Students’ use and perception of history textbooks in Grades 9 to 13: a retrospective study revealing general insights and latent profiles

This quantitative study reveals the usage of history textbooks in upper secondary school settings in comparison with already published data taken from lower secondary school settings. A retrospective survey was conducted using a sample of 147 Austrian university students from different disciplines to identify distinct profiles of history textbook use in relation to students’ conception of history through latent profile analyses and other quantitative approaches. The analyses reveal two clusters of students’ perceptions of how they acquire historical knowledge through textbooks. The results suggest that students who more frequently worked with textbooks in their history classes showed a greater tendency towards content orientation. More frequent detailed interaction with the textbook (that is, reading authorial texts and solving tasks) promotes critical comprehension of historical content. Options for further research are also discussed.