Overview

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.

Full Product Details

9781041014607

Table of Contents

Reviews

‘This powerful and timely book offers a richly textured account of exemplary history teaching in diverse Australian classrooms. Drawing on sustained observation and framed by the theory of practice architectures, it illuminates the relational, contextual, and intellectual complexity of quality teaching. Claire Golledge’s work foregrounds student voice and challenges reductive notions of teacher quality, offering a compelling vision of practice grounded in authenticity and care. This book will resonate deeply with teachers and all those committed to understanding and supporting meaningful classroom practice.’ Jenny Gore, Laureate Professor, School of Education, The University of Newcastle, Australia. ‘Inside the History Classroom is an insightful study into the practice and pedagogy of history teaching, with compelling portraits of exemplary history teachers that make this a great resource for pre-service, classroom, and university educators alike.’ Anna Clark, Professor, University of Technology Sydney, Australia.

Author Information

Claire Golledge is a lecturer in Education and the co-ordinator of Human Society and its Environment curriculum (secondary) in the Sydney School of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney, Australia. Prior to academia, Claire taught History and Legal Studies in NSW secondary schools, and worked in school leadership roles, leading teacher professional learning.

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