Local history and identity building: a case study in the field of active citizenship education

Abstract

The case study, carried out in a primary school, examined whether and how inquiring into local history can support identity building in pupils and promote active citizenship. The research was part of a broader Erasmus Plus project that assumes citizenship education to require participatory experience in the students’ local territory and activities based on interaction between the environment, heritage and communities, with both local and global dimensions. The investigators’ choice of method, namely Teacher Professional Development Research, was guided by the awareness that analyzing teaching practices and promoting a reflective posture in teachers demands a solid alliance between researchers and teachers. The data was collected via questionnaires, interviews with teachers and conversations with the children and analysed using a coding system that was both data- and theory-driven. It was found that the more children have the freedom to engage in independent inquiry, discuss and share with others the discoveries they made and the knowledge they acquired, the more their learning became meaningful to them. Supporting the building of an inclusive identity fosters their appreciation of local heritage, encouraging them to take responsibility for preserving and communicating it. The results also showed that the impact of the project did not extend beyond the walls of the classroom, eliciting little involvement on the part of the wider school and town community.