A Study on Implementing the History Component in the Integrated Social Studies Framework of the 2028 CSAT

The sample items for Integrated Social Studies, which will be administered for the first time in the 2028 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), have been released. Since the release, there have been active discussions about the nature of integrative items, the extent to which each disciplinary area is represented, and how the new CSAT structure may affect students’ learning in the social studies track. The official testing bodies have stated that the items were designed to assess integrated knowledge and thinking and that they are balanced across domains. However, some scholars and practitioners argue that the overall composition still resembles a domain-by-domain structure. Others also raise concerns that the Integrated Social Studies framework could increase students’ workload because it effectively requires preparation across a broad range of social studies areas.With respect to history, prior analyses suggest that it appears less as stand-alone items and more as supporting material within integrative items. This study therefore selects, from the 25 sample items, those that include history-related content elements and examines how history is applied and what potential it has within the new CSAT format. The analysis is conducted from two perspectives: content (achievement standards and disciplinary domains) and format (the construction of stimulus materials and answer options). The results show that history can function as a major integrative resource by combining organically with other social studies domains and prompting students’ integrative reasoning.Based on these findings, this paper proposes ways to strengthen and expand the role of history in future CSAT Integrated Social Studies items. A key direction is to use history-based narrative stimuli, structured as restatement texts, to support high-quality integrative items. Core topics currently emphasized in the curriculum―such as the Industrial Revolution, human rights, the development of democracy, and the formation of capitalism―are difficult to understand without historical context. Presenting these ideas through historically grounded narratives can enhance students’ integrative thinking and their understanding of contemporary social issues. Ultimately, future curriculum revisions should reinforce history-related achievement standards, reorganize history content within Integrated Social Studies, and incorporate themes emphasized in recent history education (e.g., democratic citizenship and ecological education), so that the history component develops beyond factual knowledge toward critical thinking and problem solving.