How Is the Concept of Historical Time Presented in Elementary Social Studies Textbooks? – Focusing on Grade 3 Social Studies Textbooks under the 2022 Revised Curriculum -

This study analyzes the content of eight elementary social studies textbooks with regard to the concept of time, which is introduced as part of “historical concepts” in the first semester of Grade 3, when formal history education begins in elementary school.<br/> Based on this analysis, the study proposes several directions for improving the presentation of the time concept in current textbooks.<br/> First, it is suggested that instructional design could incorporate the concept of evidence by engaging students in collecting historical sources and constructing timelines related to themselves, their families, and their school.<br/> Second, timelines should be taught not only as products to be created but also as skills to be read and interpreted. In current textbook practices, events listed in timelines may be mistakenly perceived as changes in themselves; therefore, it is necessary to include guiding questions that help students identify and interpret change within timelines.<br/> Third, with regard to temporal vocabulary, it is necessary to present time-related expressions drawn from students’ immediate contexts in order to support the development of chronological understanding.<br/> Finally, concerning the sense of period, many textbooks tend to place this aspect within the domain of evidence. This suggests the need to clarify the instructional purpose of teaching the time concept—specifically, what students are expected to learn through it.