Urban spaces as History learning places in Portugal

Abstract

This article highlights the importance of material culture in history education, emphasising the need to relate objects and places to historical problems in order to stimulate students' critical questioning. The educational use of heritage sources, not limited to museums, can provide challenging experiences that lead to meaningful learning. Traditional educational practices often fail to reflect the diversity of societies, perpetuating traditional narratives. The critical interpretation of heritage challenges preconceptions, promoting reflections on identity and memory. This highlights the need for a change in teaching methodology, moving from the mere transmission of knowledge to interactive approaches that encourage questioning and critical analysis, with the aim of improving students' historical understanding. The educational activity focused on problem formulation to develop students' historical competences in interpreting heritage sources, contextualising them historically. The study involved groups of 3rd cycle of basic education students from northern Portugal that took part in an urban itinerary that included sites related to the beginning of industrialisation and its impact on the society at the time. The study revealed that although students assimilated some principles of the historical method, they showed difficulties in applying those principles in practice. The research highlights the importance of training students to critically interpret sources in connection with their historical contexts.