Contested histories, emotional reactions: bridging research and practice in a fragmented field. A narrative mapping review

This article presents a narrative mapping review of research concerning the teaching of contested histories and the handling of emotional reactions within educational settings. Drawing on the Monument(al) Challenges project, the study examines and synthesises key aspects in and across research. The aim is to answer the following questions: What knowledge does research provide about teaching and handling emotional reactions to contested histories? And how is this knowledge applicable to teachers and educators in practice? Based on a systematic literature search in databases, supplemented by artificial intelligence-assisted searches, the review encompasses 58 relevant studies published between 2013 and 2025. The analysis reveals that the research field is marked by significant terminological and contextual diversity, which complicates the development of a unified theoretical framework. Nonetheless, common themes emerge, such as teacher avoidance strategies, professional insecurity and a widespread need for pedagogical support. The literature suggests that teaching contested histories often involves emotional challenges, particularly for teachers, and that there is a lack of concrete didactic tools to manage these effectively. The article argues for categorising studies according to contextual factors (for example, post-conflict societies, minority–majority dynamics) to enhance their relevance and applicability to practice. It calls for more comparative research within the field and for the development of conceptual categories that can bridge theory and practice, thereby strengthening teachers’ and educators’ capacity to handle emotionally charged and complex reactions in the classroom.