Evaluation and Research in Education
Editor: Professor Keith Morrison, Inter-University Institute of Macau
Associate Editor: Professor Stephen Gorard, University of York
Statistical Adviser: Professor Colin Baker, University of Wales Bangor
Reviews Editor: Dr. Emma Smith, University of York
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Volume: 11 Number: 3 Page: 119–128
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Education for European Citizenship: Issues in History Education
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Ian Davies
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The purpose of this paper is to review the potential of history for education for European citizenship with special reference to the debates in values education. The arguments are based on a number of research
projects undertaken in England over a number of years and on literature from the fields of history education, values and moral education, and education for European citizenship. It is argued that education
for citizenship generally is not in a very strong position, and that history teachers in England may be well placed to undertake good work. However, before this potential of history education can be realised
it will be important for significant hurdles to be overcome. Comments are made about the National Curriculum. Teachers may need to be wary of failing to give explicit attention to political issues, while
concentrating too greatly on the importance accorded to academic narrative in a study of the past rather than contemporary society. Europe needs to be studied in a way which can be understood by pupils,
and there may be a need for teachers to reconceptualise currentnotions of technical rationality. The way in which Europe is perceived, either as a broad largely geographical unit, or as a narrower but possibly
more coherent political system, needs to be approached sensitively. Areas for future research are briefly sketched.
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