History Education and Historical Thinking in Multicultural Contexts: A Canadian Perspective

Abstract

Canada is viewed as a multicultural nation, resulting from its policy responses to Indigenous nations, the presence of a major region with a distinct linguistic tradition and high rates of inward migration. It upholds a constitutionally inscribed multicultural ideology which describes Canada as comprised of numerous groups that retain their own identities and narratives. The multidimensional nature of the nation makes it challenging to present history from a singular perspective and complicates both the coherence and purpose of Canada’s history education efforts. This chapter maps Canada’s commitment to accommodating diversity onto a Canadian approach to history education. It discusses one approach to Canadian history education—historical thinking—through the lens of Canadian multiculturalism and how this framework has attempted to grapple with some of the irreconcilable features of Canadian history, including addressing issues of representation; reconciling with difficult pasts; and negotiating Indigenous, ethnic, cultural and sub-state identities within a broader national identity. While this approach has not been uniformly adopted nationwide, its principles widely inform teacher education programmes, teachers’ professional development and curricula.