The impact of archaeology on history teachers' pedagogy

Although recent research advises that professional development should be active and engage participants through personal discovery, most Australian history teachers tend to experience passive, didactic teaching delivered in lectures, symposia, and workshops. Few offerings provide opportunities for teachers to participate in immersive discovery learning that is relevant to their teaching needs. In this article we examine the impact of a 5-day archaeology professional development experience designed to give teachers practical knowledge and experience of archaeology, enliven their teaching of history, and improve their students’ literacy capabilities.