Four Histories, One Nation? History teaching, nationhood and a British identity

This paper explores the relationship between history teaching and the construction of national identity. Drawing upon recent theoretical and historical work in the field, it provides a comparative analysis of important developments within the history curricula in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, and also explains why history has become politicised in Britain over the past few decades. The paper speculates about the implications of these developments within history education by considering the capacity of history to influence pupils’ collective identity alongside other potentially more powerful factors.