The focus of my doctoral research arose in a conversation with a teacher a few weeks ago; their question was simple but important: “why are you researching history textbooks?” The teacher’s surprise at my research might have been less likely if we had both been from one of the many nations around the world, such … Continue reading Why research history textbooks?
Category: Research
“Culture Day” improves students’ sense of belonging
From my visit to Barr’s Hill School in Coventry for their 2024 Culture Day celebrations, it became very clear to me the importance of student-led, and staff-supported, cultural initiatives in schools in improving students’ sense of belonging and reducing cultural alienation amongst the students. Friday 23 February 2024 marked the second annual Culture Day at … Continue reading “Culture Day” improves students’ sense of belonging
How are educators across England exploring antiracism and decolonisation?
Over the past five months, as a doctoral student at the University of Oxford, I have had the privilege of speaking to a range of teachers from varied disciplines and educational settings across England about what it means to teach in an antiracist or decolonial way. What I have found perhaps most fascinating, is the … Continue reading How are educators across England exploring antiracism and decolonisation?
Understanding students’ interpretive frameworks for effective learning about British Empire, migration and belonging
We are excited to share the successful conclusion of our inaugural youth symposium in the North of England, marking a significant milestone in our commitment to cultivating an enriched learning environment. This symposium holds a central position within our methodology, specifically in strand C, where we aim to understand what English secondary school students grasp … Continue reading Understanding students’ interpretive frameworks for effective learning about British Empire, migration and belonging
What is community history and how can it support teachers?
Our project community-grounded scholar, Holly Cooper, writes on the importance of engaging with community, both their past and present, for the teaching of sensitive topics such as the British Empire, migration, and belonging. Defining community history Community history refers to the practice of historical research outside of academia, universities, and formal education. This is an … Continue reading What is community history and how can it support teachers?
Unveiling the Layers of Historical Textbooks: Insights from Strand D Research
Hi teachers! I’m working on Strand D of our PortraitEMB project, which means I’ve been lucky enough to spend a lot of my time exploring the huge archive of historical textbooks in the IOE Library’s Historical Textbook Collection (UCL Special Collections). We’ve been looking at history and geography textbooks from the last hundred years, trying … Continue reading Unveiling the Layers of Historical Textbooks: Insights from Strand D Research