Page 62 - Balancing between the present and the past

Chapter 3
Additionally, Hartmann and Hasselhorn found good inter-coder consistency (κ = .83) when four coders sorted the items into the three categories (POP, ROA, and CONT). To calculate an HPT score, we used the same scoring system and 4-point scale as Hartmann and Hasselhorn (2008) and Huijgen et al. (2014). The selection of responses in the instrument’s first column of the POP items (Does not fit his situation at all; also see Appendix A) receives 4 points. Second column responses receive 3 points, third column responses are awarded 2 points, and fourth column responses receive 1 point. The role of the historical agent and historical contextualization items had the opposite coding system, i.e., from left to right, as these items reflected good HPT ability. Selecting first column responses yield 1 point, second column responses receive 2 points, third column responses are awarded 3 points, and fourth column responses receive 4 points.
A mean category score was calculated by summing the scores of the items in the category and dividing the total by three (because each category has three items). A total mean HPT score was calculated by adding the different mean category scores and dividing this score by three (because the instrument has three categories). Mean HPT scores < 2.50 denote inadequate ability to perform HPT. The 2.50 limit was chosen because it is the middle of the instrument’s 4-point scale. Mean HPT scores ≥ 2.50 < 3.00 denote adequate ability to perform HPT, scores ≥ 3.00 < 3.50 denote good ability, and scores ≥ 3.50 denote excellent ability.
To test students’ prior chronological knowledge about the historical topic, we included four multiple-choice items in the instrument (see Appendix C). These items focused on important German historical events for the period 1900–1950, such as the year of the great worldwide economic depression and the year Hitler came to power in Germany. We did not ask for more detailed knowledge about significant events and developments during this period because we did not want to reference too much topic knowledge before students were asked to complete the HPT instrument. The four historical events presented in the questions were chosen because of their importance and their relationship to the scenario in the instrument. Each correct answer to a question yielded 1 point, resulting in a maximum score of 4.00.
3.4.3 Research context
In the Netherlands, all children receive elementary education between the ages of 4–12 years. They receive education in, for example, writing, reading, geography,
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