In most research fields, and for a delimited period, certain theories tend to gain a stronger position than others. Correspondingly, also the way in which theory is used tend to shift over time. New theories displace old ones, and the view of the functioning of the theoretical framework is changed (Tosh 2011; Grant & Osanloo 2014; Lingard 2015). Thus, in this article we have chosen to map a specific aspect of a specific research field, as expressed in a specific Nordic subject didactic journal. The purpose of this article is to analyse the use of theory in the 59 history didactic articles published in Nordidactica between the years 2011 and 2022. On a very general level, our findings shows that analytical categories often are formulated in advance. Hence, the chosen theories are also largely determining how the researched empirical data is evaluated and explained. The results imply that from a diversity perspective (cf. Bourdieu 1991; 1992; Bourdieu and Wacquant 1992) it would be valuable if, alongside those theory driven studies that, on the basis of a rather limited amount of ready-made analytical categories seek to evaluate or explain students' and teachers’ ability to think historically, there in the future also would be a greater number of studies who more openly try to interpret and understand human experiences of history and history teaching.