Mogoryta V. Transformation of the contents of history textbooks for comprehensive schools of Ukraine (1991–2017)

A retrospective analysis of the definition of the content of school history textbooks, its transformation during 1991–2017, gave grounds to distinguishing the trends in the formation of the content of history textbooks: the focus shift of the content of school history education, and hence the content of school textbooks, from the system of knowledge to developing competences; shift of emphasis from explanatory-illustrative to problematic way of presentation of educational material, controversial presentation of historical events; the establishment of a motivational component in the content of textbooks through the design of the process of self-study; the increasing productivity of the content of the textbooks, which ensures their ability to fulfill the role of the study book, optimization of the volume of educational material. This made it possible to substantiate the periodization of the formation of the content of school textbooks on history, based on which criteria are set: the content of the textbooks complies with the requirements of the State standards of basic and complete general secondary education, curricula on the subject; the ability of the structural components of school textbooks of history to ensure the implementation of state requirements to the level of general education of students; didactic opportunities for the effective use of the content of textbooks on history in the organization of cognitive activities of schoolchildren.