Kontroversielle aspekter i historieundervisningen

Fortællinger og læremidler i brug i 7.-9. klasse

Abstract

The article examines how controversial aspects are included in history teaching as narratives that are (re-)produced in the tension between teaching materials, in the classroom and in the relation to the past. Practical interpretations of teaching materials in a socio-cultural perspective inform and guide the theoretical framework. The data presented in the article derives from an ethnographic classroom study of 3 teachers and their 5 classes in lower secondary school (Schoolyear 7 to 9) in Denmark.

The result shows that controversial aspects appear as assembly and disassembly processes in practical interpretations of teaching materials and function as a didactic appeal to the students' moral stance. The main point of the article is that controversial aspects are bound in time and place and relate morally to history. The article thus contributes with new insight to a larger field of research on controversial topics in teaching settings.