Textbooks and School Identity: The Content and Use of History Textbooks in Dutch Classical and Modern Education, 1863–1917

Abstract

This article wonders if and how the different educational identities of the classical gymnasium and the modern HBS were reflected in the textbooks used for teaching history. From the intentions of publishers, the use of books by schools, and the content of the books, it appears that in the context of shifting boundaries, the differences between HBS and gymnasium had become permeable. Differences were found in respect to stylistic devices. This show that the varying notions of citizenship nevertheless seemed to have found their way into schools and it reveals the power of examinations.