History Education and Digital Technologies in Populist Times
A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 172
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In an era marked by the resurgence of populist movements, where their leaders frequently attempt to manipulate historical narratives to serve their political agendas, promoting a version of history that emphasizes nationalistic and exclusionary themes while marginalizing diverse perspectives, the role of history education is increasingly vital. On the other hand, digital technologies, now even more empowered by the advances in Artificial Intelligence, have demonstrated the potential to improve educational strategies, particularly improving history education. Still, as Sam Wineburg (2018) asks, why learn history, when it is already on your phone?
Contributions to this Special Issue should explore how history education, enhanced by digital technologies, can counteract these tendencies by providing students with a nuanced understanding of the past, encouraging critical thinking, and promoting democratic values. In fact, if, in recent years, the term ‘fake news’ has been used a lot, in a wide variety of times and on a wide variety of subjects, for those who work on history (be it historians, history teachers, or even students), this matter of interpreting what is false or detecting the manipulation of or tampering with documents must be and has been part of their practice. Now more than ever, it is important to study the significance of history education and the integration of digital technologies in fostering critical awareness and resilience in the face of the simplistic and often divisive narratives propagated by populist ideologies. By doing so, history education not only counters the distortions of populist narratives but also strengthens the foundations of informed and engaged citizenship.
Colomer Rubio and Pons Pons (2023) state that it is important to give “meaning to historical work at a time when the discipline itself is being disputed by many others, be that the media, enthusiasts, writers, judges or legislators” (p. 48). This Special Issue should provide discussions on how to enhance history education through digital technologies to better prepare students for the challenges posed by populist movements and to recognize the complexities of historical events, appreciating the diverse contributions to national and global histories.
References
- Wineburg, S. (2018). Why learn history (when it’s already on your phone). The University of Chicago Press.
- Colomer Rubio, J. C., & Pons Pons, A. (2023). Digital resources for rethinking history education. In: C. J. Gómez Carrasco (ed.). Re-imagining the teaching of European history: promoting civic education and historical consciousness (pp. 42–52). Routledge.
Dr. Sara Dias-Trindade
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- history education
- digital technologies
- digital education
- populisms
- critical thinking
- historical evidence
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