Bentrovato, D. & Wassermann, J. 2020. Teaching African History in schools: Experiences and perspectives from Africa and beyond [Book review]

Abstract

This book provides a remarkable collection of contributions that raise and discuss serious issues associated with teaching African history in schools. All the case studies show an exceptional sensitivity to the dangers and opportunities associated with teaching and learning African history across the continent and beyond. Cases are drawn from South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Cameroon and Tanzania, as well as the teaching of South African history outside Africa in the United Kingdom and Canada. This is relevant in raising Afrocentric voices and contributions to existing debates in the global field of history education. The book provides an in-depth examination and analysis of nine individual and comparative empirical studies. It highlights thematic issues related to the history curricula and textbooks with content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and activities on how African history is diffused in schools. The book presents thoughts and dialogical conversations of teachers and learners on history curriculum implementation coupled with pedagogical practices on African history focusing on primary schools, secondary schools and preservice teacher education at the tertiary level. Additionally, consideration is given to the challenges and opportunities of tackling sensitive and controversial issues in the history classroom such as engaging with national histories of trauma, racial or ethnic discrimination and intercommunal wars and conflicts. The proceeding sections, present a chapter-by-chapter summary highlighting a few details aligned with the main argument of the book.