Rhetorics of the Crisis in History Education - Focusing on the Discursive Landscape of Colleges of Education, the Curriculum, and School Settings -

This study analyzes the crisis in history education within the institutional context of teacher supply, changes in the status of colleges of education, and structural imbalances in the national curriculum. Each year, more than 2,000 students apply for the history teacher certification examination, a figure that has remained largely stable. Under these conditions, expanding teaching positions has been considered one of the few feasible policy options in response to the demand for history teachers. However, given the declining prominence of history in the 2022 revised national curriculum, it remains uncertain whether the demand for history teachers will increase, a situation further compounded by projections of reduced teacher retirements beginning in the 2028 academic year. If the future of the field is closely tied to the sustainability of history education departments, the current crisis should be understood not as a temporary disruption but as an ongoing structural challenge.<br/> Drawing on analyses of national curriculum frameworks and teacher supply trends, as well as qualitative interviews with history teachers, this study situates the demand for history teachers within longer-term structural conditions that shape history education. Because national curricula remain in force for extended periods, their influence on schools, teacher education programs, and the academic field is substantial and enduring. The declining popularity of history-related subjects cannot be explained by any single factor.<br/> Addressing this issue therefore requires strategies beyond debates over elective structures and instructional time within social studies. From this perspective, history should be clearly distinguished from its ambiguous positioning within Integrated Social Studies, and coordinated efforts should be directed toward establishing world history as a required subject in line with international curricular trends.