Seminar on Memory & Education

Memory is a central but controversial topic not only in Education Studies and the Philosophy of Education but also in educational practice. In many educational systems, memorisation is both required and seen as undesirable; numerous philosophies of education relate it immediately to the much-derided ‘rote learning’ while failing to present a convincing conceptual account of memory. Many institutions and curricula explicitly focus on skills rather than the retention of knowledge, but skilled action and (critical) thinking are bound up with what a learner knows and can recall, for example when they engage in hypothesis testing or evaluation of a creative idea. Students and educators alike are easily misled by counterintuitive memory processes, and rarely is the relevance of memory and remembrance for the development of personal identity acknowledged in pedagogical practice. Further, memory is not simply an individual cognitive process; it is also a social, cultural and political category. Educational sectors as much as the individuals within them are shaped by collective memories, traditions, and inherited practices; recent discussions around the cultural practices of remembrance are proof of the relevance as much as of the difficulties connected to such traditions. There are major challenges in the selection of and therefore prioritisation among different cultural artefacts and perspectives, as well as a need to tread the line between educational influence and indoctrination.

This one-day seminar invites researchers to explore memory’s role in educational theory and practice (both concepts broadly conceived). We welcome contributions from all theoretical traditions as well as reflections on pedagogical practice.

The full Call for Papers can be found here: Memory & Education – Seminar – Advanced Pedagogical Theory

Details:

• Deadline for proposals: Friday 14 August 2026

• Decision/feedback: Friday 21 August, 2026

• Seminar date: Friday 18 September, 2026

• Venue: University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

• To submit: Abstracts of approx. 300 words to: jonathan.firth@strath.ac.uk

For further inquiries please write to: Jonathan Firth (jonathan.firth@strath.ac.uk)