Antiquity – What Do We Actually Need It For? : A Qualitative Interview Study on How the Place of Antiquity in the Core Content of the Curriculum is Justified and Questioned

This study explores secondary school history teacher’s perspectives on antiquity as a subject area, focusing on whether it should remain included in the central content of the curriculum and the reasons behind their positions. The research is based on qualitative interviews with teachers, aiming to understand how they view the purpose and educational value of teaching antiquity. The theoretical framework draws on historiographical didactics, with particular emphasis on the subject-philosophical concepts of the professor of didactics Tomas Englund, which address the relationship between subject content and educational aims. Many people in society view antiquity as an integral part of a shared Western cultural heritage, and the study also indicates that several teachers appear to share this view. The findings show that most teachers support keeping antiquity in the curriculum, highlighting its role in fostering democratic understanding, critical thinking, and historical knowledge. The study also reveals nuanced views on the aims of history education, including the balance between factual knowledge and the cultivation of reflective and democratic citizens.