Module: Teaching Controversial & emotive issues in & through History

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Teaching Controversial & emotive issues in & through History
Module Code	EDP1048 (ITS: SG315)
Faculty	STEM Ed, Innov, Global Studies	School	DCU Institute of Education
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5

Description

This module explores how classroom practices can be best developed, in order to create safe and challenging environments where emotive and controversial historical events and issues can be explored in primary classrooms. In addition, it will explore how controversial contemporary issues can be explored through their historical roots. Underpinned by an exploration of affective pedagogies (Bryan, 2020) for difficult knowledge (Pitt & Britzmann, 2003), students will be introduced to key pedagogical strategies and guidelines (McCully, 2005) that can support the safe and necessary examination of sensitive and traumatic history in primary classrooms.

Learning Outcomes

1. Identity contemporary and historical events and issues that are controversial and sensitive and relevant to the Primary Curriculum, with a view to exploring them in and through history
2. Reflect on the contested and controversial nature of history and contemporary issues and the implications, challenges and possibilities of this for teaching history across the primary curriculum
3. Demonstrate knowledge of effective and affective pedagogies and practices that support safe and challenging learning for senior primary children
4. Plan and resource history lessons and plans sensitively with a wide range of perspectives represented and using a critical enquiry approach
5. Critically engage with relevant theories and research in the area of controversial and emotive issues in and through history

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Seminars	24	12 seminars of 2 hours
Independent Study	51	No Description
Assignment Completion	50	No Description
Total Workload: 125

Section Breakdown
CRN	20274	Part of Term	Semester 2
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Maria Barry	Module Teacher

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Reflective journal	Students must select 5 Seminars to reflect on over the course of the Semester. Guiding questions for reflection are provided. Reflections must show evidence of engagement with the seminars and with the associated literature (2 readings assigned to each seminar –see Loop). Reflections must demonstrate knowledge of the curriculum and how the seminar content/concepts links to the Primary History Curriculum and/or the Teacher Guidelines (see Loop). Please note: students cannot reflect on a seminar that they have not attended.	50%	Every Second Week
Assignment	● Students select a contested or controversial topic and create a staff poster outlining how to teach it in and/or through history. The poster should include: current debates on the topic, suggested pedagogical approaches, appropriate language/vocabulary, development of historical thinking skills (eg. empathy, perspective taking, agency), recommended sources and resources. The poster must be accompanied with a rationale outlining reasons for selection of the topic and the approaches chosen.	50%	Sem 2 End

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Indicative content and activities
The course will develop students’ knowledge and understanding of leading the exploration of controversial and emotive issues in and through history. The course will involve students: ● Exploring the controversial and contested nature of History and opportunities to examine contemporary controversial issues through history ● Examining the role of participatory and affective pedagogies to explore controversial and emotive issues in the primary history classroom ● Researching historical concepts such as change and continuity, causation and empathy and their connections to controversial issues ● Engaging with the concept of “difficult knowledge” (Britzmann, 1998) and debating its implications for teaching controversial issues in and through history ● Working together to plan challenging, safe and creative learning opportunities for children based on contemporary controversial events and real-world issues through history and underpinned by the Primary History Curriculum ● Creating guidelines for planning the teaching of sensitive issues in and through history ● Using a critical historical enquiry lens to explore relevant contemporary and historical topics such as childhood, climate change, commemoration, the Holocaust and the Troubles ● Encountering local, national and international controversial issues via field trips and online cross-community dialogue ● Using examples from the research base in teaching controversial issues to consider the challenges and possibilities for history planning and teaching ● Engaging in virtual and face-to-face fieldtrips and community encounters related to historical controversial and contested issues by visiting local community groups, schools and Northern Ireland ● Critically engaging with and analysing a broad range of literature in history education including practitioner based book chapters and peer-reviewed research articles.

Indicative Reading List

Books:
None

Articles:

Pace, J. L.: 2019, Contained risk-taking: Preparing preservice teachers to teach controversial issues in three countries, Theory & Research in Social Education, 47 (2), 228-2, 518799
2005: You hear about it for real in school.' Avoiding, containing and risk-taking in the history classroom., Teaching History, (120), 32., 518800, 1
Difficult knowledge” and the Holocaust in history education.: The Wiley international handbook of history teaching and learning, 365-3, 518801, 1, Pearce, A., & Chapman, A.
Holocaust Studies: 23 (3), 223-2, 518802, 2, McCully, A., 2005
518803: 2, McCully, A., Waldron, F., & Mallon, B., 2020, The contrasting place of political history in the primary curricula of Ireland, north and south: a comparative study., Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 118,

Other Resources

1: Journals, History Education Research Journal Primary History Teaching History Holocaust Studies History Education Journal Globalisation, Societies and Education,
415810: 1, Websites, www.facinghistory.org www.teachingtolerance.org www.cain.ulster.ac.uk - CAIN archive www.ushmm.org - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum www.holocausteducation.org.uk,
415811: 1, Report, Historical Association, 2007, Report on Teaching Emotional and Controversial History,