How long is a long time ago? : Teaching historical time in primary school

The purpose of this thesis has been to investigate teachers' perceptions of challenges in teaching the concept of historical time to younger children. The study also aims to explore the methods teachers use and how they perceive these methods impact students' knowledge development. The study is based on a qualitative approach and semi-structured interviews with active teachers in grades F-3. The collected material was then transcribed and analyzed using a thematic analysis method. The results were subsequently analyzed through the lens of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, specifically focusing on cultural tools. The result shows that many teachers perceive historical time as an abstract and inaccessible concept for younger students, which is further complicated by students' limited sense of time and difficulties in relating to historical events. Limited teaching time is also seen as a challenge, leading to the deprioritization of some aspects of historical understanding. Teachers use timelines as the foundation of their teaching, complemented by methods such as historical images, objects, and storytelling in a social learning context. These methods influence students' knowledge development by making historical time more concrete, contextualized, and helping students create an internal image of historical events and patterns. The conclusion showed that teachers' perceptions of challenges in teaching historical time aligned with previous research. Although teachers shared a common belief in the importance of history teaching in primary school, they also pointed out how limited teaching time remains a significant challenge. The conclusion also highlighted that prior research tends to focus primarily on timelines as the main method for understanding historical time. In contrast, teachers use timelines as a foundation in history teaching but emphasize complementary methods. The study provides insights into didactic strategies that can support younger students' understanding of historical time and highlights the need for increased awareness of how teaching can be adapted to foster historical thinking in primary school. Keywords: History education, Historical time, Timelines, History didactics, Sense of time, Sociocultural theory