Meaningful learning beyond the textbook: a case study of student experiences during an authentic historical inquiry on local heritage

Increasingly, scholars advocate placing historical inquiry to the fore as a teaching strategy. Moreover, they stress making such inquiries relevant for students by setting up meaningful activities that explicitly establish connections between past, present and future. Nevertheless, the implementation of this pedagogical approach remains limited, and little is known about how students actually perceive and work with meaningful historical inquiry. This case study, conducted as part of teacher research, aims to explore students’ perspectives and to gain an in-depth understanding from their point of view during an authentic historical inquiry that revolved around local heritage. The findings show that the students became actively involved in the project, and reveal that all aspects of the work of historians, from archival investigations through to public presentation, may be offered to students. The findings also provide reflections on the implications for educational practice, particularly regarding what counts as meaningful learning for students in relation to heritage and the role of local cultural resources in the curriculum.