Is it teaching students to think critically about Angola's history or shaping their national consciousness?

Abstract

The research begins with an initial question: ‘Is it teaching students to think critically about the history of Angola or shaping their national consciousness?’ Its objective is to reflect on the development of critical thinking and the construction of national consciousness during history lessons. The research approach is qualitative, using the bibliographic review method and the analysis-synthesis method. Based on the literature review, we were able to identify theoretical foundations that support critical thinking and the construction of national consciousness during history classes. The analysis-synthesis method helped us to select and reflect on information relevant to our research in order to enable a greater understanding of the development of critical thinking, the construction of historical consciousness, and the construction of national consciousness during history classes. The theoretical foundations that support the development of critical thinking in the teaching and learning of history involve various approaches that draw the attention of history teachers to the need to educate citizens who are capable of analysing, questioning and critically interpreting the past in order to envisage a conscious and better future. The strategies presented for the development of critical thinking in students in the discipline of History may encourage the creativity of history teachers in adopting mechanisms so that students in their classes can be subjects of the teaching-learning process of the discipline of History.