Testing collective memory. Representing the Soviet Union on multiple-choice questions.

Autor/in	Reich, Gabriel A.
Titel	Testing collective memory. Representing the Soviet Union on multiple-choice questions.
Quelle	In: Journal of curriculum studies, 43 (2011) 4, S. 507-532Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Link als defekt meldenVerfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	online; gedruckt; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0022-0272; 1366-5839
DOI	10.1080/00220272.2011.578665
Schlagwörter	Kollektives Gedächtnis; Multiple-Choice-Verfahren; Curriculum; Geschichte (Histor); Bewertung; Sowjetunion
Abstract	This article tests the assumption that state-mandated multiple-choice history exams are a cultural tool for disseminating an 'official' collective memory. Findings from a qualitative study of a collection of multiple-choice questions that relate to the history of the Soviet Union are presented. The 263 questions all come from New York State Regents exams that were administered between 1980-2010. Test questions were organized by decade, analysed for content, and then synthesized into historical narratives. These narratives were then analysed to see the extent to which they changed as the Soviet Union decayed, collapsed, and then broke up into new nation states. Particular attention was paid to the period that begins with the Cold War and ends with the present situation in post-Soviet Russia. The analysis shows that, despite great upheavals in the history of the Soviet Union, and changes in New York State standards and testing policies, the narrative that exists on these exam questions largely remains the same. This suggests that official narratives are slow to change. Further research should look at the extent to which test-taker knowledge and acceptance of official narratives affect performance on multiple-choice history items.
Erfasst von	IPN - Leibniz-Institut für die Pädagogik der Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik an der Universität Kiel
Update	2013/1