Decolonizing History Education: Teaching Through Multiple Perspectives

Description

The historical narratives that are taught in schools are constantly (and increasingly) being re-examined from multiple perspectives.

In fact, in recent years, educators have begun to question deeply how the colonialist European history has been presented so far, and how different voices and experiences can be better represented in the classroom to foster a productive dialogue on diversity, inclusion, and multiculturalism.

This course introduces participants to decolonial perspectives in education and explores how teachers can engage students in critical discussions about history, identity, and cultural representation.

Decolonialism, as intended in this course, is a perspective that demands the critique of the imperialist actions of the past, aiming to discontinue injustices related to race, religion, gender, and many more.

Rather than focusing only on historical events, the course examines how narratives are constructed, whose voices are included or excluded, and how different perspectives can enrich historical understanding.

With an open approach, participants will be encouraged to tackle a delicate and urgent theme. They will analyse examples from history education, media, and public discourse to reflect on how colonial (and post-colonial) legacies continue to shape knowledge and cultural representation in today’s world.

With the support of videos and texts, the course will delve into decolonization applied to the discussion on education: how to include and value the different kinds of knowledge? What are the barriers to decolonizing education?

The focus will be on facilitating and designing activities for students that allow them to engage with complex historical themes in a respectful and reflective way and that can provoke a change in perspective, fostering otherness and empathy.

As an example, digital and physical sets of flashcards will be created, drawing from terminology related to decolonial communication, as a practical and engaging activity to practice how to express personal positions before starting a collaborative project.

By the end of the course, participants will have developed practical strategies for teaching history and social sciences through multiple perspectives.

This way, they will have gained tools to facilitate dialogue in diverse classrooms and to help students strengthen their empathic communication skills and to understand how historical narratives are always shaped by different cultural and social contexts.

Note: We suggest participants bring their own laptops or tablets to attend the course.

Concept by Andrea Bandoni

Learning outcomes

The course will help participants to:

• Analyse colonial and decolonial perspectives in historical narratives;
• Identify how colonial legacies influence educational materials and public discourse;
• Introduce multiple perspectives when teaching historical and social topics;
• Facilitate respectful classroom discussions on complex or sensitive themes;
• Apply tools that reduce miscommunication in classrooms, such as shared terminology, rereflection exercises, and dialogue activities;
• Design classroom activities that encourage critical thinking, empathy, and historical awareness.

Tentative schedule

Day 1 – Introduction to the course

• Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities;
• Icebreaker activities;
• Presentations of the participants’ schools;
• Introduction to colonial and decolonial perspectives;
• Reflecting on historical narratives and educational contexts.

Day 2 – The decolonial approach

• Understanding colonialism through different historical viewpoints;
• The impact (social and cultural) of colonialism – past and present;
• Decolonialist theory and practice: how historical narratives are constructed.

Day 3 – Decolonial education

• Where is colonialism in education?;
• The importance of decolonizing education;
• Examples of decolonial approaches in history and social science education;
• Discussion on inclusive and plural perspectives in teaching.

Day 4 – Towards pluriversal education

• The “positionality wheel” – the wheel of power;
• Exploring concepts such as positionality and power dynamics;
• Developing shared terminology for dialogue;
• “Pluriversal Futures” activity: a practical way to discuss complex historical themes.

Day 5 – Taking action

• Identifying colonial narratives in participants’ own contexts;
• Designing learning activities based on multiple perspectives;
• Presentation of ideas and peer feedback.

Day 6 – Course closure and cultural activities

• Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
• Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance;
• Excursion and other external cultural activities.

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