Abstract
We introduce the results of the empirical study that deals with schol instruction in the third grade of elementary school regarding events of the17th November in 1939 and 1989. First, we put the topic in the context of the theoretical framework of the current international development of history education in primary schools, this will be followed by the description of the research methodology.
Afterwards, we will introduce the main research indings. The qualitative, explanatory case studies of three teachers based on observations of their instruction, interviews with them, and analyses of written products made by pupils have shown that primary school age pupils are able to comprehend the meaning of historical events and values of life in a free society.
Teachers can achieve these results by various means. However, they need to respect the developmental abilities of pupils and respond to speciic demands connected with the history subject matter.
These include the demands to grasp time periods, tendency to overestimate the role of well-known personalities (personiication) and to introduce present-day ideas and perspectives into depictions or interpretations of the past (presentism). The study showed that the most effective methods are enquiry-based education methods, such as the oral history approach, and methods based on analyses of the free society life values including interviews in which people who lived in the times of oppression talking about their experiences and feelings.