Learning to think as a researcher-teacher-historian through local heritage. An experience in the Bachelor’s Degree in Primary Education

Abstract

This article analyzes an innovative teaching experience carried out with the students of Bachelor’s Degree in Primary Education at the University of Lleida, focused on the Natural, Social and Cultural Environment Knowledge Area in accordance with the guidelines of Decree 175/2022 on the primary school syllabus. The new educational orientations demand that teachers should go beyond the reproduction of knowledge and teach pupils to think historically, questioning established narratives, using local sources and placing new protagonists at the center of the narrative. However, a deficiency is detected in the training of research skills among future teachers. To address this deficiency, an educational experience has been carried out with a twofold objective. On the one hand, future teachers should be aware of the importance of learning historically in order to understand current contexts. On the other hand, teachers should be trained to apply the historian’s methodology to their professional practice, encouraging critical reflection and civic awareness. This initiative not only ensures training in research skills, but also encourages critical reflection on the role of historical literacy in education, promoting the creation of new historical narratives while contributing to the formation of committed critical citizens.