Vertical Integration of Social Concepts in the Subject of History in Primary School

Abstract

This paper examines the vertical interconnectedness of social concepts in the primary school History curriculum in Montenegro. The study analyzes specific social concepts introduced in the seventh grade and tracks their progression in the eighth and ninth grades. The research aims to determine if the selected concepts from the seventh-grade textbook are adequately elaborated in subsequent grades, ensuring a seamless continuity in history learning. The study investigates whether students are introduced to scientific concepts effectively through history textbooks and assesses if these textbooks meet the essential criteria for presenting concepts to students. The anal ysis of eighth and ninth-grade history textbooks reveals significant concerns, especially considering their official use in primary schools. The examination of introduced concepts indicates that 51.9% (N=94) of concepts in the eighth grade lack proper definitions, while this number increases to 67.2% (N=156) in the ninth grade. Concepts facilitating the zone of proximal development constitute 37.0% (N=67) in the eighth grade and 30.6% (N=71) in the ninth grade. Notably, none of the concepts in the ninth grade (N=232) are connected to previously taught material. There are no repeated concepts with more comprehensive definitions, sufficient examples, or a forward-looking perspective. A com parative analysis demonstrates the absence of vertical interconnectedness across primary school grades, indicating a lack of development in this aspect from the introduction of the history subject in the seventh grade to the ninth grade.