Action Research of Applying Historical Characters to Enrich Historical Teaching Materials ─ Take Empress Dowager Ci Xi as an Example

• Main Authors: Tzu-Ling Yeh, 葉紫玲
• Other Authors: Kuang-Chou Tsui
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/16501872773164596772

碩士 === 國立東華大學 === 教育研究所 === 97 === This study aims to use historical characters to enrich historical teaching. Students are expected to cultivate the abilities of analyzing history and of thinking multiply by means of the examples of historical characters. The study also offers some related strategies to improve historical teaching and to enrich the connotation of the teaching. Students are eventually expected to have the cultivation of humanities and emotions as well as to have the abilities of introspection, analysis and participation through the teaching and learning process. The study is an action research. First of all, the content of the ending years of the Ching Dynasty and the character of Empress Dowager Ci Xi were selected. During the research process, students were found to have limited knowledge about some historical concepts due to the simplification of the teaching materials. However, the life of Empress Dowager Ci Xi has a lot of happiness and sorrows. Her life is like a very colorful book. As a result, the study focuses on applying Ci Xi as an example to breakthrough and to enrich historical teaching. The combinations of analyzing the contents of the teaching materials and of supplementing more useful historical reading materials were used in the classes. In addition to discussing the topics together, the researcher and the students learned to broaden their views by multiple thinking. By doing so, students started to comprehend the history and interact with the researcher through writing the weekly diaries, letters, worksheets and so on. Through revising the teaching methods constantly, the researcher discovered that not only the historical teaching but also the teaching materials have multiple ways to present. Therefore, in order to make the teaching materials vivid and colorful, songs, poems, comic books, viewpoints from foreigners were used to arouse the students’ learning interests. By means of actual teaching activities, the usefulness of applying historical characters to enrich historical teaching materials is listed below. First, to arouse students’ learning motivation. Second, to understand the Ching Dynasty better. Third, to present the multiple viewpoints. Fourth, to increase the ability of studying history. Fifth, to comprehend the history through empathy. History is the base of all subjects. But, it is often neglected and less emphasized by students. Actually, students should not have a dislike for this subject as long as teachers pay more attention to the content of the materials and adjust the teaching strategies when needed. For example, teachers can motivate students’ learning by telling historical stories or arouse their thinking abilities by discussing the related topics. By doing so, students will be willing to learn more and start to comprehend the history as well as to learn the valuable life experience from the examples of historical characters.