Ideology, National Identity and Patriotism in Prescribed History Textbooks: Secondary Teachers’ Responses

Abstract

The chapter analyses a purposive sample of interviews of secondary history teachers of Russian history in Grades 8–11 conducted in 2013 in Moscow. They were designed to illuminate further some of the gaps in historical narratives, and historical understanding, as documented in prescribed Russian history textbooks. The interviews demonstrate that some respondents felt that certain key and controversial events are either ignored or not discussed critically in current Russian history textbooks. The respondents offered detailed statements on the link between national ideology, politics and Russian history textbooks. Totally new data was provided for the relationship between national identity and history education. Most respondents agreed that the national identity is formed through the study of historical narratives, depicting significant events in the history of Russia. Finally, most agreed, which also revealing, and indicative of the current political climate in the RF, that the primary value of history education in schools was education for patriotism, and citizenship education. The chapter demonstrates that the issue of national identity and balanced representations of the past continue to dominate the debate surrounding the content and pedagogy of history textbooks in the RF. The chapter concludes that a shifting geo-political climate and the Kremlin-based history reforms tsars will continue to define and shape the nature and significance of historical knowledge, ideologies and the direction of values education in prescribed Russian history textbooks in Russia.