This article is part of the special series History education in historical perspective that explores different national contexts of history education. The article provides historical insight of this research field in Portugal and it was grounded on data collected and analysed from a literature review and interviews with Isabel Barca (pioneer of history education in Portugal), Helena Pinto and Marília Gago (researchers in history education).

What can you read in this article? How Portuguese history education research (since the late 1990’s) has been deepening knowledge about the teachers’ and students’ historical thinking (and historical consciousness) under the influence of the Anglo-Saxon paradigm, of Rüsen’s perspective of historical consciousness and how these two paradigms were interwoven to foster sophisticated ideas about the complexity of history, to re-think disciplinary history dimensions. It also highlights some milestones, such as the HiCon projects (2003-2011) and the International Journeys of History Education (Jornadas), created by Isabel Barca, in 2000, which are an important scientific event in the Ibero American world. So, this article might be of interest if you are looking for the origins of these Jornadas.

For those wishing to know more about the relationship between academy and curricula the article focuses on how research results influenced the introduction of history epistemological concepts and the use of narrative competence in the Portuguese History curriculum, since 2001, contributing to a more critical and humanistic approach to history.

This article also explores how history educationalists have been influencing initial teachers’ training and professional development of school teachers through courses oriented to develop students’ historical thinking and to answer to the teachers’ epistemological and methodological needs. Nevertheless, traditional teachers go on resisting changes.

You can also find information about the state of art of history education in Portugal and the relationships built with international academic communities. Current studies are addressing issues of identity, citizenship, heritage education, invisible history, controversial issues, textbooks, curricula and epistemology (namely the use of narrative).

Evidence suggests that history education is alive in Portugal with positive signs of the increasing interest amongst teachers’ candidates and school teachers. My concerns for the future are about the educational decisions that may result from the present right-wing shift (2024) which may reinforce the resistance of traditional teachers. Let’s hope that those who believe and defend history education will be resilient once more.

History education in Portugal (a 25-year overview) by Mariana Lagarto (CITCEM, University of Porto, Portugal) is part of the HERJ Special Series, History education in historical perspective, and published in History Education Research Journal, volume 21.

Biographical statement:
Researcher in History Education (CITCEM, University of Porto). PhD in History and Social Sciences Education; master in Assessment in Education. History teacher in Secondary School (Portugal), Board member of History Teachers’ Association (Portugal) and a Teacher trainer. Author and co-author of articles on history education and assessment for learning. Co-author of history textbooks in Portugal and East-Timor.
https://www.cienciavitae.pt/portal/en/B71D-C25D-686A

history curriculum history education historical consciousness teacher training competencies in history