The Epistemic Considerations of Post-graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)-History Students: A South African Case Study

This chapter discusses the preliminary findings from a collaborative case study conducted at two South African universities by Post-graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) students registered for a History Methodology course. Using a research design informed by grounded theory and inductive reasoning, we gathered and analysed data which shed light on our students’ journey into and opinions about the teaching of History. By enabling our students’ authentic voices to be heard, we intended to better understand their epistemological considerations towards history as a school subject and the beliefs with which they entered our PGCE-History Methodology classes. The study brought a mosaic of epistemological considerations to the surface for us and highlighted the importance of giving space to history teacher education for critical reflection. Two components of this mosaic which will be unpacked in this chapter are “history is about the present, and it is personal” and “history is African in perspective”.