This volume proposes a theory of history education in formal classroom settings. Specifically
it aims to outline how the particular setting of the classroom interacts with domain-specific
processes of historical thinking. The theory rests on the notion that formal school education
is a communicative and social system while historical thinking occurs in the psychological
system of a person's historical consciousness. In the complex interaction of these systems
historical thinking emotions communication media and language are of particular importance.
Drawing upon educational theory as well as the theory of history this theory of the history
classroom provides a framework as well as a solid foundation for future empirical research
both for developing research questions as well as for interpreting findings.
