Living with ‘wicked’ problems: How should history education respond?

History, ‘the unending dialogue between past and present’ (Carr), necessitates continual review of what to teach. The rise of recent national populism notwithstanding, the contemporary world is characterised by increasing connectedness along with apparent impending global crises that are affecting the state of the planet (Stromquist). The (contested) Anthropocene means living with ‘wicked’ problems (Rittel & Webber) while the uncertain future calls for innovation to create solutions to problems that have either not been seen before or not on this scale (Finley). The Anthropocene challenges traditional subject boundaries and for history gives rise to the need for more porous boundaries between natural and human factors in understanding cause and effect. Furthermore, history, if conceived as a continuum between past, present and future (Shemilt) has much to contribute to a proposed futures facing curriculum. The chapter will report a number of initiatives carried out with PGCE students at the University of Bristol.