The aim of this study is to investigate history teachers’ various approaches towards the wars in former Yugoslavia during the 90s, in their history teaching in upper secondary school. Furthermore, another aspect to the study is to investigate how the history teachers approach potential students that might have roots from the former Yugoslavia. Since the Swedish society is multicultural with immigrants from former Yugoslavia, the topic could be viewed as sensitive. However, previous studies show that students with a multicultural background such as former Yugoslavia want to take part of their history in the history classroom. This leads to the next question, whether teachers fulfill their students’ needs when it comes to history. Furthermore, another aim of the study is to also investigate what possibilities and difficulties the teachers might experience with teaching about the wars in former Yugoslavia.  Five history teachers with experience from history teaching in upper secondary school were interviewed. The result is thenceforth analyzed with the following theoretical framework: Kitson’s and McCully’s (2005) model of sensitive topics in the history classroom, multicultural classroom, and historical empathy. The findings of the study are that only two out of five history teachers included the wars in former Yugoslavia continuously in their history teaching. The third teacher included the topic if the students were interested, and the fourth teacher taught the students about some events occasionally in relation to other topics, such as use of history. The last teacher did not include the wars in former Yugoslavia at all. Four out of five teachers wanted the students to contribute with their own history culture and family history. The possibilities and the difficulties were intertwined, according to the teachers. The students could contribute and thusly offer perspective on the topic. However, it could also mean that the teachers had to be careful with their words since they could not fully know what experiences the students have. The teachers’ answers were analyzed in accordance with Kitsons and McCullys model, together with the concepts ‘multicultural classroom’ and historical empathy. The conclusion of the research is that the majority of the history teachers used historical empathy in connection with the wars in former Yugoslavia. The teachers tried doing so by bringing the teaching to life with the help from, for instance, life stories and interviews. The teachers’ attitudes towards a multicultural classroom, which is enriched by students with different history cultures, were mostly positive.

Syftet med detta arbete är att undersöka vilken roll de estetiska lärprocesserna i historisk verkstad kan spela för att utveckla elevers historiemedvetande och historiska empati. Detta har undersökts genom att intervjua sex lärare som varit på Stavgards järnålderslägerskola med sina klasser. I undersökningen konstateras att historiska verkstäder är uppskattade bland lärare och elever och att det prioriteras i undervisningen trots att det innebär en stor ekonomisk ansträngning för skolan. De estetiska lärprocesserna representeras på Stavgard genom praktiskt arbete, berättelser och i viss mån drama. Vistelsen på Stavgard skapar en gemensam referensram för lärare och klass, utifrån vilken historiemedvetande byggs under kommande historieundervisning. På lägerskolan lever eleverna järnåldersliv under två dagar och undersökningen visar att eleverna genom att själv få uppleva järnåldersmänniskornas umbäranden utvecklar historisk empati. Utöver detta beskrivs också hur för- och efterarbetet i samband med Stavgardsvistelsen utformas av de olika lärarna. / The aim of this study is to investigate what role the aesthetic learning processes in historical workshops can play in developing students' historical consciousness and historical empathy. This has been investigated by interviewing six teachers who have been at Stavgard iron age camp school with their classes. The survey found that historical workshops are appreciated among teachers and students and that it is a priority in the teaching, even though this means a great financial effort for the school. The aesthetic learning processes are represented at Stavgard through practical work, stories and to some extent drama. The stay at Stavgard creates a common frame of reference for teachers and class, based on which historical consciousness is built during future history teaching. At the camp school, the pupils practice iron age life for two days, and the study shows that the pupils themselves by experiencing the hardship of the Iron Age people develop historical empathy. In addition to this, it is also described how the pre- and post-work in connection with the stay at Stavgard is designed by the different teachers.

In recent years, the Swedish educational system has undergone considerable change. A new curriculum and swift digitization via the implementation of the "one-to-one" system have increased the call for new teaching methods in schools. Previous research indicates that working with primary sources can enhance students’ historical thinking and historical empathy. The present licentiate dissertation aims to investigate Swedish upper secondary school students’ use of critical thinking and historical empathy when utilizing digitized primary sources, such as the parish registers stored in the Demographic Data Base at Umeå University.         Five classes in grades 1-3, comprising 110 students, in the ages 16 to 19, and three teachers participated in the study. The students were assigned with compiling a report based on the digitised primary source material and presenting their findings in a written paper or oral presentation. The study was evaluated through (1) interviews with students and teachers, (2) classroom observation of the students while working with the material, (3) questionnaires on the students´ view of history, and (4) the completed assignments.           The study shows that all the students achieved some result based on the information found in the digitised primary sources. While they applied historical empathy and historical thinking, it was mixed with presentism. The majority did not make use of corroboration, but those who did displayed more examples of historical thinking and historical empathy, primarily evident in grades 2 and 3 and in the free discussions held after the presentations. The students’ perception of primary sources shifted as a result of this exercise: Their preference for using primary sources had increased, although their trust in primary sources had simultaneously decreased. Teachers and students alike were generally satisfied with the assignment but argued that the database needed improvement in order to enhance its usefulness. Over the course of the assignment, students frequently expressed that the individuals in the digitized material came to life for them, generating feelings of empathy.         The study’s contribution to history didactics is twofold. First, it clearly demonstrates how upper secondary students can make use of historical thinking and historical empathy when studying digitised parish records, even though they have difficulty contextualizing their results. Secondly, it provides insight into how Swedish students learn history and the kind of history that interests them. The results are predominantly in agreement with those from previous studies but this study is pioneering in basing its findings on primary sources that are digitised. / En dator till varje elev, det som ofta kallas en-till-en, har skapat nya förutsättningar för undervisning. I denna studie får gymnasieelever arbeta med digitaliserade primärkällor i historieundervisningen. Elevernas förmåga att använda historiskt tänkande, historisk empati och kontextualisering undersöks, och elevernas inställning till historieämnet kartläggs före och efter mötet med de digitaliserade källorna. Samtliga elever klarar av att genomföra sökningar i det digitaliserade källmaterialet, och de uppvisar i högre eller lägre grad historiskt tänkande, historisk empati och kontextualisering under lektionerna och i sina skriftliga och muntliga redovisningar. Elevernas inställning till historieämnet påverkas i viss mån. Främst förändras deras syn på primärkällor.

The present study explores the reception of historical feature films in history education. It is concerned with how pupils experience the films as well as the significance of the feature film for their understanding and interpretation of history. The study incorporates empirical data from classroom projects in two different Swedish upper secondary schools where film was used as an educational tool. Observations of classroom activities were made and interviews with twelve pupils and their history teachers were conducted. The study applies a phenomenological approach. The lifeworld of the pupils is in focus, specifically the aspect of the lifeworld they live and experience in history class when film is used as a means of understanding the past. The phenomenon studied is thus how the pupils experience the film, and through the film, history itself. Theoretical notions from film reception studies and history didactics are used as analytic tools. The study shows how emotional and cognitive processes converge in the pupils’ meaning making of the films. The embodiment of the films’ narrative is an important factor that contributes to both the understanding of the film as well as of history. The pupils experience the films emotionally, feeling both empathy and antipathy for the various characters, physically through sight and sound as well as embodied reactions, and cognitively through an understanding of the film’s narrative. Embodied experience is fundamental for history to become materialized. The audiovisual portrayal and materialization of the past becomes embodied in the pupils so that the experience of the film and of the historical lifeworld presented therein becomes part of their lifeworld. Generally, pupils consider the films to be trustworthy, though this perceived accuracy depends on how authentically the narrative is performed and the pupils’ previous store of historical knowledge.  A didactic dilemma to consider when using historical feature film in the classroom is the contradiction between the aesthetic experience of a feature film and its use as a tool for understanding the past. The captivating character of feature film evokes empathy and engagement with the films’ characters regardless of the degree of historical accuracy. This is a critical issue for teachers; there needs to be balance between respect for the pupils’ aesthetic experience of the film and the need to guide them to develop for example the skills of historical empathy, where distance is necessary for the pupils to be able to consider different perspectives.

The aim of this study is to compare the subject syllabuses for history education in uppersecondary school of Finland, Norway and Sweden. Three syllabuses from Norway, two from Finland and one from Sweden for courses that are compulsory for higher education preparatory programmes in the three countries have been analysed and compared. Qualitative content analysis has been used to find similarities and differences for what the countries find important with and in the history subject. A deductive analysis has been used for the part of the syllabus where the aim and the goals are written. An inductive analysis has been used for the part of the course content. By using a deductive content analysis with a coding scheme based on common historical didactic terms, the result of this study shows that every country finds that historical consciousness, narration, historical empathy, historical method and the uses of history are important parts of the history subject and education. However, the countries differ when it comes to if they see these parts as the aim or as a goal with the subject or the education. The inductive content analysis shows that all countries find sources and work with sources, uses of history, time periods, global historical events and processes and development of state and societies as important parts of the education. A difference between the countries is that Finland and Norway have more specific national history content in the syllabuses than Sweden has. Therewith does this result show that both Norway and Sweden find it important to problematize the time periods and to have different historical questions, aspects and explanations in the content of history education.

The present study explores the reception of historical feature films in history education. It is concerned with how pupils experience the films as well as the significance of the feature film for their understanding and interpretation of history. The study incorporates empirical data from classroom projects in two different Swedish upper secondary schools where film was used as an educational tool. Observations of classroom activities were made and interviews with twelve pupils and their history teachers were conducted. The study applies a phenomenological approach. The lifeworld of the pupils is in focus, specifically the aspect of the lifeworld they live and experience in history class when film is used as a means of understanding the past. The phenomenon studied is thus how the pupils experience the film, and through the film, history itself. Theoretical notions from film reception studies and history didactics are used as analytic tools. The study shows how emotional and cognitive processes converge in the pupils’ meaning making of the films. The embodiment of the films’ narrative is an important factor that contributes to both the understanding of the film as well as of history. The pupils experience the films emotionally, feeling both empathy and antipathy for the various characters, physically through sight and sound as well as embodied reactions, and cognitively through an understanding of the film’s narrative. Embodied experience is fundamental for history to become materialized. The audiovisual portrayal and materialization of the past becomes embodied in the pupils so that the experience of the film and of the historical lifeworld presented therein becomes part of their lifeworld. Generally, pupils consider the films to be trustworthy, though this perceived accuracy depends on how authentically the narrative is performed and the pupils’ previous store of historical knowledge.  A didactic dilemma to consider when using historical feature film in the classroom is the contradiction between the aesthetic experience of a feature film and its use as a tool for understanding the past. The captivating character of feature film evokes empathy and engagement with the films’ characters regardless of the degree of historical accuracy. This is a critical issue for teachers; there needs to be balance between respect for the pupils’ aesthetic experience of the film and the need to guide them to develop for example the skills of historical empathy, where distance is necessary for the pupils to be able to consider different perspectives.

When teachers reason about where they take their students to places such as cultural heritage sites, historical places and museums, they usually have a motive for why they choose to make such a trip. And it is usually because they want to evoke their students' abilities to work and study the school subject history. One of these abilities the teacher wants their students to uphold, are for example historical empathy. The aim of this study is to map the state of knowledge for how visits to historical sites and museums are used within and motivated in history teaching. The information retrieval was mainly performed on searching empirical information via databases such as SwePub, Libsearch and Google Scholar, through the search engine in Malmö University library webpage. After an extensive and thorough research, the information gathered from the search shows that both scholars, museum educators, teachers and students agree that it is good to make these kinds of field trips. It can help students to engage with and within history, to evolve their perspectives on the history and abilities to understand other people and their actions, thoughts and beliefs in the past. The reason for doing this research is to understand the purpose of these kinds of visits and in the near future to use this as an advantage, for ourselves when we want to evoke historical abilities in our future students.