“History and Schools” as an Important Forum Linking Historical Scholarship and History Education

Abstract

This article reviews twenty years of activity (2004–2023) of the “History and Schools” section of the Journal of Historical Studies, affirming its significance as an academic forum connecting historical scholarship with history education. Through more than sixty articles by researchers, university lecturers, and schoolteachers from Vietnam and abroad, the section has concentrated on three principal areas: innovation in the content and methods of history teaching; international experiences in curricula, textbooks, and history education; and discussions of Vietnam’s 2018 General Education Curriculum and the new history textbooks. Many contributions have assessed the state of history teaching in Vietnam and proposed measures to improve instructional quality, strengthen the integration of historiographical achievements into school education, and foster students’ historical competencies and civic qualities. Studies of experiences in France, Germany, Australia, China, Türkiye, and other countries have also provided useful points of reference for curriculum reform and textbook development in Vietnam. The article concludes that the section has played an important role in bringing historiographical achievements into educational practice, building a durable bridge between researchers and teachers, and promoting the renewal of history education in a changing context.