Economic crises can have a variety of origins and causes as well as transformative effects on societies.


Economic crises can trigger change in various domains including: politics and political structures, the distribution of wealth and privilege, rights granted to subjects or citizens, the organisation of private and family life, and the arts and popular culture. Economic crises have historically affected all OHTE member states in some way. Furthermore, the transnational dimension of economic crises is often present in public memory, which provides a good opportunity to inquire into ways member states approach the teaching of transnational history along the theme of economic crises.

Research into Economic Crises in History Teaching could include a review of curriculum documents and textbooks to identify the coverage of national, transnational, and global economic crises. This would include an investigation into which crises are incorporated in history programmes and the depth and manner of their treatment. An investigation into teaching methodology could explore the strategies used by teachers to develop student understanding of the causes and consequences of these crises and might also investigate teacher confidence in dealing with economic phenomena.  The study could also focus on approaches which give insight into how economic history can be tackled in the classroom in interesting and innovative ways, whereby the links between political, social and cultural life become clear and seamless.

The OHTE Thematic Report on "Economic crises in history teaching" will be published in 2025.