Download Remembering Our Canadian History: Learning, Knowledge and Pride

REMEMBERING OUR CANADIAN
HISTORY: LEARNING,
KNOWLEDGE AND PRIDE
Jack Jedwab and Julie Perrone
Association for Canadian Studies
July 2, 2013
150 ACS Activities-National History
Conference
ACS will Attempt to have this index
ready for presentation at the PEI
Conference and seeks your input
as to what indicators are best
suited to measure learning,
knowledge, interest and identity
salience.
Methodology
Do we remember what we learned in high school about Canadian
history? Do we remember the name of a high school Canadian history
teacher? Which Canadians most often read about Canadian history?
Which Canadians consider it most important to learn about Canadian
history versus other histories? Which Canadians are most proud of our
history? These questions were part of an effort to map knowledge and
interest in Canadian history undertaken by the Association for
Canadian Studies to mark the inauguration of Canadian History Week
(July 1-8, 2013).
The survey data cited in that which follows was conducted by the firm
Leger Marketing for the Association for Canadian Studies with some
1503 Canadians via web panel between June 10th and 12th. The survey
has a probabilistic margin of error of 2.5 points 19 times out of 20.
SOME SIX IN TEN CANADIANS SAY
MOST OF WHAT THEY KNOW
ABOUT HISTORY WAS LEARNED IN
HIGH SCHOOL
I don't remember much about what I learned in my high school course on Canadian history
(June 2013)
:
Total
absolu :
Total
1503
Man
783
Woman
720
18-24
161
25-34
188
35-44
255
45-54
322
55-64
257
65 +
320
NET
AGREE
47%
40%
54%
51%
47%
45%
48%
47%
46%
Strongly
agree
12%
11%
13%
13%
15%
15%
13%
8%
8%
Somewhat
agree
35%
29%
41%
38%
32%
29%
36%
38%
38%
NET
DISAGREE
45%
53%
38%
43%
47%
43%
44%
46%
47%
Somewhat
disagree
29%
35%
24%
26%
37%
29%
26%
30%
27%
Strongly
disagree
16%
18%
14%
17%
11%
14%
18%
16%
20%
I don't
know
5%
4%
5%
3%
4%
7%
3%
5%
5%
I prefer not
to answer
3%
3%
3%
4%
1%
5%
5%
3%
2%
• 55% of Canadians say they remember the
name of one of their high school Canadian
history teachers
• One-third vividly remember
• 53% between 18-24 vividly remember
• Drops to less than one third as of age 45
• 54% can name at least one popular
Canadian historian
• 27% can do so easily
• One third of respondents agree that my
Canadian history teacher influenced my
attachment to Canada. Less than one in ten
strongly agree
The history I learned in high school provided me with skills that were useful
later in life
Total
50%
Man
52%
Woman
48%
18-24
46%
25-34
40%
35-44
51%
45-54
48%
55-64
54%
65 +
59%
12%
13%
11%
12%
10%
16%
8%
13%
13%
38%
39%
37%
33%
29%
35%
40%
41%
46%
41%
42%
40%
42%
52%
39%
44%
37%
33%
Somewhat
disagree
27%
28%
26%
27%
33%
24%
27%
26%
23%
Strongly
disagree
14%
14%
15%
15%
19%
15%
17%
11%
10%
7%
5%
8%
9%
5%
7%
6%
7%
6%
2%
2%
3%
4%
2%
2%
3%
2%
2%
NET
AGREE
Strongly
agree
Somewhat
agree
NET
DISAGREE
I don't
know
I prefer not
to answer
Canadian History readers rises at age 35
Read books or essays
about Canada's
history
Often
Occasionally
Often and
Occasiona
lly
combined
Rarely
Never
Between 18 and 24
6.2%
21.9%
28.1
39.2%
26.9%
Between 25 and 29
7.0%
19.4%
26.4
39.2%
32.8%
Between 30 and 34
7.0%
21.6%
28.6
36.3%
32.2%
Between 35 and 39
8.8%
27.6%
36.4
38.6%
24.1%
Between 40 and 44
8.3%
29.9%
42.2%
18.1%
Between 45 and 49
5.0%
36.1%
39.7%
18.7%
Between 50 and 54
9.8%
30.7%
40.5
43.6%
15.6%
Between 55 and 59
3.8%
31.0%
34.8
39.2%
25.9%
Between 60 and 64
10.6%
37.1%
35.9%
16.5%
65 years of age or older
11.4%
39.5%
33.6%
14.5%
38.2
41.1
47.7
50.9
British Columbians most avid readers of Canadian history
Do you {b}often, occasionally, rarely or never… / Read books or essays about
Canada's history
Often
British Columbia
Occasionally
Rarely
Never
Don’t
know/prefer
not to
answer
14.3%
34.0%
37.1%
12.9%
.1.7%
Saskatchewan
9.0%
37.3%
28.4%
25.4%
Ontario
8.9%
32.7%
34.5%
22.7%
1.2%
Alberta
8.4%
32.7%
43.8%
13.7%
1.3%
Canada
8.1%
30.3%
38.4%
21.7%
1.5%
New Brunswick
7.7%
26.9%
51.9%
13.5%
.0%
Manitoba
7.6%
20.3%
50.6%
19.0%
2.6%
Nova Scotia
4.5%
33.3%
39.4%
9.1%
13.6%
Quebec
3.8%
23.0%
42.1%
30.5%
..6%
Allophones help move world history to the top of what history Canadians think it
is most important to learn; francophones pick history of their province
Most
important
History of
the World
Total
French English
40%
26%
39%
Other Maritimes
56%
37%
QC
31%
ON
MB/SK
44%
28%
AB
45%
BC
45%
History of
Canada
27%
20%
34%
15%
29%
18%
29%
37%
37%
26%
History of
my
province
10%
32%
4%
1%
12%
30%
1%
7%
4%
1%
History of
my City
or Town
6%
8%
7%
3%
4%
7%
7%
7%
3%
5%
History of
the
country
of my
ancestor
s
17%
15%
15%
25%
18%
15%
18%
22%
11%
21%
Youth regard learning about history of the world as far more important than learning about history of Canada
Most important
History of the World
History of Canada
World >Canada
Between 18 and 24
51.4%
19.3%
32.1
Between 25 and 29
42.0%
23.4%
18.6
Between 30 and 34
37.4%
24.6%
12.8
Between 35 and 39
42.0%
27.4%
14.6
Between 40 and 44
45.4%
27.3%
18.1
Between 45 and 49
40.9%
20.9%
20.0
Between 50 and 54
44.9%
28.0%
16.9
Between 55 and 59
35.2%
25.8%
9.4
Between 60 and 64
39.4%
28.8%
10.6
65 years of age or older
25.6%
39.0%
-14.0
Total
39.7%
27.3%
12.4
In general, I am proud of Canada's history.
Total
NET
AGREE
84%
18-24
70%
25-34
80%
35-44
83%
45-54
87%
55-64
89%
65 +
91%
French
73%
English
90%
Other
82%
Strongly
agree
43%
26%
32%
41%
46%
51%
55%
22%
53%
37%
Somewhat
agree
41%
44%
48%
43%
41%
37%
36%
51%
36%
45%
NET
DISAGREE
10%
19%
11%
10%
7%
7%
8%
20%
7%
8%
Somewhat
disagree
7%
14%
8%
7%
4%
6%
6%
14%
5%
6%
Strongly
disagree
3%
5%
3%
3%
2%
2%
1%
6%
1%
2%
I don't
know
4%
9%
7%
5%
4%
3%
1%
6%
3%
7%
I prefer not
to answer
2%
2%
2%
1%
3%
1%
1%
1%
1%
3%