Teacher learning through site-based Holocaust education in Poland

Site-based Holocaust learning, that is, visits to Holocaust-related sites such as former ghettos and concentration and death camps, can provide unique learning experiences. This focus on the physicality of the Holocaust extends learning beyond the facts, figures and Holocaust testimonies, and allows students and teachers to engage emotionally and intellectually with the history. This is particularly relevant as the participants in this study live in Scotland, where events of the Holocaust did not take place. Such learning experiences can also create a stronger connection to the experiences of victims, and survivors and the actions of bystanders and perpetrators (IHRA ,2026). Site-based learning also encourages critical reflection on human rights, prejudice, and moral responsibility, helping individuals grasp the consequences of discrimination and extremist ideologies. As a result, it often makes Holocaust education more memorable, and impactful than classroom study alone, and can motivate learners. This study investigates teachers and educators’ responses to, and learning from, a site-based Holocaust education seminar based in Lubin, with a particular focus on the implications for participants’ personal and professional development. Over the course of eight days teachers visited several sites including the Grodzka Gate, Blezec, Chelm and Sobibor and partook in workshops, discussions and reflections. The study addresses the following questions:
1. How do teachers and educators perceive the impact of a Holocaust site-based learning visit on their own learning and reflective practice?
2.How does this site-based learning experience inform the design and delivery of school-based Holocaust education?
3.What additional or different learning does site-based education bring in contrast to classroom learning?

Employing a qualitative methodology, data were collected through surveys with a cohort of secondary school teachers. Initial findings throw light on teachers’ preconceptions and prior knowledge of Poland, antisemitism, the Holocaust and Judaism (for example), and how their visit to Holocaust related sites changes their teaching intentions and expertise. Overall, the research underscores the value of immersive, site-based experiences in supporting teacher learning and pedagogical development and innovation. These insights contribute to the broader discourse on professional development and reflective practice in Holocaust education.