The School as a Center for Peace Education: A Case Study

• In Event: Moscone Center West Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: Peace Education on the Ground: Transforming the Lives of Students, Teachers, and Communities

Abstract

This qualitative study reports a case of three peace educators in a progressive alternative private school in the Midwestern United States. These three teachers were chosen as the focus of the study because they taught several aspects of peace education in the same 5th and 6th grade classroom. Drawing from semi-structured oral interviews with three peace educators and secondary data (i.e., lesson observations, field notes, curriculum materials, and oral semi-structured interviews with school personnel), the study reveals Diversity School as a significantly receptive community to teach critical peace education thanks to Diversity School ethos and its democratic founding principles. How Diversity School built a community based on collaboration and interdependence provides noteworthy insights for practicing transformational education.

Author

• Gulistan Gursel-Bilgin, Boğaziçi University