The Construction of a Citizenship Model Through the Teaching of History

Abstract

References to education today necessarily encompass the type of citizens we are forming in the classrooms. Curricular proposals, regardless of their educational stage, reiterate that the basic purpose of education is to make people aware of their reality, foster their critical thinking, and ensure they participate in the political, social, and cultural system of which they are part. However, this declaration of intentions, which is widely legislated but rarely subject to empirical verification, is even more evident in certain subjects such as the History of Spain. In order to explore whether the curricular proposals put forward by History are truly educating citizens, the authors interviewed 50 first-year university students representing various areas of knowledge from seven Spanish universities. The results have identified a citizen profile that does not align with the social and civic model described by legislation, which has prompted us to suggest certain improvements pursuant to the purposes of History as a subject taught at school.