Teachers Between History and Memory. A Study on the Teaching of the Dictatorship-Democracy Transition in Spain

The transition from dictatorship to democracy in Spain has been a crucial phase in our recent history. During this period the foundations of a political and institutional system were established and its study is essential to understanding the current situation. In this investigation, we move away from the supposition that the teacher, as a capable and reflective professional, is one of the main protagonists of the teaching-learning process; to the study of their thoughts and theories, and in the opportunities and barriers which they encounter when teaching. The transition is essential to understanding the state of this question in classrooms in Spain and to proposing curricular improvements. Concentrating on such concrete historical period has allowed us to approach diverse problems of teaching history from the point of view of the teachers: from curricular problems to historiographical conflicts, including the personal and interpretative particularities of a period of which individual and collective memories, together with the impact of communication methods, seem to have a determinating effect.