History education through heritage: challenging teacher training

It is presented a reflection on the role of heritage in formal education regarding the relationship between heritage education and history education. Some theoretical references which support the research methodology of an essentially qualitative nature are discussed too. The main purposes are to analyse and understand how the implementation of history teaching and learning activities through cultural heritage in context, makes possible and favours students' progression in historical understanding and heritage awareness. We describe several case studies that have been developed in Portugal, in the field of doctoral and master's research - specifically in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Porto - that have been applied in formal education with history teachers in the context of continuous training and initial history/social sciences teachers' training. Results, although without comparative aims, reveal that there is potential for interpretation of heritage in formal education. Even if limitations persist, there are credible proposals for its systematic development with history education. In addition to the study of teachers' conceptions -and students' too- it is necessary to understand what happens in the classroom when using heritage, what contents and sources are selected, what activities are carried out and what didactic materials are used.