The object of study is what students need to learn in order to handle historical accounts in a constructive manner and how teaching can be designed to teach them this. Previous research highlights that a large proportion of students have difficulties in handling this central aspect of the history subject. Research also shows that a large proportion of teachers experience challenges in teaching about historical accounts.
The project is theoretically based on historical literacy, where the starting point is that historical phenomena should be handled constructively in the present. If students understand the strategies historians use, the likelihood increases that they will understand that there can be several reasonable but conflicting accounts about a certain historical phenomenon. Such an understanding provides potential for historical literacy – understanding the present and thus being able to act as democratic subjects. The teaching principles that we develop in the project aim to increase students’ ability to help teachers to design history education that address this issue.
The project is carried out in two phases, where in phase 1, together with teachers in a Learning Study, we identify students’ challenges regarding historical accounts and develop teaching principles to address these challenges. In phase 2, the project is scaled up and the teaching principles are tested in other schools, and the outcomes are related to comparison groups.
The project is funded by The Swedish Institute for Educational Research (2025-2027).
Project Website