Reimagining history teaching in the digital age: Engaging “disengaged” learners through critical pedagogy and generative artificial intelligence

Abstract

This paper critically examines the teaching of History in secondary schools in rural and township contexts in South Africa, focusing on persistent learner disengagement within an increasingly digitised educational landscape shaped by the rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence. Drawing on constructivism, critical pedagogy and creativity as an integrated theoretical framework, the paper interrogates dominant pedagogical practices and historical narratives that continue to shape History classrooms amid rapid technological change. It offers a reflective and analytical discussion informed by existing scholarship, curriculum and policy documents, emerging debates on AI in education and the author’s professional experience as a History educator. It argues that traditional, teacher-centred approaches are increasingly misaligned with learners’ digital realities, limiting historical consciousness, critical thinking and relevance, advocating for a pedagogical reimagining of History teaching that foregrounds curiosity, creativity, humour, ethical digital literacy and the inclusion of multiple perspectives, positioning generative AI as a mediating tool rather than a pedagogical threat. By reconceptualising the roles of teachers, learners and knowledge resources in the 21st century History classroom, it contributes to ongoing debates on how History education can be made more inclusive, meaningful and socially responsive in the context of deepening technological and educational inequalities, particularly in under-resourced schools.