The Key to Success in GCSE and A-Level History
Factual Knowledge or Critical Thinking?
‘Facts’ vs Critical Skills
History continues to be an immensely popular subject at both GCSE and A-level. Recent data shows that:
In 2024, history was the second most popular Arts, Humanities, and Social Science (AHSS) A-Level subject, after Psychology.
From 2022-2023 GCSE entries increased significantly by 3.6%, from 5,349,250 to 5,543,840.
However, while history remains a respected and favoured subject, debates about how history should be taught, and the best way to assess students’ aptitude, are as old as the subject itself.
A key point of contention among historians and educators is whether history teaching and assessment should focus on learning factual knowledge about the past, or the cultivation of pupils’ skills to think critically and analyse history for themselves.
Essentially, the debate boils down to this: should history students be taught and assessed by prioritising the recall of key information like dates, historical figures, battles, laws and culture, or should they be taught primarily to hone their ability to analyse sources, assess and weigh-up evidence, and form their own interpretations? Crudely put for shorthand; ‘facts’ vs ‘critical skills’.
What Do Historians Say?
Both sides of the debate have seen eminent, well-known historians intervene in their favour. Historian Richard Evans, an alumnus of Jesus College, University of Oxford, and author of major works on European history (including his brilliant 3-volume history of the Third Reich) is firmly in the ‘critical skills’ camp. Evans believes history is by its nature a critical discipline.
For him, history is uniquely suited to teaching pupils to analyse sources, arguments and events for themselves, and come up with their own interpretations based on a balanced assessment of evidence. History’s focus should be on cultivating these critical reasoning skills, which sharpen a student’s ability to think and reason more generally. History teaching and assessment, in Evan’s view, should reflect this.
Directly challenging Evans, the well-known historian Niall Fergusson (Professor at Stanford University and author of 14 major works of history) believes that students benefit most by prioritising factual content. How can we expect students to critically analyse, for example, a diary entry by Winston Churchill on the eve of the First World War, without first learning crucial context and information about the time in which it was written, and the author who penned it?
Furthermore, only by giving pupils a broad and deep factual basis in a historical period can they construct a meaningful ‘narrative’ about the past and understand key historical concepts like ‘causation’ and ‘significance’. History teaching and assessment should prioritise this fundamental basis of factual knowledge - without which critical skills and analysis lack essential content and substance.
Why is this debate among historians misleading? And how can your child succeed at GCSE and A-Level history?
Frustratingly, both sides of the debate are correct, but their analysis is one-sided. If you want your child to succeed at history GCSE or A-Level, factual knowledge about the past and critical reasoning skills are both essential for unlocking the top grades.
The history exam syllabi for GCSE and A-Level emphasise the use of examples from history as crucial for demonstrating knowledge. Factual knowledge allows pupils to support their arguments and demonstrate understanding of historical context, and must form the necessary building blocks of their answers. For longer exam questions especially, answers which achieve the top marks ensure that facts underpin all the key points of the argument - while weighing up evidence and building to a strong, balanced conclusion.
At Humanitas Learning, our history tutors are experts in the exam syllabi for GCSE and A-Level, across all major examining bodies. They will guide your child through the exam specification, centring their learning around mastering the techniques necessary to reach the highest marks. Model answers, past papers and common pitfalls are explored in detail, giving our students the skills they need for success.
Unlock your child's full potential in history with our exceptional team of passionate PhD candidates. Beyond just exam preparation, we empower students to delve deeper into the fascinating world of history, exceeding syllabus expectations. Our experts equip your child with the advanced knowledge and critical methodologies necessary to impress examiners, including insightful analysis of primary and secondary sources. By mastering history, your child will not only excel in this subject but also experience significant improvements in related fields like English Literature and Religious Studies. Furthermore, our tuition cultivates vital reading, writing, and critical thinking skills, ensuring your child's academic success across the board.
Through an individualised learning plan and regular progress reviews, we focus on boosting your child’s grades and nurturing their confidence inside and outside of the classroom.
