Inside the History Classroom

This insightful text offers vivid, fly-on-the-wall portraits of history teaching in action. Drawing on long-term observations of four teachers working in diverse school contexts, it explores what “good” history teaching looks like in practice. Rather than offering a checklist of strategies or quick fixes, Golledge delves into the lived complexity of teaching. The book examines the structures, relationships, and contextual factors that shape and constrain professional practice, using the theory of practice architectures to illuminate the situated nature of teachers’ work. Through rich case studies and the inclusion of student voice, it reveals how exemplary teachers engage, inspire, and adapt to meet the needs of their learners. In doing so, it underscores how good history teaching plays a vital role in shaping society’s future by helping students understand the past, think critically about the present, and become informed citizens who can contribute meaningfully to their communities. The result is a nuanced, engaging, and deeply contextual account of what it means to teach history well – highlighting the relational, intellectual and creative dimensions of exemplary practice. This book is essential reading for current and future history teachers, as well as researchers and academics interested in the lived realities of classroom practice.