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Continuity and Change: Ten Years of Teaching and Learning about the Holocaust in England’s secondary schools

Author(s): Hale, Rebecca; Pettigrew, Alice; Karayianni, Eleni; Pearce, Andy; Foster, Stuart; Needham, Kane; Nienhaus, Luisa; Chapman, Arthur

Date: 2023

Topics: Holocaust Education, Curriculum, Main Topic: Holocaust and Memorial, Teachers, Teaching and Pedagogy, Schools: Non-Jewish, Schools: Seconday / High Schools

Abstract: Continuity and Change: Ten Years of Teaching and Learning about the Holocaust in England’s secondary schools, published in 2023, explores the development of Holocaust education in the decade following the Centre’s landmark 2009 study Teaching about the Holocaust in English Secondary Schools: An empirical study of national trends, perspectives and practice The Continuity and Change study examines teachers’ aims, definitions, content, pedagogy, assessment, knowledge, understanding, curriculum planning, challenges encountered and training experiences in 2019/20 and explores how this compares with the situation in 2009. Like its counterpart in 2009, the Continuity and Change study took a mixed methods approach. In total, 1,077 teachers from across England completed a comprehensive survey with 964 of them reporting they had taught about the Holocaust during the previous three years. Interviews were conducted with a subsample of survey respondents to discuss their teaching practice in greater depth. In total, 134 teachers from 45 schools across England took part in either small group or individual interviews.

UCL Centre for Holocaust Education’s Continuity and Change Research Study – First Data Release: The Impact of Pressures on the Key Stage 3 Curriculum on Teaching About the Holocaust.

Date: 2021

Topics: Holocaust Education, Main Topic: Holocaust and Memorial, Schools: Non-Jewish, Schools: Seconday / High Schools, Teachers, Teaching and Pedagogy, Curriculum

Abstract: Researchers from the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education note with concern the impact of wider educational policy changes upon teaching and learning about the Holocaust in England’s secondary schools. Their research suggests that, within Key Stage 3 history, much more teaching about the Holocaust is taking place with younger year groups than it was ten years ago despite teachers’ significant concerns that only older, Year 9 and above, students have either the necessary conceptual understanding or emotional maturity to fully engage with this history.

UCL Centre for Holocaust Education’s Continuity and Change Research Study – Second Data Release: Improving Teachers' Subject Knowledge of the Holocaust

Date: 2021

Topics: Holocaust Education, Main Topic: Holocaust and Memorial, Schools: Non-Jewish, Schools: Seconday / High Schools, Teachers, Teaching and Pedagogy, Curriculum

Abstract: New research for the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education reports improved subject knowledge among those teaching about the Holocaust in English secondary schools over the last ten years. However, the same data also raises concerns. Notwithstanding these improvements, many teachers still appear to share a number of widespread misunderstandings, enduring misconceptions and common historical inaccuracies all of which have potentially profound consequence for the teaching and learning of this important history.

More encouragingly, the research also provides compelling evidence of a strong relationship between continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers and secure subject knowledge. This relationship is especially pronounced where such support meets or exceeds the Department for Education’s current Standards for teacher professional development as exemplified by the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education’s flagship Beacon
School Programme.

What do students know and understand about the Holocaust? Evidence from English secondary schools

Author(s): Foster, Stuart; Pettigrew, Alice; Pearce, Andy; Hale, Rebecca; Burgess, Adrian; Salmons, Paul; Lenga, Ruth-Anne

Date: 2015

Topics: Schools: Non-Jewish, Schools: Seconday / High Schools, Holocaust Education, Surveys, Main Topic: Education

Abstract: This research study was conducted by the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education, an integral part of UCL’s Institute of Education.

It is the world’s largest ever study of its kind, drawing on the contributions of more than 9,500 students across all years of secondary school in England (i.e. 11 to 18 year olds). This report presents analysis of survey responses from 7,952 students and focus group interviews with 244 students.

The primary aim of the research was to provide a detailed national portrait of students’ knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust. The research also focused on students’ attitudes towards learning about the Holocaust and their encounters with this history, both in and outside of school. Ultimately, the research sought to establish an empirical basis from which considerations of the most effective ways to improve teaching and learning about the Holocaust could be made.

Teaching About the Holocaust in English Secondary Schools: An empirical study of national trends, perspectives and practice

Author(s): Andrews, Kay; Foster, Stuart; Lenga, Ruth-Anne; Pettigrew, Alice; Salmons, Paul

Date: 2009

Topics: Holocaust Education, Schools: Seconday / High Schools, Schools: Non-Jewish, Main Topic: Demography and Migration

Abstract: This research was commissioned by The Pears Foundation and the Department for Children,
Schools and Families (DCSF). The aims were to examine when, where, how and why the
Holocaust is taught in state-maintained secondary schools in England, and to inform the
design and delivery of a continuing professional development (CPD) programme for teachers
who teach about the Holocaust. A two-phase mixed methodology was employed. This
comprised an online survey which was completed by 2,108 respondents and follow-up
interviews with 68 teachers in 24 different schools throughout England.
The research reveals that teachers adopt a diverse set of approaches to this challenging and
complex subject. In the report, teachers’ perceptions, perspectives and practice are presented
and a range of challenges and issues encountered by teachers across the country are explicitly
identified. The research shows that, although most teachers believe that it is important to
teach about the Holocaust, very few have received specialist professional development in this
area. It also shows that many teachers find it a difficult and complicated subject to teach, and
that they both want and need support to better equip them to teach about the Holocaust
effectively.
The report is the largest endeavour of its kind in the UK in both scope and scale. The authors
hope it will be of considerable value to all those concerned with the advancement and
understanding of Holocaust education both in the UK and internationally