Abstract

         The present study aims to identifying the historical skills required for intermediate school pupils from the viewpoint of teachers of history and the order of these historical skills, according to their importance from the point of view of the research sample.

       To achieve the aim of the research, the researcher used the descriptive approach(survey),the research community consisted of (182) teachers (male & female) of the history in intermediate schools in the centre of the holy Karbala province.

       A sample of (127) teachers of history, the questionnaire (as the tool for the research) has been prepared after the researcher having conducted a survey and after having a look on the aim of teaching social sciences in general and on history in particular, together with having a look on the studies and the researcher which dealt with some of the historical skills, and the history syllabus for intermediate schools of the academic year (2010-2011).

       To test the validity of the tool of the research, the researcher has chosen the face validity and has given it to (15) experts, as a result, the questionnaire in its final version, consisted of the (88) skills distributed in to (14) fields, For the purpose of finding the stability of the tool, a researcher adopted the test method and re- test, a sample of (30) teachers of history reliability the tool (0.85).

The following statistical means have been exploited by the researcher:

       Pearson’s correlation coefficient and the weighted average, weight percentile, and Chi-square (Ka 2).

After analyzing the data showed the following results have been obtained:

       The number of the historical skills whose weight percentage was more than (90) was only one, while the number of skills whose weight percentage was between (80-90) was (43), and the number of those between (70-80) was (38), and the number of those between (60-70) was (6), and this shows that the teachers of history, in spite of the difference in opinions and viewpoints as to the importance of each skill of the historical skills that pupils of intermediate school should acquired, but this inevitably showed the importance of these skills and the necessity of teaching them to pupils of this important stage.

In the light of the findings obtained, the researcher put forward the following recommendations:

1.During the teaching process, teachers of history at intermediate stage should highlight the skills mentioned in this research.

2.The historical skills mentioned in this research should be included within the history curriculum taught to intermediate school pupils.

3.Give emphasis to modern teaching methods when teaching history of the intermediate stage, which proved effective in giving pupils the skills of history.

4.providing modern technology together with all communication means (such as the Internet) in schools so as to study of history with understanding and also to enable pupils acquire the skills need for them.

5.Issuing a guide for teachers of history which includes the historical skills necessary for intermediate school pupils.

6.The ministry of Education is required to conduct ongoing courses for teachers of history and whose syllabus consists of historical skills.

The researcher suggests that the following studies should be carried out: –

1.Carry out researches and Studies to know the extent of the contribution of teachers of history in developing the historical skills of the pupils of different study stages.

2.Carry out experimental studies in order to know the effect each historical skill has on pupils achievement and motivation.

3.Carry out Studies aiming at developing the historical skills of pupils using different strategies and methods of teaching.