MOŽNOSTI ROZVÍJANIA KRITICKÉHO ZMÝŠĽANIA ŠTUDENTOV PROSTREDNÍCTVOM VYUČOVANIA DEJEPISU

The article discusses the meaning of history classes in primary and secondary schools and the possibilities of turning history classes into means of developing critical thinking skills among the students. Three main problems of present-day history education are identified in the article: focusing on historical narratives, emphasizing of conflicts in past and creating the image of the glorious past of one’s own nation, which leads to the spreading of stereotypes about the self and the other. The author proposes the idea that history education could be improved by stimulating the students to work individually with the sources, by introducing lessons on historiography and history of ideas into primary and secondary education, and by developing discussions on current social problems and their historical roots within history classes themselves.