Let’s talk! Multidirectional memory in the classroom

Abstract

This miniature presents the project “The Memory of the Classroom: Multidirectional Remembrance in Graz Schools (MEiK)”. The paper describes the theoretical framework, project structure, and research methodology of the project. The MEiK-project, funded by the Austrian Academic Exchange Service (OEAD) through the Sparkling Science program, investigates the family memories of students in Graz. Following the Sparkling Science approach, the students act as active researchers, thereby gaining agency and being directly involved in the production of the research results. During the project, the young people conducted 45 interviews with their relatives to gain insight into stories that are not anchored in the “official memory” found in textbooks, curricula, or commemorative events. In the end, the miniature also outlines the goals pursued with the project, such as a traveling exhibition already in progress, a scientific conference, a series of publications, and teaching materials.