This year, ECER Network 17 ‘Histories of Education’ is celebrating its 20 year anniversary. The convenors of the first, foundation meeting, held in Lathi (Finland) in 1999, were Frank Simon, Martin Lawn, Ian Grosvenor and Henk Van Setten. The leading papers of this first meeting were published in the journal of the History of Education Society ‘History of Education’ (2001, vol. 30, issue 2), which is now one of the leading journals in the field of the History of Education. The papers in this collection reflect on the role of “the visual in our historiography, the strong interest in the problems and opportunities of image-based or image-related research in education history” (Grosvenor & Lawn, 2001, 105). A central leitmotiv in the series of papers, is the concern about the ‘silences’ in the history of education. More specifically, in their contributions, several authors draw attention to subjects that have been neglected, as well as methodological approaches that remained underexplored, and sources that had been largely overlooked. This begs the question if and how, after 20 years, some of the concerns raised in these papers have been addressed.

The aim of this ‘anniversary’ workshop is to contribute to the ongoing discussions about sources, methodologies and topics within the field, as well as to reflect on the ever-changing academic context in which we operate. More specifically, we aim to initiate a discussion within the community of scholars that actively engage in Network 17, to reflect on the ways in which research within the disciplinary field has evolved, and to identify new possibilities, as well as potential risks. After all, an anniversary celebration is a momentum to not only look back on what has been, but also to reflect on what lies ahead in the future. In order to connect the past with the present/future, this workshop brings together established and young researchers, who are invited to reflect on past and current trends within the discipline and to identify potential lines of research for the future.

More specifically, the workshop will centre around the following research questions:

(i)               Starting from the presented selection of papers, how has the discipline of the History of Education developed, and which paradigmatic and academic evolutions have influenced that development over the last 20 years?

(ii)             Can this reflection about the past of the discipline help us in identifying possibilities for the future of the discipline, or even in identifying potential risks?

After a short word of welcome of the current convenor of Network 17, Iveta Kestere, Ian Grosvenor who was involved in the establishment of the network 20 years ago, presents his view on the status quaestionis of the discipline. Sarah Van Ruyskensvelde proceeds to explain the format of the workshop. To allow all present members to actively engage in the discussions, the entire group is divided into four smaller groups that each focus on one particular subject. The discussion in each group is moderated by young, emerging scholars within the field that already developed some expertise in relation to the topic of the discussion group (cf. infra) (ii) After the introduction, all participants of the workshop are invited to select a group, based on their interests. a. The first group focuses on evolutions relating to methodologies and theoretical frameworks that have influenced the history of education in the past. This group is led by Klaus Dittrich. His international experience in several countries, ranging from Germany, Luxemburg and South Korea, offers a fresh perspective on theoretical evolutions, and methodological approaches in different research contexts around the globe. b. The second group centers on thematic evolutions within the discipline. This discussion is moderated by Attila Nóbik. His expertise about the development of the history of education as an academic discipline, within a Eastern- and Western European context is relevant in this respect. c. The third group, addressing the question of how the nature and use of archives and sources have changed over the years, is moderated by Sarah Van Ruyskensvelde. In her research, Sarah Van Ruyskensvelde devotes specific attention to the potential particular sources have for the historian (of education), and how the archive can function as a site for critical reflection. d. The fourth group focuses on the question as to how the community of researchers, and the conditions under which they work within academia, has evolved. This group is led by Nele Reyniers who recently published an article addressing the beliefs and practices of teaching history of education in the 21th century. (iii) After the 20 minute group discussions, the outcomes of the debates on each issue are presented in a round table discussion. The round table aims to confront the views of the discussion groups, presented and summarized by the young scholars, with the points of view of established scholars in the field.

We believe that the workshop provides a refreshing format to initiate discussions that connect the past and the present of the discipline of the History of Education, since: (i) The discussions specifically address paradigmatic shifts, topical evolutions and changes in relations to the use of methodologies and sources that have occurred within the field from a contemporary perspective. (ii) The discussion will not only deal with the ways in which the community of historians of education has evolved, but also aims to continuously contribute to the building of a strong community of established and emerging scholars within the field in the future. (iii) In response to some of the worries about the future of the discipline historians of education have voiced in the past (see: Reyniers, Verstraete, Van Ruyskensvelde & Kelchtermans, 2018), this workshop may help in identifying potential risks and connect them to new possibilities for the discipline that lie ahead.

Catherine Burke (2001) Hands-on history: towards a critique of the ‘everyday’, History of Education, 30:2, 191-201. Betty Eggermont (2001) The choreography of schooling as site of struggle: Belgian primary schools, 1880-1940, History of Education, 30:2, 129-140. Ian Grosvenor & Martin Lawn (2001) Ways of seeing in education and schooling: emerging historiographies, History of Education, 30:2, 105-108. Ken Jones & Hannah Davies (2001) Representing education 1969–80: notes on ‘Kes’ and ‘Grange Hill’, History of Education, 30:2, 141-151. Martin Lawn & Ian Grosvenor (2001) 'When in doubt, preserve': exploring the traces of teaching and material culture in English schools, History of Education, 30:2, 117-127. Jane Martin (2001) Reflections on writing a biographical account of a woman educator activist, History of Education, 30:2, 163-176. Kevin Myers (2001) The hidden history of refugee schooling in Britain: the case of the Belgians, 1914–18, History of Education, 30:2, 153-162. Nick Peim (2001) The history of the present: towards a contemporary phenomenology of the school, History of Education, 30:2, 177-190. Nele Reyniers, Pieter Verstraete, Sarah Van Ruyskensvelde & Geert Kelchtermans (2018) Let us entertain you: an exploratory study on the beliefs and practices of teaching history of education in the twenty-first century, Paedagogica Historica, 54:6, 837-845. Kate Rousmaniere (2001) Questioning the visual in the history of education, History of Education, 30:2, 109-116.