Achieving the Objectives of the European Dimension Through History: an Analysis of Croatian and Bosnian-herzegovinian Fourth Grade Gymnasium History Textbooks

Abstract

The implementation of the European dimension in education is one of the main pedagogical challenges for European Union [EU] member states today. This fact is emphasised by the large number of resolutions, declarations and recommendations adopted by European institutions. All of these texts clearly suggest that the European dimension is not a new and separate curriculum element, but a new way of approaching lesson content with the purpose of not only imparting knowledge (e.g. teaching pupils about Europe), but also developing a system of attitudes, values and competence sets in young people. Given that the potential of history lessons and textbooks in achieving the objectives of the European dimension in education is often emphasised, this paper purports to establish whether Croatian and Bosnian-Herzegovinian gymnasium history textbooks are helpful in achieving the objectives of the European dimension and to what extent, on the basis of the analysis of the didacticPHWKRGRORJLFDOHOHPHQWVRIWH[WERRNXQLWV7KHFRQGXFWHGDQDO\VLVRIWKHRI?FLDOO\DSSURYHG Croatian and Bosnian-Herzegovinian fourth grade gymnasium history textbooks has shown that they neglected the necessity of encouraging the development of the skills, attitudes and values necessary for the lives and work of young people in a multicultural, multilingual and democratic Europe.