Historical Thinking, Culture, and Education

Crossing borders in history education

Helen Kaufmann — 2024-07-10

The article was written in the aftermath of an international summer school held in Prague and St. Gallen in the context of the research and public history project “Train to Freedom” by St. Gallen University of Teacher Education, Charles University in Prague, and other partners. Students and teacher students from the involved universities developed didactical concepts for a virtual tour, a so-called “IWalk”, covering important chapters of the life of Holocaust survivor Petr Fiala, using excerpts of the testimony he gave to the USC Shoah Foundation in 1997 as well as historical photographs, maps, and archival documents. Fiala was one of the 1200 prisoners who boarded the “Train to Freedom” that brought them to Switzerland in February 1945. The aim of this hands-on student project was to develop an interactive educational tool for high school students and a wider public that conveys an actor-centered transnational migration history.

A call for different perspectives

Alison Bedford — 2024-07-10

This miniature offers a provocation to consider both how and why the teaching of differing perspectives in history classrooms is undertaken in different nations and the relationship this has with citizenship in liberal democracies. Drawing on some initial survey data from Australian history teachers, the authors highlight the inconsistent understanding of the concept of perspective and the pressing need to maintain a focus on different perspectives at a time when far-right conservativism seeks to establish a monovocal grand narrative that returns to a ‘history of the victors’ approach to the detriment of multicultural, democratic societies.

"Simply" talking about the Anthropocene?

Andreas Hübner — 2024-09-09

The Anthropocene seems to be on everyone’s lips these days. Whether as a turning point in Earth’s history, a geological epoch, or as a cultural narrative and metaphor, the Anthropocene is currently being debated not only in the scientific disciplines, but also as a fashionable buzzword in the media, popular culture, and the arts. Conversely, some scholars have argued that the term perpetuates anthropocentrism, Eurocentrism, and global inequalities rather than “demystifying” them. Use of the term itself would seemingly encourage ongoing processes of depoliticization. In what follows, I will trace this supposed depoliticization of the Anthropocene. Ultimately, I argue that a critical look at notions of temporality and timescale could not only reveal the politics of the Anthropocene and initiate new modes of historical thinking, but also shake the foundations of history education.

Digital construction

Lili Zeng — 2024-07-22

The traditional linear narrative of historical concepts is currently facing significant challenges and is being partially supplanted by digital media. Historical games hold immense educational potential, offering a unique digital space that compensates for the shortcomings of traditional history education. Their value lies in open narratives, situational immersion, experiential learning, and the ability to contextualize historical events through avatars. Moreover, well-designed games align with principles of effective learning, enabling seamless integration with classroom education.

We must teach both sets of skills

Carmen Gloria Zúñiga González — 2024-11-13

The interview with Carmen Gloria Zúñiga González from Pontifical Catholic University of Chile addresses key questions about transcultural dialogue, the role of historical thinking, and the challenges of teaching history. The starting point is the question of how transcultural dialogue and historical thinking have changed in recent years from the perspective of the interviewee. The interview also discusses how transcultural academic exchange can be promoted, taking into account different educational contexts and social values. It further considers how to ensure that the academic debate is not dominated only by socially or economically privileged groups. Other topics include the role of digitalisation and online communities in history education, and the benefits of cross-disciplinary approaches. The extent to which current global challenges such as pandemics, wars and climate change underline the need for increased transcultural exchange in history education will also be addressed.

Is there something that connects the diversity of historical narratives?

Kenneth Nordgren — 2024-10-02

The interview with Kenneth Nordgren from Karlstad University, Sweden, addresses key questions about transcultural dialogue, the role of historical thinking, and the challenges of teaching history. The starting point is the question of how transcultural dialogue and historical thinking have changed in recent years from the perspective of the interviewee. The interview also discusses how transcultural academic exchange can be promoted, taking into account different educational contexts and social values. It further considers how to ensure that the academic debate is not dominated only by socially or economically privileged groups. Other topics include the role of digitalisation and online communities in history education, and the benefits of cross-disciplinary approaches. The extent to which current global challenges such as pandemics, wars and climate change underline the need for increased transcultural exchange in history education will also be addressed.

There are clear challenges and is a clear need for action

Johannes Meyer-Hamme — 2024-11-13

The interview with Johannes Meyer-Hamme from University of Paderborn, Germany, addresses key questions about transcultural dialogue, the role of historical thinking, and the challenges of teaching history. The starting point is the question of how transcultural dialogue and historical thinking have changed in recent years from the perspective of the interviewee. The interview also discusses how transcultural academic exchange can be promoted, taking into account different educational contexts and social values. It further considers how to ensure that the academic debate is not dominated only by socially or economically privileged groups. Other topics include the role of digitalisation and online communities in history education, and the benefits of cross-disciplinary approaches. The extent to which current global challenges such as pandemics, wars and climate change underline the need for increased transcultural exchange in history education will also be addressed.

Should history education begin in kindergarten?

Kyriaki Fardi — 2024-07-22

This paper presents research related to the perspectives and social representations of both prospective and currently employed educators regarding the introduction of kindergarten and primary education children to history education. The research was carried out using the Thematic Analysis method, and comprises qualitative data. The results of this research study show that educators are influenced by their social representations regarding the type and form of history education, as well as by their education. Social representations shape their perceptions on the appropriate age for introducing children to history education. This paper presents the theoretical background of the research, its purposes, research strategies, methodology, the results and their analysis, and a final section for discussion and conclusions.

Colonialism and imperialism in Austrian history curricula and textbooks (1945–2023)

Andrea Brait — 2024-11-04

The article considers the depiction of colonialism and imperialism in Austrian textbooks (n = 61) and curricula issued since the commencement of the Second Republic in 1945. The analysis indicates that textbooks made use of the freedom afforded them by state stipulations, which, while evidently taking a distinctly eurocentric point of view, give textbook authors scope for taking decisions on the inclusion or exclusion of particular topics. The textbooks studied covered various aspects of this area of history that curricula did not list expressly, such as the impact of European colonial aggression on Indigenous populations. Simultaneously, the analysis showed a long absence from textbooks of colonialism’s implications throughout history to the present day, and demonstrated that textbooks reproduced racist ideas well into the 2000s, with corresponding effects on perceptions of history among Austrian population today.

Standardized assessment of historical thinking competencies in an intervention study using perspectives on German history

Katharina Totter — 2024-12-10

To assess the efficacy of an intervention study on the German post-1990 transformation targeting historical thinking, this paper presents the development of a standardized test designed to measure epistemological understanding and methodological competencies. Following a validation study (N = 354 students), we employed a revised test in an intervention study with N = 1,301 high school students in Baden-Württemberg. The newly developed tests underwent analysis concerning their psychometric criteria. The final test contained 38 items with various stimuli (e.g., interview snippets, cartoons) utilizing closed-format responses. The methodological test exhibited sufficient reliability and extensive overlap with a selection of items from an established test. However, the epistemological test showed some limitations in both reliability and validity, suggesting a potential opportunity for improvement through revision. Students’ grades in history and German, cognitive skills, and socioeconomic status predicted their ability scores based on two-parameter logistic (2PL) item response models for both tests.