This study, anchored in contemporary intercultural challenges, seeks to understand the historical-social consciousness expressed in the historical narratives of History teachers and students in Portuguese schools. The debate on respect for human dignity within intercultural dialogue has been reshaped in light of emerging concerns, discussed from a didactic perspective and articulated with the need for a “new humanism” (Rüsen, 2021) that may be strengthened through Historical Education. The study aims to examine how the discipline of History has contributed to the development of historical consciousness. It is therefore essential to map and critically discuss educational and social ideas and practices related to the concepts of Human Dignity, New Humanism, Interculturality, Historical Consciousness and Teacher Education, in order to identify pathways for enhancing critical and independent thinking in curricular and pedagogical decision-making and for promoting educational practices aligned with research and with the shared conceptual framework of Historical Education.

This paper presents preliminary results from the first phase of the research, focused on the initial characterisation of teachers’ and students’ conceptions of human dignity, interculturality and historical-social consciousness, as well as on the identification of interpretative tendencies emerging from their historical narratives. This exploratory phase makes it possible to recognise meaning-making patterns and hermeneutical tensions that shape how both groups mobilise historical ideas in contexts of plural coexistence and decision-making. Within this scope, the study seeks to address questions such as: what conceptions History teachers and students in Portugal hold regarding respect for human dignity, interculturality and historical-social consciousness; how teachers promote these principles in their pedagogical practices; how students mobilise their ideas in decision-making processes; and how teacher education in Portugal may reinforce pedagogical practices that support human dignity, interculturality and historical-social consciousness.

The objectives of this initial phase are to map teachers’ and students’ conceptions concerning human dignity, interculturality and historical-social consciousness; to understand how teachers integrate these principles into their educational practices; to conduct a preliminary analysis of how students use these ideas to substantiate decisions; and to outline directions that may strengthen subsequent stages of the research and inform proposals for teacher education. Expected contributions include the future development of training initiatives in collaboration with the Portuguese History Teachers Association (APH), aimed at promoting respect for human dignity, interculturality and historical-social consciousness, as well as the co-construction, in later phases, of an educational resource repository that may support teaching practices grounded in these principles.

The Profile of Students at the End of Compulsory Schooling states that schools should “equip young people with knowledge and values for building a fairer society, centred on the person, on human dignity, and on action in the world” (PASEO, 2017, p. 13). Guided by this framework, the present study began as a qualitative, descriptive and interpretative investigation informed by Grounded Theory (Charmaz, 2009), with the purpose of understanding how human dignity, interculturality and historical-social consciousness intersect within the teaching and learning of History. In an initial phase, a comprehensive conceptual and literature review was conducted, encompassing legislation, curriculum documents, international guidelines, theoretical debates and research in Historical Education and Curriculum Studies. This review provided the conceptual grounding required to articulate the analytical focus and methodological direction of the study. Drawing on data from the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service (SEF, 2023), it became evident that the foreign resident population is unevenly distributed across the country. Consequently, a purposive and stratified sampling strategy was designed, selecting the three districts with the greatest cultural diversity (Lisbon, Faro and Setúbal) and the three with the lowest diversity (Guarda, Portalegre and Vila Real). Schools offering lower secondary education within these districts were identified, and 9th-grade classes were randomly selected, as this is the final year in which all students share a common curriculum in Historical Education. Following the principles of Grounded Theory, an exploratory study was undertaken to examine the relevance and feasibility of the research design. A pilot study was then conducted, involving the administration of open and semi-open questionnaires, paper-and-pencil tasks, focus groups and follow-up semi-structured interviews. The preliminary analysis of these data supported the adjustment of procedures, the clarification of instructions and the improvement of the suitability of the instruments for the participating teachers and students. Although the research was framed predominantly within a qualitative paradigm, complementary quantitative procedures were incorporated. In particular, Likert-type scales were used to identify general tendencies and patterns of opinion among participants. This methodological integration enabled the triangulation of data and strengthened the analytical depth of the study, while maintaining its descriptive and interpretative orientation. Based on this initial phase already completed, more precise directions for the final study were established, grounded both in the preliminary empirical evidence and in the need to deepen the understanding of teachers’ practices and students’ decision-making regarding human dignity, interculturality and historical-social consciousness.

This study is grounded in an integrated and humanistic view of curriculum, emphasising practical rationality in examining curricular articulation and the role of the teacher as a curriculum agent within a complex and democratic professional framework (Pacheco, 2001; Flores, 2017; Roldão, 2017). By mobilising the concept of respect for human dignity as a central guiding principle, the study seeks to understand the conceptions and educational practices through which History teachers and students engage with cultural diversity in school contexts marked by increasing plurality. The preliminary results from this first phase of the research will allow the identification of emerging tendencies in participants’ conceptions, particularly regarding how they understand the relationship between human dignity, historical consciousness and interculturality. Among teachers, different levels of conceptual appropriation and various ways of integrating these principles into pedagogical practice are expected to be observed, revealing both potentialities and interpretative challenges. Among students, it is anticipated that patterns of historical reasoning and decision-making will be identified, showing how they mobilise values, memories and cultural references when interpreting social and historical issues. More broadly, the findings are expected to contribute to understanding how Historical Education may support approaches attentive to cultural diversity and conducive to the development of historical consciousness oriented towards human dignity. The analysis is likely to highlight not only the difficulties faced in applying these principles, but also opportunities that subsequent phases of the study may pursue. The conclusions from this preliminary phase will thus provide conceptual and pedagogical indicators that may inform proposals for the professional development of History teachers, including future training initiatives in collaboration with the Portuguese History Teachers Association (APH) and the development of an educational resource repository. These contributions aim to support curriculum and teacher education practices that are better informed and aligned with the ethical and intercultural challenges present in societies.

Charmaz, K. (2009). A construção da teoria fundamentada: Guia prático para a análise qualitativa. Artmed. Directorate-General for Education. (2017). Perfil dos Alunos à Saída da Escolaridade Obrigatória [Profile of Students at the End of Compulsory Schooling]. Ministry of Education and Science. Flores, M. A. (2017). Práticas e discursos sobre currículo e avaliação: Contributos para aprofundar um debate. De Facto Editores. Pacheco, J. A. (2001). Currículo: Teoria e práxis. Porto Editora. Roldão, M. C. (2017). Currículo e debate curricular atual: Eixos e contributos para uma análise incompleta. In M. A. Flores (Ed.), Práticas e discursos sobre currículo e avaliação. De Facto Editores. Rüsen, J. (2021). Humanism: Foundations, diversities, developments. Routledge. Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras. (2023). Relatório de imigração, fronteiras e asilo [Immigration, Borders and Asylum Report]. SEF.