The Future of Education

History teaching plays a crucial role in the civic, cultural and critical education of students, enabling them to understand the world around them and the roots of contemporary societies. However, in European schools there are several challenges that affect the quality and relevance of this subject. The latest general report produced by the Council of Europe's Observatory (OHTE, 2023) on the teaching of history revealed that teachers often resort to one-way teaching, highlighting the lack of more participatory and interactive methods, such as project-based learning. This traditional approach is often justified by the time demands imposed by overloaded curricula, textbooks and exams.

Additionally, this report states that the educational resources most used by teachers include textbooks, teachers' notes and websites and databases with historical content approved by the education authorities. This dependence on these resources can limit the diversity and updating of teaching materials, affecting the dynamics and effectiveness of the teaching-learning process.

Furthermore, there is a clear need for professional development opportunities for educators, with a focus on collaborative and multidirectional pedagogies. This scenario raises questions about declining interest and government investment in the area, contributing to the weakening of the discipline and the need for more effective pedagogical strategies that provide a solid foundation for higher-order thinking, which is fundamental to the development of critical thinking. 

In this paper, we will explore the complexities associated with the development of pedagogical strategies for history lessons in secondary schools carried out by students on the master’s degree in 1st and 2nd cycle of Primary School Teaching (Portuguese Language, Portuguese History and Geography) in the context of pedagogical practice.

Keywords: History Teaching, Pedagogical Strategies, Active Methodologies, Teacher Training

References

Observatory on History Teaching in Europe, (2023) OHTE General Report on the state of history teaching in Europe, https://www.coe.int/en/web/observatory-history-teaching/general-report

Solé, G. & Barca, I. (2023). As Ciências Sociais e o ensino da História em Portugal: perspetiva e desafios atuais. In I. Bellatti; C. Fuentes; P. Miralles & L. Sánchez (coords.) Las ciencias sociales y su didáctica: pensamiento histórico y educación democrática. Homenaje a Joaquín Prats Cuevas (pp.269- 280). Ediciones OCTAEDRO, S.L.

Dias-Trindade, S., de Carvalho, J.R. (2019) História, tecnologias digitais e mobile learning: ensinar História na era digital. Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra/Coimbra University Press.

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