What impact does background have on initial teacher trainees' conceptions of teaching history to primary school pupils?

This article arises from a project on the nature of primary school teachers' initial conceptions of historical learning. There was a sense from the author's situated practice that trainees' perceptions of what constitutes worthwhile learning about history is determined in significant part by their backgrounds and primarily their experiences of being taught history at school. Given the limited experience of formal history education for many trainees beyond the age of fourteen, background or the lack of background exposure seemed to have a significant influence in determining conceptions of history. Paired interviews of trainees were undertaken to ascertain their memories of being taught history. The trainees were also asked to comment on their own approaches to working with historical sources to help cast light on whether these conceptions influenced their approach to teaching and learning about primary history. Their answers appeared to demonstrate the way that prior learning can shape prospective teachers' approaches to teaching history. It may also indicate the need for continued professional development for trainees and newly qualified teachers to give them more powerful conceptions of disciplinary approaches to teaching and learning the subject.