Module: Controversial and Emotive History

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Controversial and Emotive History
Module Code	EDP1165 (ITS: EDP1048 )
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 addition, it will examine how controversial contemporary issues can be investigated through their historical roots. Underpinned by an analysis of affective pedagogies for difficult knowledge, students will be introduced to key pedagogical strategies and guidelines (e.g. McCully, 2005) that can support the safe and necessary examination of sensitive and traumatic history in primary classrooms. Using hands-on, practical workshops, the module will examine key themes in history education such as the purpose of school history, historical consciousness and children’s epistemic beliefs about the nature of history. The pedagogical implications of these on the teaching and learning of history at primary level (e.g. curriculum and textbook design) and the uses of history in everyday life (e.g. public debates on contested events like the Glasnevin Memorial, the toppling of statues and commemorations) will be examined. The module works towards developing skills and literacies that encourage the student to problem-solve through creation, innovation, communication, collaboration and exploration, all of which are developed in an active learning environment focused specifically on controversial and emotive topics where students can advance their ideas from conception to realisation.

Learning Outcomes

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Workshop	24	Group (c.30 students) seminar workshops featuring collaborative teaching and learning activities, short lecture inputs and discussion
Independent Study	61	Engagement with readings, research and policy pertaining to controversial and emotive history. Online engagement and evaluation of resources
Assignment Completion	40	Preparation and completion of assignment including engaging with literature and Loop materials.
Total Workload: 125

Section Breakdown
CRN	12180	Part of Term	Semester 1
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Caitriona NI Cassaithe	Module Teacher	Maria Barry, Peter Whelan

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Assignment	Part A: Individual Assignment: 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 (Students cannot reflect on a seminar that they have not attended).	25%	n/a
Group assignment	Part B: Paired assignment Students select and research (using at least four historical texts) a controversial or emotive topic from the senior strands of the primary history curriculum (5th/6th). Students devise a suitable main enquiry question and 5 sub- questions. These questions should be open ended, challenging and offer potential for historical enquiry. Using historical enquiry, students design a range of highly suitable activities to develop children’s content knowledge in tandem with historical thinking skills. The enquiry should highlight a diverse range of high quality sources and resources to support effective teaching and learning and draw upon course content to incorporate suitable pedagogical approaches (e.g. use of sources, multiperspectivity, dialogic practices)	60%	n/a
Assignment	Part C: Individual Assignment Drawing on course content, students create an infographic to be displayed to classroom teachers about how to teach about the controversial or emotive topic outlined in Part B.	15%	n/a

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
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 through topics such as the Holocaust (including Roma experiences), Migration, Climate Change, the Great Irish Famine, The Transatlantic Slave Trade, The Civil War and Northern Ireland. 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 teaching controversial and emotive issues 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 histories.

Recommended Resources
Recommended Book Resources Historical Association Report on Teaching Emotional and Controversial History (2007) VanSledright, B. A. (2011). The challenge of rethinking history education. On practice, theories, and policy. Routledge. Recommended Research Articles Barton, K., & McCully, A. (2007). Teaching controversial issues... where controversial issues really matter. Teaching history, (127), 13. Britzman, D. P. (1998). 'That Lonely Discovery': Anne Frank, Anna Freud, and the Question of Pedagogy. Lost Subjects, Contested Objects: Toward a Psychoanalytical Inquiry of Learning, 113-135. Pearce, A., & Chapman, A. (2017). Holocaust education 25 years on: Challenges, issues, opportunities. Holocaust Studies, 23 (3), 223-230. Goldberg, T., & Savenije, G. M. (2018). Teaching controversial historical issues. International Handbook of History Teaching and Learning, 503-526. Hand, M., & Levinson, R. (2012). Discussing controversial issues in the classroom. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 44(6), 614-629. Kitson, A., & McCully, A. (2005). 'You hear about it for real in school.' Avoiding, containing and risk-taking in the history classroom. Teaching History, (120), 32. Levy, S., & Sheppard, M. (2018). Difficult knowledge” and the Holocaust in history education. The Wiley international handbook of history teaching and learning, 365-387. McCully, A. (2005). Teaching controversial issues in a divided society: Learning from Northern Ireland. Pace, J. L. (2019). Contained risk-taking: Preparing preservice teachers to teach controversial issues in three countries. Theory & Research in Social Education, 47(2), 228-260. 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, 1-18. Other Resources Journals: History Education Research Journal Primary History (HA) Teaching History (HA) Websites: www.facinghistory.org www.cain.ulster.ac.uk - CAIN archive www.ushmm.org - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum www.holocausteducation.org.uk

Indicative Reading List

Books:
None

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None