Images of Time

What makes history difficult to learn is the fact that one has to travel in time. Studying events and circumstancesfrom a time perspective different from our own is something that doesn't come naturally to people. Itis an ability that has to be acquired.This book discusses teaching and learning history from the perspective of passage of time. Time experiencesexist in different shapes and dimensions one of which is historical time. The specific characteristics of thekind of time are defined in this study based on philosophical and psychological insights as well as on theoryof history. The differences with other kinds of time such as daily time and social time are outlined. Six keyconcepts of historical time are then defined: chronology periodization relics anachronism contingency andgenerations - meaning a specific way of dealing with the generations of our predecessors. The main issuesfor teaching historical thinking are described using these six categories. An inventory is made of what isknown about them from existing research and what questions still need further investigation.An empirical study is reported about the means students preferably use to orient in historical time: timelinesand numbered years attached to events or imaginative-associative contexts? It is demonstrated that 'images of time' are the optimum means for historicalorientation.An historical consciousness of time is essential to an open democratic society. The one-dimensional perspective of the present is broken up it is shownthat alternatives are possible that the present is only the coincidental result of a contingent development and might have been totally different and thatthe views held by people have changed may change now and certainly will change in the future. All of this can enhance tolerance open-mindednessand promote a healthy societal debate. This study provides insights into the kind of history teaching that might be helpful in developing this.