History Education Dissertation Prize awarded to Marjolein Wilke (KU Leuven)
During the EuroClio annual conference in Brussels, the History Education Dissertation Prize was awarded for the first time. The prize is an initiative of EuroClio in collaboration with the International Society of History Didactics (ISHD), the Centre for Historical Culture at Erasmus University Rotterdam, the History Educators International Research Network (HEIRNET) and International Research Association for History and Social Science Education (IRAHSSE). It is awarded to doctoral thesis that in the view of history educators has the most practical use to them. The final decision was made by registered participants of the EuroClio conference who voted on the animations based on three dissertations shortlisted by the jury: Robbert-Jan Adriaansen (Erasmus University), Denise Bentrovato (IRAHSSE), Tim Huijgen (HEIRNET) and Joanna Wojdon (ISHD):
Marjolein Wilke, Historical Thinking in Upper Secondary Education – Three integrated studies on historical (teacher beliefs, a designed teaching unit, and a randomised trial) delivering both scholarly rigorous evidence and immediately usable classroom materials. The jury praised its impressive scope and its direct practical contribution. A striking finding: historical thinking gains did not automatically transfer to democratic citizenship, contrasting widespread assumptions in the field.
Photo by Mirela Redič
Brent Geerts, Negotiating Colonial HeritageHow do you design history education around collections built to glorify colonialism? – Working with two Belgian museums, Geerts combines interviews, performance tasks, and a five-month professional learning community, working with teachers and museum guides rather than just studying them. The jury valued its cross-profile comparisons and rare attention to school-museum cooperation.
Sara Karn, Historical Empathy in Canadian History Education – Historical empathy has been theorised internationally for decades yet remained absent from Canadian curriculum and research. Through interviews with researchers and teachers, Karn maps how empathy is taken up in classrooms without official support. The jury recognised a timely contribution, especially its distinction between the “historical” and “personal” dimensions of affect.
