This article analyzes students’ statements regarding the teaching of “controversial issues” during the first cycle of secondary school. The survey covered 1,210 Chilean students in a random, stratified, non-probabilistic sample. Descriptive statistics were used and a typology of teachers was defined. The most controversial issues correspond to human rights violations. There is no correlation between the level of controversy of a topic and its teaching. The teachers present different interpretations and develop innovative activities, strategies, teaching procedures and evaluations. Students play an active role, value dialogue, ask for their teacher’s’ opinion, and want to construct their own interpretations about history. However, in order for a pedagogical transformation to occur, empowering and transformative practices must be deployed.

This paper examines the competencies in historical thinking of high school students and pre-service teachers in Spain, as well as their narratives about Spanish History. Qualitative methods are used in order to identify: a) their historical thinking, including substantive knowledge and use of meta-concepts; b) the narratives, the cognitive gradation (SOLO taxonomy), and the narrative subject employed. The findings show that a majority of secondary school students do not use meta-concepts. The degree of complexity of historical thinking among pre-service teachers is related to their use of substantive content. The results point to the need to improve history education, including substantive knowledge and the development of specific historical competencies.

This paper presents the design of the Patrimonializarte program, which has been implemented in six classes and three different educational levels in two schools in Galicia (Spain). It involves working with elements of heritage in proximity to the schools’ pupils by employing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools. The objectives are (a) to find out if the design is coherent and relevant according to expert judgement and (b) to discover whether the activities related with new technologies are effective according to the evaluation of those involved in the program. This is evaluation research employing mixed methods in which a collective study of cases is carried out. The main results show (1) the evaluation of the design and the tools of the program achieve an optimal degree of agreement according to the panel of experts as far as the variables measured are concerned, and (2) the schoolchildren and teaching staff provide a positive evaluation of the use of ICT tools for working with heritage. E-learning and m-learning make it possible to motivate pupils in the learning and teaching process. Working with ICT tools acquires importance with regard to the possibilities they offer to disseminate the heritage. An integral evaluation of programs is considered relevant in order to understand their multi-dimensionality.

The evaluation of programmes is necessary in order to improve their implementation and development. This paper includes the results of the evaluation of a heritage education programme entitled Patrimonializarte. It was carried out over the course of one academic year with six groups of early years, primary and secondary schoolchildren from two schools in Galicia (Spain). A holistic conception of heritage was assumed, and the evaluations of the opinion groups were gathered, analysing those of 59 direct and indirect agents (teachers, families, local heritage managers and members of the local authorities. The data were collected via questionnaires with open responses and discourse analysis was performed on the responses. The most significant results show that: (a) the teachers valued the methodology and the objectives achieved extremely positively; (b) the families particularly valued the significant learning achieved by their children regarding elements of local heritage; and (c) the local authorities and heritage managers valued the programme as it has demonstrated the need for more collaboration with schools. The programme analysed has been shown to be useful, efficient and effective and has achieved a (largely unexpected) impact on the families involved and on the local community.