William and Edwyna Gilbert Award
The William and Edwyna Gilbert Award for the Best Article on Teaching History annually recognizes outstanding contributions to the teaching of history through the publication of articles in journals, magazines, and other serials. Originally the “William Gilbert Award,” named in memory of William Gilbert, a longtime AHA member and distinguished scholar-teacher of the Renaissance at the University of Kansas, it was renamed the William and Edwyna Gilbert Award in 2012 after Edwyna Gilbert passed away and left additional funds to supplement the original bequest for the award.
The current prize amount is $1,000 each to the author and journal. See the list of past recipients.
Eligibility
Articles with a publication date of 2023 are eligible for consideration for the 2024 award. Authors must be members of the AHA. Both the author of the winning article and the journal that publishes it will each receive the award. Journals and individual members may submit nominations on the teaching of history (including scholarship of teaching and learning, methodology and theory of pedagogy). Journals, magazines, and other serials can submit up to two articles for each award cycle.
Application Process
Log into your MY AHA account at historians.org/myaha and click “Available Application Forms” in the AHA Awards, Grants, and Jobs section. If you don't have an account, create one for free at historians.org/createaccount. If nominating someone else, select the Nominate button and search for the nominee’s existing record or create a new record.
- Fill in the application form, which includes the nominee’s contact information and the names of additional nominees (if group nomination).
- Upload an Application Packet as a single PDF. Include the following documents:
- Letter of support (up to 2 pages)
- Copy of the article
Please Note: Entries must be received by May 15, 2024, to be eligible for the 2024 competition. Entries will not be returned. Recipients will be announced on the AHA website in October 2024 and recognized during a ceremony at the January 2025 AHA annual meeting in New York.
For questions, please contact the Prize Administrator.
2023 Gilbert Award
Michael P. Marino, “Rethinking Historical Thinking: How Historians Use Unreliable Evidence,” The History Teacher 55, no. 2 (February 2022)
In “Rethinking Historical Thinking,” Michael P. Marino examines the novice-expert gap to reassess historical evidence. Marino recruited professional historians, graduate students, and AP high school students to analyze how they used unreliable evidence. He observes that historians and graduate students tend to find creative ways to use this evidence, while high school students get stuck and end up paraphrasing or summarizing it. Marino proposes emphasizing creative and abstract thinking to help students think like historians.