Mellan historisk kunskap och värdegrund : Lärares didaktiska överväganden kring undervisning om Förintelsen

Sammanfattning

This study examined how secondary school teachers in northern Sweden describe their teaching about the Holocaust. The aim of this study was to analyze the teachers’ educational objectives, their didactic considerations, the function of emotions in Holocaust education, and how images, particularly graphic images were used in the classroom. The study was conducted through qualitative semi structured interviews with four secondary school teachers. The empirical material was analyzed using thematical analysis in combination with theoretical perspectives on historical culture and historical empathy. The findings showed that the teachers viewed Holocaust education as both knowledge-oriented and value-based, with a stronger emphasis on the latter. Central objectives included fostering students’ understanding of democratic values, human rights, and individual responsibility in society. At the same time, the teachers emphasized the importance of historical understanding and contextualization of the Holocaust. The teachers described various teaching strategies in which films, survivor testimonies and personal narratives were used to create engagement and emotional connection. Several teachers highlighted emotions as essential for students’ understanding of the subject. The study also demonstrated that teachers made different didactic considerations regarding the use of graphic images. Some teachers regarded such images as necessary for students to comprehend the brutality and human consequences of the Holocaust, while others adopted a more cautious approach due to concerns about students’ emotional responses, preferring other methods for reaching the same objectives. Overall, the study showed that Holocaust education involved balancing historical knowledge, emotional engagement and mediating democratic values, which can be seen as central components of history teaching.