The scientification of history education in Indonesian secondary schools: 1957–2013

The scientification of history education refers to the ongoing process of transforming history teaching and learning into a scientific discipline. This shift marks a paradigm change, viewing history not just as a narrative of the past, but as a field of scientific inquiry. This article analyzes the process of scientification in history education in Indonesia from the early years of independence to the post-Reformation era (1957–2013). The central question explores how this transformation influenced the theory and practice of history teaching in the country. Using content analysis, the study examines curriculum documents and history textbooks from 1957 to 2013. The findings indicate that the early stages of scientification began with the Indonesian History Seminar in December 1957 and continued through Curriculum 1964 to Curriculum 1995. The process reached its peak with Curriculum 2004, which introduced detailed descriptions of historical research methods in textbooks, signaling a commitment to scientific approaches in understanding and reconstructing history. Additionally, Curriculum 2013 formally mandated the use of a scientific approach in history education, influencing teaching methods, textbooks, and assessment models.