From Concept to Classroom. Historical Consciousness and History Education

Historical consciousness is a key concept in history education and history didactics. By tracing the history of the integration of historical consciousness in Dutch history education, this article highlights the complexities and negotiations involved in operationalizing the concept within curriculum frameworks. Additionally, the article discusses the limitations of current implementations and advocates for a "meta-historical consciousness", a higher-order awareness of the frameworks and assumptions that shape our understanding of history, that encourages critical reflection on historical representation and its effects, as well as the influence of one's own positionality.