Teaching History in Portugal: The Curriculum, Programs, Textbooks and Teacher Training

This article aims to analyse critically and based on literature review, empirical studies, current legislation, and normative documents, how the teaching of history is structured in Portugal and the changes that have taken place in recent decades. A brief description and contextualization of how the Portuguese educational system is carried out, how it is structured, the levels of schooling in which History is taught, the time allocated to this subject area, compared to other areas of the Curriculum, as well as the current normative documents governing the teaching of History in Portugal. From the guiding documents, the contents of History are analysed according to the educational levels, what is the weight of the conceptual content in relation to the procedural and attitudinal ones, how heritage and citizenship are integrated in the history programs, the focus given to national history in relation to European and World History and what is the role of school textbooks and how the training of history teachers for the various teaching cycles is currently carried out. We conclude that the History programs still maintain a linear and chronological structure, with a strong focus on the History of Portugal, that is, a National History prevailing, although integrated in European and World History from the 3rd CEB onwards. Deep changes have emerged in the teaching of History in Portugal, operated by the curricular documents in force, by the renewal of textbooks in line with the new curricular guidelines and by a bet in the teacher training that privileges the continuous training and teaching by competences, in line with the 21st Century Education agenda (UNESCO).