The History in Education Project

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The History in Education Project is a new two-year research project, which started in January 2009. The aim of the Project is to create and publicise a historical record of history teaching as it has developed over the past century in English state schools.

There has been no previous attempt to bring together the development of history teaching as influenced by national and regional policy and the ‘lived experience' of those in the classroom covering the whole century. It is intended to present the results to a range of audiences, both academic and ‘popular' using a variety of printed, visual and electronic means.

The Project starts in 1900 and for the earlier period will necessarily depend on surviving documentary sources. We would love to hear from any individual with sources such as memoirs, diaries, exercise books and school work which might illuminate the experience of teaching or being taught history in English schools in the past hundred years. For the more recent period, we are seeking first-hand accounts of the sometimes intense arguments and controversies at national and local levels which have surrounded school history over the past fifty years. We are also especially interested in finding former or existing teachers and former students who can tell us about the changes in their experience of the history classroom at any time in the past fifty years. Please do contact us if you would like to support the Project and especially if you could provide either documentary evidence or accounts of your personal experience for the research archive. Follow the link to our webpage to download a survey form which you can email to us.

The History in Education Project is funded by the Linbury Trust and based at the Institute of Historical Research under the leadership of Professor Sir David Cannadine. The Project employs two post-doctoral research fellows, Jenny Keating and Nicola Sheldon. You can contact them on 0207 862 8804 or by email: jenny.keating@sas.ac.uk and nicola.sheldon@sas.ac.uk

Please contact us or complete our survey form (below) if you are interested in the Project and especially if you could provide provide documents, memorabilia or an account of your personal experience for the research archive.

Survey form for teachers (Word, 71KB)

Survey form for pupils (Word, 69KB)

Please email your completed form or send it to Jenny Keating or Nicola Sheldon at the the History in Education Project, Centre for Contemporary British History, Institute of Historical Research, University of London, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU.