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Modern History 11–12 Syllabus (2024) – information for school leaders

Learn about the Modern History 11–12 Syllabus (2024) – what has changed and where to get further support.

The Modern History 11–12 Syllabus (2024) replaces content in the Modern History Stage 6 Syllabus (2017). Planning and preparation will commence from 2025 with implementation in 2027.

This syllabus recognises the critical importance of students understanding the forces that have shaped today’s world. It helps students to understand their world by enabling them to examine the possible motivations and actions of individuals and groups, and how these have informed the world politically, economically, socially and culturally. This syllabus also creates opportunities for students to pose questions and to consider problems of evidence, causation and historical agency as part of the historical inquiry process.

The NESA Statement of Equity Principles underpin the Modern History 11–12 Syllabus (2024), ensuring that students from diverse cultural, linguistic, social, economic, geographic and family backgrounds are challenged and engaged to maximise their individual talents and capabilities.

What you need to know

  • The Modern History 11–12 Syllabus (2024) will be taught in all NSW high schools from 2027 and examined in the HSC from 2028
  • Staggered implementation of Year 11 in Term 1 2027 followed by Year 12 in Term 4 2027 will ensure conformity with the HSC course and examination requirements
  • The Modern History 11–12 Syllabus (2024) is a live document available via NESA’s digital platform.
    • NESA will continue to add teaching advice and support materials throughout the implementation process.
  • The syllabus enables students to develop skills of critical analysis, to acquire the knowledge, values and attitudes essential for an appreciation of the diverse people, ideas and forces, and to prepare for active and informed citizenship.
  • The syllabus supports students to examine key themes, such as power and authority, nationalism, imperialism and decolonisation, and consider how these have helped create the world in which they live.
  • Content can be sequenced chronologically, supporting students to understand the past.
  • Students with intellectual disability may access the Modern History Life Skills Syllabus (2024).
  • The NSW Department of Education will be providing support materials to assist schools and guide the implementation process.

The Modern History 11–12 Syllabus (2024) includes:

  • limited adjustments in structure that continue to prioritise geographic and thematic case studies, supporting students to develop deep knowledge of times and places
  • new outcomes and content that are informed by evidence
  • renaming of the Year 12 core study to 'Democracy and dictatorship, 1919–1939' and content changes including the addition of a content group addressing Weimar Germany
  • removal of the content group 'The search for peace and security in the world'
  • reframing of the content group 'The Nazi regime in power 1933–1939' as a source-based study
  • movement of the study of post-revolutionary Cuba from the list of Year 11 case studies to the list of Year 12 national studies and expansion of the period under inquiry from the events of the Cuban Revolution to the history of Cuba, 1940–1991
  • increased emphasis on examination via structured, multi-part questions as opposed to single extended responses with student selection from 2 alternative questions
  • the provision of content examples to support interpretation of some syllabus content points, which are clearly separated from the outcome content
  • teaching advice to support understanding of syllabus content and to support teachers to make informed pedagogical decisions.
A list of historical concepts and historical skills sits in the middle of the diagram, each surrounded by a box. Historical concepts are causation continuity and change perspectives significance and contestability. Historical skills are analysis and use of sources historical interpretation historical investigation and research and explanation and communication. The syllabus is separated into 3 focus areas for Year 11, and 4 focus areas for Year 12. The focus areas for Year 11 are Investigating modern history The shaping of the modern world and Historical investigation. The focus areas for Year 12 are Democracy and dictatorship 1919-1939 National studies Peace and conflict and Change in the modern world. A list of historical concepts and historical skills sits in the middle of the diagram, each surrounded by a box. Historical concepts are causation continuity and change perspectives significance and contestability. Historical skills are analysis and use of sources historical interpretation historical investigation and research and explanation and communication. The syllabus is separated into 3 focus areas for Year 11, and 4 focus areas for Year 12. The focus areas for Year 11 are Investigating modern history The shaping of the modern world and Historical investigation. The focus areas for Year 12 are Democracy and dictatorship 1919-1939 National studies Peace and conflict and Change in the modern world.
Image: Figure 1: the organisation of Modern History 11–12

The organisation of Modern History (2024) image is from the Modern History 11–12 Syllabus (2024) © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2024.

Prior to implementing the Modern History Syllabus (2024), leaders will need to consider the following:

  • complexities for staff working from 2 syllabuses as they teach Modern History 11–12 during the staggered implementation (syllabus differences include content, outcomes, language and pedagogy)
  • awareness of the Controversial Issues in Schools policy and procedures when teaching potentially controversial historical content within the syllabus
  • increased risk of duplication of Stage 5 and Stage 6 content due to overlap between the Modern History 11–12 Syllabus (2024) and the History 7–10 Syllabus (2024)
  • supporting teachers’ understanding of explicit teaching strategies for building student competency in completing multi-part questions within the context of an examination
  • resource and budget implications, such as
    • providing time for staff to engage with syllabus expectations, build their skills and plan for syllabus requirements across 11–12 to implement in 2027
    • purchasing texts for teacher professional learning
    • resources which enable students to demonstrate all outcomes, including planning and conducting historical investigations and presenting conclusions, using evidence from a range of sources
    • equipment that enhances learning and supports all students to access the curriculum such as audio books, screen readers, mini whiteboards and whiteboard markers for each student.
  • collaboration with staff and learning support teams to ensure appropriate curriculum planning
  • exploring ways to adopt and adapt the sample materials provided by the department and curriculum materials developed in school to support consistency of syllabus enactment. 

The syllabus for Modern History 11–12 Syllabus (2024) is based on evidence referenced in the Bibliography: History 11–12 which highlights that:

  • historical thinking is a disciplined form of engagement with the past that supports students to interpret the present and develop an informed approach to citizenship
  • historical thinking increases in complexity and sophistication over time via the application of historical concepts and skills to the content
  • integrating historical knowledge, understanding and skills is important to the learning of history
  • engagement with historical evidence including sources is central to examination of the past
  • explicit teaching of historical skills and concepts supports students to undertake meaningful historical inquiry
  • the disciplinary expertise of the teacher is a significant factor in student achievement.

Modern History 11–12 Syllabus (2024) © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2024.

  • To what extent do staff understand the syllabus and the evidence underpinning the new syllabus?
  • How will the new syllabus affect classroom practice?
    • What is in place to support and evaluate this practice?
  • What school practices and systems are in place to support teacher professional learning?
    • How are these evaluated to maximise support for teachers?
  • How has the school engaged with departmental resources and support for curriculum implementation, for example, Curriculum Reform Communities, curriculum resources, professional learning, and DEL network initiatives?
  • How are teachers with disciplinary expertise identified and used to build the teaching knowledge and capacity of colleagues?
  • How have change management considerations been embedded into the Strategic Improvement Plan to support teachers and sustain and strengthen curriculum implementation?
  • What structures are in place for tailored professional support for all staff to strengthen curriculum implementation?
    • What else might be required for this syllabus?
  • What resources are required to commence syllabus implementation and meet planning, programming, assessing, and reporting requirements?

Further support

Syllabus information for school leaders

An overview of the pedagogical changes and whole school considerations to support school leaders’ understanding of what has changed for each new syllabus.

Leading curriculum K–12

Advice and resources supporting leaders to facilitate effective curriculum implementation in schools.

Category:

  • Teaching and learning

Business Unit:

  • Curriculum and Reform
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