29th Annual Conference- The Complexity of History: Unpacking the Past

Recently the work of History Teachers’ Associations has increasingly focused on one theme: The complexity of history.

It highlights that history is complex because it is composed of multiple narratives and perspectives which are then interwoven together to create diverse and pluralistic societies composed of people with multilayered individual identities. Not only this: how we help develop the “necessary attitudes, dispositions, and ways of thinking in students to allow them to meaningfully engage with diverse perspectives from and about the past is (also) highly complex”.

While multiperspectivity and the complexity of the past are not a new subject, historiography and pedagogy have evolved in the last few years, growing to encompass new methodologies and teaching strategies that can help us and our students meaningfully navigate this complexity. 

In Vilnius, we will take stock of these new approaches and reflect on the key questions:

• how is the complexity of history tackled around Europe and the world?
• how can we best identify complex histories and help our students understand them?

Our methodology focuses

This year, we have decided to identify three methodological approaches to spotlight throughout the conference. The past can be unpacked in a variety of ways, all suited for different classrooms, contexts, and historical events. During the Annual Conference, you will be able to attend workshops and sessions that use the following methodological approaches:

• Dialogue, debate, and discussion in the classroom
• Tackling controversial topics
• Questioning

Our annual conference is a professional development and training course that connects history and citizenship educators from all over Europe. The three-day event offers a comprehensive programme containing a keynote lecture, active workshops, plenary sessions and cultural activities.

In this conference and international training course you will learn more about how to help your students to meaningfully unpack the past. You will be challenged to think about what topics are controversial in your local context, how to disagree respectfully in a classroom environment, and how to model good questions to help your pupils become inquisitive learners. Through lectures, panels, workshops, interactive sessions and on-site learning you will get more insights in the topic “the Complexity of History” in general and specifically in the current context of the Baltic region. You will be trained in ready-to-use strategies, methods and materials you can apply in your own teaching. Next to this, our Annual Conference grants the unique possibility of networking and peer learning with colleagues from all across Europe and beyond.