Abstract
Thisarticle argues that the theory of history holds inherent functions and meanings and plays a fundamental role in the formation of historians. We reject the dualism between theory and practice that persists in many university curricula. The academic discipline of the theory of history can be conceived of as focusing on the guiding factors inherent in reconstructive processes, raising to the level of consciousness what students often perceive only intuitively. To support our argument, we first investigate the formation process of the theory of history field in Brazil. Next, using the theory of curriculum, we analyze the pedagogical projects of a dozen undergraduate courses in Brazil, aiming to understand the relationship between the theory of history discipline and other curricular components. Finally, we propose linking theory and the teaching of history through the didactics of history to obtain a gain of cultural orientation.
Keywords
Theory of history; curriculum; didactics of history