The integration of history teaching practice and practitioners into history education journals

Abstract

This paper examines the extent to which German-language academic journals of history education serve not only as publication platforms for researchers but are also relevant to the wider community – particularly to practitioners such as teachers. It notes that there is a striking lack of reader surveys that would reveal the actual function these journals fulfil. The presentation of journals as communication platforms and their significance for academic communities is followed by a discussion of discursive power differences between editorial teams, authors, academics and practitioners within the community. Finally, the central questions regarding the relationship between academic discourse and professional reflection, and the significance of professional experiential knowledge in academic debates, are discussed.