Oral History and Public History as Pathways to Global Competencies in Early Childhood and Primary Education Through Digital Humanities Tools

Abstract

This chapter examines how oral history and public history, adapted for young learners and amplified with accessible digital humanities tools, can cultivate global competencies in early childhood and primary education. Framed by the Global Citizenship Education (GCED) agenda’s cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioural domains and the ‘transformative engagement’ pathway articulated in recent GCED scholarship, this chapter aligns these aims with the inquiry cycle often summarized as investigating the world, recognizing perspectives, communicating ideas and taking responsible action (Wideman-Johnston et al., 2023). Drawing on literature linking oral history pedagogy with civic formation and information/media literacies (Mills et al., 2011; Steiner, 2025), the argument situates intergenerational interviewing, classroom curation and community-facing digital exhibitions as developmentally appropriate means for young learners to practice historical inquiry, empathy and collaborative authorship. Methodologically, this chapter employs qualitative thematic synthesis of international scholarship and a cross-case analysis of six early-years projects in Greece, England, Canada and the United States. The synthesis identifies four interlocking processes through which oral and public practices advance global competence in the early grades: (a) participatory knowledge-making, (b) multimodal mediation via digital tools, (c) intercultural and translocal dialogue and (d) ethical–informational literacy. This chapter closes with practical implications for curriculum and teacher education and provides discussion questions to support professional learning communities.