historical fiction as a way to affectively engage Junior Secondary students in the study of History.