Contextualization, Critical Literacy, and Emotional Engagement in History Education

Edited by:
David Lefrançois, University of Québec in Outaouais
Marc-André Éthier, University of Montréal
Sylvain Doussot, University of Nantes
Nadine Fink, University of Teacher Education in Lausanne

A volume in the series: Contemporary Research in Education. Editor(s): Terry Osborn, University of South Florida.

Call for Papers

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

This volume of the Contemporary Research in Education Series will examine critical literacy and inquiry-based learning with the objective of ensuring that history education remains relevant and impactful in today’s complex world. Furthermore, it will provide a comprehensive overview of the challenges in achieving historical contextualization across various educational settings throughout the world.

Despite the recognition by historians of the pivotal role of contextualization in their practice, it is frequently absent from history education, where context is unduly emphasized. The interplay between context and contextualization in historians’ and teachers’ practices can provide valuable theoretical tools for analyzing student activities, dominant concepts in the classroom, and teachers’ choices.

The editors seek chapter proposals that explore conceptual, epistemological, and/or methodological issues related to students’ and teachers’ critical historical literacy, emotions, and/or contextualization practices. They also invite proposals for (quasi-)experimental research conducted in collaboration with teachers and their classes. This may include oral history, material history, audiovisual sources, and digital interpretations. The contributions may offer insights from cross-national comparisons, with a focus on qualitative and critical research that uncovers the intricate relationships between addressing social issues and conceptualizing their role within educational practice, policy, and the foundations of history education.

One of the key challenges is how to introduce students to the principles of historical practice in a way that is accessible and engaging for them, while also considering their existing knowledge and understanding. Furthermore, how might the emotional dimension inherent in social studies learning, interwoven with historical narratives and contemporary events, be leveraged to stimulate inquiry, inspire engagement, promote critical thinking, and encourage evidence-based debate and discussion of controversial issues (e.g., colonial past, cultural appropriation, CRT, truth and reconciliation, social injustice, slavery, genocide, iconoclasm, censorship, civil disobedience), while maintaining respect for diverse points of view?

TOPICS OF INTEREST:

A. Critical Literacy and the Role of Contextualization in History Education
1. Historical Literacy: Reading, Interpreting, and Evaluating Primary Sources
2. Contextualizing Primary Sources for Historical Inquiry
3. Context, Contextualization, and Empathy: Dynamics of Classroom vs. Historian Practice
4. The Use of Narrative and Emotion in History Education to Develop Critical Skills
5. Historical Literacy, Inquiry-Based Learning, and Fostering Social Engagement

B. Implementing Contextualization in Educational Practice
6. Contextualizing Productions, Archives, and Media as a Historian
7. Document Analysis in the Classroom: From Fact-Checking to Historical Inquiry
8. Strategies for Discussing Controversial Historical Issues
9. Addressing Emotionally Charged Pasts
10. Achieving Contextualization in History Education: Learning from International Innovations

PROPOSAL INFORMATION:

Proposals should be made on one single-spaced page, and consist of your name and affiliation, email address, a tentative title, and an abstract (400-500 words). Please include an additional page with a brief biography (200-300 words). All proposals should be sent as a single Word file of 2 pages to David Lefrançois (david.lefrancois@uqo.ca) by November 30, 2024.

CHAPTER SUBMISSION INFORMATION:

Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by January 31, 2025, about the status of their submission and sent chapter guidelines. Full chapters, ranging from 7,000 to 8,000 words in Times New Roman 12, double spaced text, inclusive of title, abstract, manuscript, and references, should be submitted as a Microsoft Word email attachment by June 30, 2025. Manuscripts should conform to 7th edition APA style conventions. See Author Guidelines. Graphics and images may be included.

All manuscripts are submitted exclusively for this volume and must not have been previously published in English. However, with the permission of the publisher of the contribution in question and if this is clearly stated, a previously published contribution in another language may be used as the basis for a manuscript submitted to this edited book project.

The following “canonical” chapter sections or equivalents are suggested, although they may be revised to some extent: Introduction (ending with a research question), Theoretical Background, Research Methodology (theoretical approach for a theoretical research chapter), Results/Findings (theoretical development for a theoretical research chapter), Discussion, Conclusion/Recommendations/Further Exploration, and References. In the case of a theoretical research piece, these sections may vary.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE FOR PUBLICATION:

Abstract Submission: November 30, 2024
Notification of Invite to Submit Chapter: January 31, 2025
Submission of Book Chapter: June 30, 2025
Reviews of Book Chapter Manuscripts Sent to Author(s): September 30, 2025
Receipt by Editors of Final Draft of Book Chapters: November 30, 2025
Final Book Submitted to Publisher: February 2026
Anticipated Publication: Spring 2026

Send all inquiries to David Lefrançois — david.lefrancois@uqo.ca

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