History Teachers Association Northern Ireland

A Talk by Professor Keith Barton: History’s purpose in a time of political pressure and curriculum reform

25 February 2025 at 7.00 pm – 8.15 pm

Online or in-person at Drumcondra Education Centre, St Patrick’s College, DCU

Book your place now (NB you’ll need to register with Drumcondra Education Support centre first)

History Teachers Association of Northern Ireland (HTANI) in collaboration with Drumcondra Education Support Centre and History Teachers Association of Ireland (HTAI) are delighted to invite you to a talk by Professor Keith Barton entitled ‘History’s purpose in a time of political pressure and curriculum reform’

In recent years the construction of history curricula has been dragged into the culture war battles between progressive and conservative forces in many countries. In Ireland, north and south, this has been less the case with the curriculum authorities in both jurisdictions managing to maintain at least some autonomy from direct political interference. Nevertheless, that does not mean that the selection of what should be taught in history classrooms does not raise public controversy. With curriculum change in progress on both sides of the border, it is timely to foster debate on what should be the purpose of history teaching in the volatile second and third decades of the 21st Century.

In this session, Professor Keith Barton, Indiana University, addresses the theme by, particularly, drawing on his experiences of researching in both Irish jurisdictions as well as in the United States. Keith is a History Educator of international standing. He has studied history and social studies education on four continents and written extensively on his findings. His book, Teaching History for the Common Good, co-authored with Linda Levstik, has been influential in countries across the globe and his new book, Curriculum for Justice and Harmony: Knowledge, Deliberation, and Action in Social and Civic Education (co-authored with Li-Ching Ho) provides ideas that may help history educators think about their role in educating young people for the future.