Romblon State University

San Fernando Campus

San Fernando, Romblon

RSU-SFC TED Form No. 005: Course Module Format

COURSE: READINGS IN THE PHILIPPINES HISTORY

Score:
MODULE 1 (lesson 1)

TOPIC: HISTORY AND HISTORICAL RESEARCH

Name:

Course/Year/Section:

Date:

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. To understand the meaning of history.

2. To examine and assess critically the value of historical evidences and sources.
3. To appreciate the importance of history in the social and national life of the
Philippines.

a. Engage

LEARNING ACTIVITY
Direction: Complete the concept map below. Cite or give at least five (5) words or
phrases related to the word “history”.
 HISTORY

THINK PAD: (5pts.)

Why do we need to study history? Give at least five (5) importance of studying history.

b. Explore

Understand the following concepts:

● HISTORY- it is the record of past event.

● Past- gone by in time and no longer existing.
● Prehistory – a condition leading up to a particular occurrence or phenomenon.
● Historicity- historical authenticity.
● Herstory- a feminist perspective about history.
● Historiography- a study of historical writing.
● Historical research- “comprises the techniques and guidelines by which historians use
primary sources and other evidence, including the archaeology, to research and then to
write histories in the form of accounts of the past.”(“Historical method- Wikipedia,” 2017)

c. Explain

NOTE: The following are compiled lectures, topics and readings taken directly from authors duly
acknowledged in the reference section.

❖ DEFINITIONS OF HISTORY (Solmerano, et.al., 2018)

History is:
● A recitation of unrelated facts that do not contribute to a larger story.
 ● An agreed upon set of facts or a forever fixed story that is never subjected to a changes
and updates.
● A simple acceptance of what is written about a historical topic, event o person.
● A simple historical chronology of famous dates, incidents, and people.
● A strict reliance solely on the past with no examination of how the past has influenced
the present or how it may influence the future.
● About one absolute truth, one particular perspective, or one sets of facts and figures.
● A chronological storytelling in its finest form; it sequentially weaves together many
related historical and contemporary events and ideas that are linked to a larger story.

Definitions of History: (Candelaria & Alporha, 2018).

History is:
● A study of the past, the events that happened in the past, and the causes of such
event.
● Derived from a Greek word “ historia “ which means “ knowledge acquired through
inquiry or investigation
Historia – known as the account of the past of a person or of a group of people through
written documents and historical evidences.
Historian – person who seek historical evidences and facts; and also interpret these
facts. His job is to give meaning to these facts and organize them into timeline, establish
causes, and write history.

Some other definitions of the nature of history:

● History is interpretative; it invites students to debate multiple perspectives, offer their
opinions and educated interpretations, and challenge existing beliefs.
● History is revisionist in scope; it is an on-going conversation and a constant process of
re-examining the past and deconstructing myths based upon new discoveries,
evidence and perspectives.
● History is a constant process of questioning; it requires questioning the texts, examining
them with a critical eye, and asking new questions.
● History is integrative of many disciplines; it especially incorporates geography, literature,
art, sociology, economics and political science.
● History is inclusive; it ensures that the experiences of all classes, regions and ethno-racial
groups, both genders are included.
● History incorporates historiography; in includes many different interpretations of historical
events written by many different historians.
● History is relevant; it uses past experiences to explain what is important in our lives today.

Different approaches to the study of history:

● Idealism –the belief that the history can be described in terms of ideas- what people
thought and the intent behind their actions.
● Historicism – its premise is that “the autonomy of the past must be respected” (Tosh 6).
Each age has its own values, and events should be described within the context of
those values.
 ● Relativism- the belief that there is no absolute truth and that all views of history are valid.
● Analytical approach- needed to accurately present historical events. For an argument
to be valid, it should be based on sound evidence.
● Cliometric approach – very useful to the historian. Cliometrics is quantitatively expressing
history through statistics and mathematics.

Despite of the approaches taken, historians have many issues to deal with:
● Social memory
● Understanding causation
● How they present history to us
● Censorship and manipulation

Relevance of studying history:

● States use history to unite a nation.
● It can be used as a tool to legitimize regimes and forge a sense of collective identity
through collective memory.
● Lessons from the past can be used to make sense of the present.
● Learning of past mistakes can help people to not repeat them.
● Being reminded of a great past can inspire people to keep their good practices to move
forward.

WHY STUDY HISTORY

History – both knowledge of the past and the practice of researching and making sense of what
happened in the past – is crucially important to the welfare of individuals, communities and the
future of our nation.
The study of history is essential for the following reasons according to processhistory.org, as cited
by Solmerano, et.al. (2018).

● To Ourselves
Identity – “History nurtures personal identity in an intercultural world. It enables people to
discover their own place in the stories of their families, communities, and nation”.
Critical Skills – “History teaches critical 21st century skills and independent thinking.”

● To Our Communities
Vital places to live and work – “History lays the groundwork for strong, resilient
communities.
Economic Development – “History is a catalyst for economic growth”

● To Our Future
Engaged Citizens – “History helps people craft better solutions”.
 Leadership – “History inspires local and global leaders”.
Legacy _ “History, saved and preserved, is the foundation for future generations

HISTORY DIFFERENTIATED (Solmerano, et.al, 2018)

1. History vs. Past

Past involves everything that ever happened since the dawn of time- every thought and
action of man or woman on earth, every leaf that fall in the tree, and every chemical
change in this universe and others.”
History is a process of interpreting evidence or records from the past in a thoughtful and
informed way. It is the narrative that gives meaning, sense, and explanation to the past
in the present.

2. History vs. Prehistory

History and prehistory show differences between them in their nature and substance. The
main difference between history and prehistory is the existence of records.
History is the record of significant events that happened in the past.
Prehistory is the period of human activity prior to the intervention of writing systems.

3. History vs. The Other Disciplines

No discipline is an island. In the past hundreds of years or so, the ways that we study,
write, and teach history have changed dramatically, often because of influence from the
other disciplines.

4. History, Historicity, and Historiography

History is a narrative account used to examine and analyse past events.
Historicity is the authentication of characters in history, as opposed to legendary myth.
Historiography is the writing of history, and the understanding of how the interpretations
of historian change over time. It is the history of history.

5. History vs. Herstory

The word “history” (from Greek iotopia, historia, meaning “inquiry, knowledge acquired
by investigation”) is etymologically unrelated to the possessive pronoun his. Traditionally,
history has been defined as” the study of the past as it is described in written documents.
“Feminists argued that it’s been men ( “his”, ” story”) who usually have been the ones to
record the written past.
Herstory is history written from a feminist perspective, emphasizing the role of women, or
told from a woman’s point of view. It is neologism coined as a pun with the word “history”
as a part of a feminist critique of conventional historiography, which in their opinion is
traditionally written as “ his history” ( “History”, 2018; “Herstory,” 2018)

DEFINING HISTORICAL RESEARCH

Historical research “comprises the techniques and guidelines by which historians use
primary sources and other evidence, including the archaeology, to research and then to
write histories in the form of accounts of the past.”(“Historical method- Wikipedia,” 2017)
The historical approach “is employed by researchers who are interested in reporting events
and/or conditions that occurred in the past. An attempt is made to establish facts in order
to arrive at conclusions concerning past events or predict future events.”(Key, 1997)

Examples of Historical Research

1. From Chalkboard to Whiteboard : A Historical Study of Teaching Instruction
2. A study of effects of the historical decisions of the Philippine Supreme Court on
Philippine prison
3. A study of the evolution of print journalism in the Philippines through a study
collections of newspapers (BCPS, 2010)

❖ THE PURPOSES OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH

● The main purpose of Historical Research is to describe and examine events of the past
to understand the present and anticipate potential future effects.

● The purpose of historical research is to reach insights or conclusions about past persons
or occurrences. Historical research entails more than simply compiling and presenting
factual information; it also requires interpretation of the information. (“ Historical
Research Methods, “ n.d)

● Educational researches conduct historical studies for a variety of reasons, but perhaps
the most frequently cited is to help people learn from past failures and successes.
(Fraenkel and Wallen, n.d.)

● History focus on particular individuals, social issues and links between the old and the
new. (“Historical Research Method,”n.d.)

● Histories are powerful because they both create and reinforce collective identities.
Without a history it is difficult to know who one is, where one comes from or where one is
headed. It is difficult to belong or have direction.

❖ CHARACTERISTICS OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH

● It focuses exclusively on the past. (Fraenkel & Wallen, n.d.)

● It is not a mere accumulation of facts and data or even a portrayal of past events.
● Involves the process of collecting and reading the research material collected and
writing the manuscript from the data collected.
● It deals with the discovery of data that already exists and does not involve creation of
data using structured tools.
● It is analytical in that it uses logical induction.
● It has a variety of foci such as issues, events, movements and concepts.
● It records and evaluates the accomplishments of individuals, agencies or institutions
(University of Calicut, n.d.)

❖ ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH

ADVANTAGES
● Main advantage is that it permits the investigation of topics that could be studied in no
other way. It is the only research method that can study evidence from the past
(Fraenkel& Wallen,n.d.).
● Historical method is well suited for trend analysis.
● Research is not physically involved in the situation under study.
● No danger ofexperimenter –subject interaction.
● Documents are located by the researcher, data is gathered, and conclusions are
drawn out of sight.

DISADVANTAGES
● A disadvantage is that controlling for many of the threats to internal validity is not
possible in historical research (Fraenkel & Wallen, n.d.)
● The researcher cannot control for threats to internal validity.
● Limitations are imposed due to the content analysis.
● Researchers cannot ensure representation of the sample.
● There is bias in interpreting historical sources.
● Interpreting sources is very time consuming
● Availability of sources of historical materials may be problematic.
● There is lack of control over external variables.

❖ STEPS IN HISTORICAL RESEARCH

Four essential steps in doing historical study ( Fraenkel and Wallen,n.d.; University of
Calicut, n.d.) as cited by Solmerano ,et.al. (2018).
1. Identifying a topic/ subject and defining the problem or hypothesis to be investigated;
2. Searching for sources of data and other relevant source materials;
3. Summarizing and evaluating the sources the researcher is able to locate;
4. Analyzing, synthesizing and interpreting the evidence obtained and then drawing
conclusions about the problem or hypothesis.
 d. Elaborate

Direction: Do the following activities:

A. Define the following terms:
● History
● Historian
● Prehistory
● Historicity
● Historical Research
B. Essay
❖ Why study history?
❖ Differentiate the following:
● History from the Past
● History from Herstory
● History from Historiography
C. By means of a song, a poem or an acrostic (on the word HISTORY), show the importance
of history.

EVALUATION

A. MULTIPLE CHOICE:
Direction: Match each of the following terms with the correct definition.Write the letter of the
correct answer in the space provided.
A. Herstory E. Idealism I. Historical Research
B. History J. Artefacts
C. Historian F. Oral History K. Historicity
D. Historicism G. Prehistory L. Relativism
H. Historiography

______1. A person who studies the events of the past.

______2. The study of what happened in the past; a record of past events.
______3. Act of producing a work that attempts to depict an accurate representation of the real
past. This approach inhibits our ability to fully learn from mistakes of the past.
_____ 4. Any view that stresses the central role of the ideal or the spiritual in the interpretation of
experience. Belief that history can be described in terms of ideas.
______5. It is the history of history; thus, the object of study is history itself. The study of the methods
of historians in developing history as an academic discipline.
_____ 6. Events that occurred before the existence of written records in a given culture or
society.
_____ 7. It is a qualitative research that involve examining past events to draw conclusions and
make predictions about the future.
_____ 8. Information about the past gathered from interviews with people.
_____ 9. What do you called to the authentication of characters in history, as opposed to
legend or myth (Solmerano, et.al., 2018).
_____ 10. History presented from a feminist point of view or with special attention to the
experience or role of women.
B. TRUE OR FALSE.
Direction: Write TRUE if the statement is true, and write FALSE if the statement is false. Write
your answer in the space provided before the number.
______1. The historians are the only source of history.
______2. Historical sources that were not written should not be used in writing history.
______3. History enables people to discover their own place in the stories of their families,
communities and nation.
_____ 4. It is the historian’s job not just to seek historical evidences and facts but also to interpret
these facts.
______5. History is not a catalyst for economic growth.
______6. Other says, history has no use for the present. Therefore, the saying “past is past” is true.
______7. The main purpose of historical research is to describe and examine events of the past,
the present, and the future.
______8. Historical research uses logical induction.
______9. In historical research, interpreting sources is very time consuming.
_____ 10. Historical research deals with discovery of data that already exists.

VIII. REFERENCES

BOOKS
● Candelaria, JL.P. and Alporha,V.C. (2018). Readings in philippine history. Quezon
City: Rex Book Store, Inc.
● Solmerano, ET.M. et.al. ( 2018). Readings in philippine history. Manila: Fastbooks
Educational Supply ,Inc.

Prepared by:

JAPHET Q. PORSONA
LECTURER
ANNEX 1

Rubrics

Essay

Content 50 %

(Relevance to the theme, appropriateness of the language, comprehensiveness, clarity of

thought)

Organization 30%

(Unity, coherence, style)

Mechanics 20%

(Punctuation, spelling, capitalization, grammar, format)

Total 100%

Poem /Acrostic/ Song

Content 50 %

(Relevance to the theme, appropriateness of the language, comprehensiveness, clarity of

thought)

Organization 20%

(Unity, coherence, style)

Mechanics 20%
(Punctuation, spelling, capitalization, grammar, format)

Overall Impact 10%

Total 100%

Proofread by:

SHIELA R. RADA, MAED

BSED Coordinator

Validated by:

REYNALDO GUGA, PH.D.

Head, Teacher Education Department
Recommended for Approval by:

CARMEN J. RIVA, PH.D.

Dean of Instruction

Approved by:

EMELIA B. RAMOS, PH.D.

Campus Director