Historical Thinking and Nationalism among Indonesian Junior High School Students

This study examines historical thinking as a predictor of nationalism among Indonesian junior high school students. It addresses the limited empirical evidence on the relationship between historical thinking and nationalism among younger learners. A quantitative explanatory was proposed involving 360 students from 10 junior high schools in Central Java, Indonesia. Data were to be collected using multidimensional instruments measuring historical thinking and nationalism and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The preliminary model presents a positive relationship between historical thinking and nationalism (β = 0.674, t = 16.439, p < .001; R² = 0.454). Perspective-taking and historical contextualization showed relatively stronger contributions to the historical thinking construct. These findings demonstrate the observed patterns in the collected data and provide a basis for further interpretation. The study highlights the potential importance of transforming history education from factual transmission toward inquiry-based and reflective learning that encourages students to evaluate evidence, understand historical perspectives, and develop an inclusive sense of national identity.