The teaching of traumatic narratives: out-of-the-classroom engagement with non-canonical ‘chosen traumas’

Abstract

This article explores the intersection of history education and traumatic narratives, focusing on the impact of out-of-the-classroom learning experiences on the teaching of history during turbulent periods. Through a case study of history teacher training in contemporary Israel, it investigates how exposure to others’ troubled histories and past traumas outside the traditional classroom setting influences the personal, disciplinary, pedagogical and professional-educational development of prospective history educators. Drawing on qualitative analysis of reflection sheets and teaching materials generated by students during a course conducted in February 2024, the research focuses on field trips to two non-canonical sites of historical trauma in Israel: the Museum of the Kfar Qassim Massacre and the Gush Katif Museum. In both these locations participants encountered others’ narratives of collective suffering, loss and conflict. By examining the material produced amid the students’ own recent traumas, the article illuminates the complex interplay between historical consciousness, pedagogical practice and societal upheaval in the training of history teachers.