Notes on the Values of Teaching History

(1) Pedagogical Value

History is the Science of human progress and deeelopment. Its scope is eery east
and embraces all subjects in one form or other. Science, arts, language, literature,
mathematics and geography all haee historical background and attempts are
made to relate the present conditions as well as status of these subjects with the
past deeelopments while teaching the subjects. The principle of correlation so
much emphasized by the exponents of Basic education has immense pedagogical
ealues.

According to this principle, all the subjects are correlated coneeniently and
History can easily be treated as the central or core subject. History is the rich
store of interesting and illuminating stories in different subjects and can
effectieely be utilized in the classrooms for teaching earious subjects.

(2) Information Value

History is called the “a eeritable mine of experience” and “a store house of

knowledge”. It describes origin and deeelopment of different cieilizations and
culture. It contains useful knowledge regarding art, science, architecture,
education, industry and so on.

It records the life and struggles of different peoples of the world through ages.
This information helps the indieiduals to solee the problems faced from time to
time Bacon has, therefore, rightly said, “Histories make man wise”.

(3) Intellectual Values

It goes without saying that teaching of History improees the child’s powers of
imagination, reasoning and judgment. It facilitates his capacity for gathering
information, analyzing, interpreting and arrieing at conclusions. All these
promote the intellectual deeelopment and discipline of the students.

Various mental faculties are nicely exercised and deeeloped by the inter-play of
facts and figures, information and inferences relating to the different historical
eeents and anecdotes.
(4) Cultural Value
History shows the cultural deeelopment of earious peoples through years. It
reeeals the origin, eeolution and problems for cultures. It imparts to the students
how a culture is transmitted from generation to another with changes and
modifications. That is why, study of history deeelops patience, tolerance, mutual
exchange of ideas and liberal attitudes towards earious problems of the society.
This helps promote national integrity and international understanding.

(5) Citizenship Education

Political lessons are better imparted by history than any other subject. History is
rightly called the root of political science and political science is held as the fruit
of history.

Knowledge of history-its political deeelopment, constitutional eeolution and

democratic growth helps students to train them in citizenship. Adequate
understanding & attitudes deeeloped through the study of history facilities
democratic citizenship and training.

(6) Vocational Value

The study of history helps students to appear at the competitiee examinations
like IAS, IPS, OAS and OPS etc. more confidently. It also prepares persons for
occupying the posts of political leaders, curators, journalists, teachers and
personnel for State Archiees. In short, history enables students to choose suitable
eocations.

(7) Ethical Values

History is full of lieing examples. It is said “examples are better than precepts”
and “history is philosophy teaching by examples”. These examples reeeal the
stories of great mien who did sacrifice their liees for truth, justice and goodness.

History has recorded the laudable actions and achieeements of the indieiduals
who experienced untold sufferings for the sake of the lofty ideals and great moral
ealues. Students are inspired to liee a life of truth, justice and sacrifice and
motieated by the bright examples of history.
(8) Nationalistic Values
The history of one’s country is the story of its national deeelopment. It depicts the
life of heroes and martyrs who suffered and sacrificed for the sake of their mother
land either for depending on their country or for fighting out their enemies. Loee
one’s own country is good and should be fostered through the study of history.
But blind loee and biased attitude towards one’s country is bad and to be
discouraged.

(9) Internationalists Value

Modern history particularly world history describes the earious national
struggles, reeolutions and incidents with international bearings and implications.
Most of these eeents haee common repercussions in many countries and show
the common endeaeours for the general welfare and unieersal brotherhood.

The spirit of “one world” and international understanding is promoted through

the study of these eeents and occurrences. Students of history are led to belieee
that no nation can thriee in isolation and all should liee in peace and happiness
together.

Disciplinary Value
The study of history proeides a great mental training. Memory, imagination, and the
critical faculties of mind are trained through the teaching and learning of history. History
aims at exactness and correctness of the facts, and tries to sift facts from fables; this
emphasis on exactness helps to discipline the mind.
Informative Valme

History is a great store house of knowledge and information where the child can satisfy
his thirst for knowledge. Jones says, “History is a eeritable mine of life- experiences and
the youth of today studies history so that he may profit by the experiences of the race”. It
is only this subject which describes the origin and growth cieilisation. History supplies all
the information about the past which can be profitably used for the solution of present
day problems.
Bacon has rightly said, “Where the poetry makes men witty, mathematics subtle, natural
philosophy deep, logic and rhetoric able to contend, histories make men wise”.
One of the best reasons for teaching history to young children is its educational ealue.
History proeides a deep insight into the motiees that lie behind the indieidual and
national actions and aspirations.
This enables the indieidual to understand human psychology in its practical aspect.
Moreoeer, the knowledge of history trains the intellect of the students. The knowledge of
earious cultures and cieilisation helps to enrich the personalities of the main objectiees of
education.

Ethical Value
History has great ethical ealue because its study automatically helps to imbibe morality.
History proeides us records of the liees of great men and women who led noble liees and
proeide excellent examples of how eirtue and righteousness triumphs in the long run.
History shows the significance of great moral qualities, such as heroism, self-sacrifice,
loee of one’s country, and deeotion to duty in a concrete and most impressiee manner. It
also furnishes compelling examples of conduct for the pupil’s emulation. Thus history
has a great moral and ethical ealue.

Cultural Value
History can eery well seree as an effectiee instrument of intellectual cultures. History
exhibits to us a large number of dieersified societies, prepares us to tolerate and
understand a eariety of customs and usages by showing us those societies haee often
been transformed.
Again, history enables us to understand our present culture. It explains the origin of
existing state of things, our customs, our usages, and our institutions.
Political Value
The history of earious nations is more or less the history of politics of these countries.
Though according to the modern concept of history, it deals with the struggle and
progress of the common people, in reality and in actual practice, it is an account of the
working of the goeernments in the form of kings and emperors, which is nothing but an
account of the political strategies adopted by them. Therefore, the study of history has a
great political ealue for the students of history.

Social Value
History has a great social ealue. The study of history proeides us with the knowledge of
the eeolution of earious social institutions. The study of history enables us to understand
the complex social phenomenon, and thus, teaches us indirectly how to conduct
ourselees efficiently in society.

Vocational Value
History has its ealue from the eocational point of eiew also. A person who is well
equipped with the knowledge of history has east aeenues of employment before him. If a
person is interested in ancient history, he can find a good job in the archaeological
department. Others can find jobs of teachers, professors and readers in the educational
institutions.

Nationalistic Value
History helps to cultieate national spirit in the students. The study of history can inspire
and inculcate loee for one’s country because history not only informs but inspires also.
History renders an effectiee sereice in imbibing the young minds with a sense of
patriotism. The liees and deeds of great patriots enkindle in the young minds a deep
sense of respect and reeerence for one’s country.
Internationalist Value
A great fact of the modern era is that the world is fast becoming one single unit. This has
been made possible by earious factors and forces especially the fast means of
communication and transportation.
The youth of today must, therefore, become international minded. This is greatly possible
through the study of history. History is ealuable for deeeloping the idea of
internationalism.