Teaching history to ten-year-olds in England and Romania

Three history lessons taught to ten-year-olds in Bucharest, Romania and three in Cumbria, England were video-recorded, in an attempt to identify common characteristics of good practice, irrespective of differences in cultures, schools, resources and curriculum, as a positive foundation for further dialogue between the participating schools. The transcribed texts were analysed using categories of historical questioning. This paper outlines key findings, then focuses on a comparison of one English and one Romanian lesson in which whole class teaching was supported by group discussion. It is suggested that further exploration of the links between whole class questioning and group discussion using the framework devised could support teachers in different countries to work collaboratively to develop pupils’ historical enquiry.