A review of literature on history education: An analysis of the conceptual, intellectual and social structure of a knowledge domain (2000–2019)

Abstract

AbstractIn recent decades, Historical Thinking and Historical Consciousness have been two fundamental axes of research in history education. The first approach combines the use of historical sources and the work of the historian. The second includes the social function of history, identity, memory and civic and moral education. These two approaches attempt to provide students with the necessary intellectual tools for analysing the past and relating it to an understanding of problems in the present time. This article reviews the development and shaping of the knowledge domain of history education between 2000 and 2019 in the WoS (Web of Science). To this end, several techniques and tools were used, including R‐package Bibliometrix and VOSviewer. Our analysis identifies five clusters of topics underpinning history education as a specific field of knowledge. This review highlights the fact that research topics associated with Historical Thinking and Historical Consciousness have gradually acquired a more central role to the detriment of History Textbooks or topics generally related to History. Finally, we describe how the term History Educationfunctions as a marker for this knowledge domain.