Issue 4 - OPEN TOPIC
Issue editors: Martin Nitsche (FHNW School of Education, Switzerland), Sebastian Barsch (University of Cologne, Germany)
Historical Thinking, Culture, and Education is a peer-reviewed, open-access, scholarly journal that seeks to enhance the study of the creation, appropriation, and dissemination of historical knowledge and culture in formal and non-formal educational settings. After three issues with defined themes, the journal is opening a general call for contributions. The goal is to also reach researchers whose work does not align with the topics of previous issues, or whose projects introduce approaches and innovations that did not fit earlier thematic frameworks. This call invites submissions of ongoing research, conceptual developments, or project results that extend beyond the scope of previous issues. The issue offers a critical space for the reflection and exchange of innovative ideas, seeking to strengthen scholarly debates by entertaining theoretical and empirical work from both the scientific mainstream and beyond to support the accessibility and visibility of a variety of approaches. The issue seeks to particularly foster transnational and cross-cultural understandings between academics, scholarly traditions, ontologies, and epistemologies from diverse geographies and contexts. The interest here is on, but not limited, to foci from one to several settings and contexts, depending on the questions asked, underlying challenges and developmental needs, and issues of theory enhancement. Connecting different domains of knowledge and supporting interdisciplinary collaboration, the issue addresses key theoretical and empirical questions and needs, gained from investigations with innovative research methods that serve to generate new scholarly insights and wisdoms. We therefore welcome contributions that address these purposes from diverse perspectives and methodological approaches.
Possible areas include, but are not limited to:
- Historical thinking and culture from diverse research perspectives
- History education in times of current challenges (e.g., digital transformation, divided societies, climate change)
- History education from transcultural or transdisciplinary perspectives
- History education in diverse societies (e.g., learners with special needs, migration, inclusive education)
- Experiences with innovative methodologies (e.g., citizen science, art work, participatory research, design science, machine learning)
Article formats
This issue invites both theoretical and empirical approaches to addressing these areas. It is open to scholarly work from local, national, and transcultural contexts. It also welcomes transdisciplinary perspectives and differing research methodologies as practiced in various cultural settings.
Both research papers or miniatures are welcome. Research papers are subject to a double-blind peer review. Miniatures are reviewed by the editors. For more information on both text types see here.
Author Guidelines
Please adhere to the requirements of the HTCE journal.
Submission
Please submit your manuscript online.
Timetable
Submission due date: April 30th, 2026
Publication date: Winter 2026/27
Contact
Martin Nitsche (FHNW School of Education, Aarau, Switzerland): martin.nitsche@fhnw.ch
Sebastian Barsch (University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany): s.barsch@uni-koeln.de
About the journal
Historical Thinking, Culture, and Education is a peer-reviewed, open-access, scholarly journal that offers a critical space for the reflection and exchange of ideas on the creation, appropriation, and dissemination of historical knowledge and culture in both formal and non-formal educational settings. For more information about the journal see here.