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Mya Brown
Clairice Brown
RC 2001-122
09 September 2021
Discourse Analysis
History and education go hand in hand. In both fields, there is always much learning to
be done by both experts and students. The world is constantly evolving, allowing for new
technology to develop and cultural movements to arise. Current issues and new topics allow for
language to be studied, information to be gathered, and for findings to be published in various
ways.
History is a dynamic subject, so it makes sense that the language changes alongside the
subject. Terms and definitions prominently used in the field gain different meanings amongst
different groups of people. For example, Okumus gives a definition for disadvantaged groups,
but other scholars may disagree with his definition or may feel that it is lacking. 1. Another way
to express opinion is through quotes. Quotes are used throughout both history and education
to help showcase different perspectives and findings. Holcombe uses quotes from an interview
with Asian people to highlight how they are often a forgotten group in American history 2. Cook-
Sather pulls quotes from after a research trial to show how teachers and students can work
1 Okumus, Osman. “History Education for Disadvantaged Groups in Theory and in Practice.”
International Online Journal of Education & Teaching 8, no. 2 (April 2021): 1291–1311.
2 Holcombe, Madeline. “Most US Schools Teach Little to Nothing about Asian American
History and It Hurts Everyone, Experts Say.” CNN Wire, May 31, 2021.
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=edsbig&AN=edsbig.A663627476&site=eds-live&scope=site.
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together to respect each other’s voices3. Definitions and quotes are a great resource for
scholars to prove their knowledge.
A major part of history and education is the collection of knowledge. Polling is a popular
way to gain knowledge about certain topics. Okumus uses polls to show what problems
disadvantaged groups face on the daily4. Data from polls are collected and used to improve on
problems or to educate others. Interviews are another great way of gathering information and
opinions. Interviews and their subject can vary depending on the situation. The interviews
Cook-Sather’s includes in her piece happen after a trial program had occurred, allowing the
interviewee to express their opinion on what went well in the trial and what areas could be
approved upon5. Waxman, Abramson, and De La Garza interview various members in a
community in order to get all sides of an argument regarding critical race theory 6. This
information is scrutinized by scholars and writers for later publication.
All knowledge is eventually published. A published article is an easy way for knowledge
to be shared amongst both historians and educators. Articles can differ in length, subject
3 Cook-Sather, Alison. “Respecting Voices: How the Co-Creation of Teaching and
Learning Can Support Academic Staff, Underrepresented Students, and Equitable Practices.”
Higher Education (00181560) 79, no. 5 (May 2020): 885–901. doi:10.1007/s10734-019-00445-
w.
4 Okumus, Osman. “History Education for Disadvantaged Groups in Theory and in
Practice.” International Online Journal of Education & Teaching 8, no. 2 (April 2021): 1291–
1311.
5 Cook-Sather, Alison. “Respecting Voices: How the Co-Creation of Teaching and
Learning Can Support Academic Staff, Underrepresented Students, and Equitable Practices.”
Higher Education (00181560) 79, no. 5 (May 2020): 885–901. doi:10.1007/s10734-019-00445-
w.
6 Waxman, Olivia B., Alana Abramson, and Alejandro De La Garza. “Past Tense.” TIME
Magazine 198, no. 1/2 (July 5, 2021): 76–84. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=mth&AN=151052815&site=eds-live&scope=site
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matter, and publication place. Articles published by magazines or mainstream news sources can
be ready by anyone and shared easily, such as the piece “Past Tense”7. These compositions
often discuss important issues, like the lack of attention minority groups receive, and deserve
proper discussion, support, and scrutiny8. Other articles are more academic, longer in length,
and contain months and months of research. Often written by scholars and published through
higher institutions such as universities, these articles are more difficult for the general public to
access, such as Cook-Sather’s articles on respect in schools9. Professional journals are similar to
academic articles, but are a bit longer in length, have lots of research, and are written by an
expert in the field. Professor David Childs dedicated his time researching African American
education, and published his professional journal which delves into the topic in great detail 10.
Professional journals are often written for higher institutions such as universities and meant to
be viewed by those who belong to such institutions.
History and education are two connected fields that are constantly changing each day.
Language is debated and re-defined constantly as direct quotes from academic sources and
7 Waxman, Olivia B., Alana Abramson, and Alejandro De La Garza. “Past Tense.” TIME
Magazine 198, no. 1/2 (July 5, 2021): 76–84. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=mth&AN=151052815&site=eds-live&scope=site
8 Holcombe, Madeline. “Most US Schools Teach Little to Nothing about Asian American
History and It Hurts Everyone, Experts Say.” CNN Wire, May 31, 2021.
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=edsbig&AN=edsbig.A663627476&site=eds-live&scope=site.
9 Cook-Sather, Alison. “Respecting Voices: How the Co-Creation of Teaching and
Learning Can Support Academic Staff, Underrepresented Students, and Equitable Practices.”
Higher Education (00181560) 79, no. 5 (May 2020): 885–901. doi:10.1007/s10734-019-00445-
w.
10 Childs, David. “African American Education and Social Studies: Teaching the History
of African American Education within a Critical Pedagogy Framework.” Ohio Social Studies
Review 54, no. 1 (Spring/Summer2017 2017): 44–50.
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people are analyzed. Polling and interviews are constantly happening to record the knowledge
of others. New articles and professional journals are published that discuss new topics and
bring up current issues.
