Fostering conflict history education in Eastern Congo: Exploring the risk-taking continuum 2.0 as tool for self-reflection in teacher professional development

• In Event: Highlighted Session: Navigating Education in Crisis and Conflict: Teachers and Social Change

Proposal

Peace education scholars argue that integrating a country’s violent history within the education system can contribute to fostering mutual understanding and empathy among groups (formerly) in conflict, and encourage critical thinking and non-violent action (see e.g., Kuppens & Langer, 2016; McCully, 2012; Paulson, 2015). Although some teachers in violence-affected societies support such teachings, previous studies show that many other teachers feel ill-prepared and reluctant to implement conflict history education, among others, out of fear to rake up socio-political tensions. Accordingly, Kitson and McCully introduced the risk-taking continuum, which ranges from ‘avoiders’ – i.e., teachers who refrain from teaching the violent past – to ‘risk-takers’ – teachers who analyse conflict dynamics with their students. In between, there are the ‘containers’. These teachers are principally supportive of teaching about conflict, but they are wary of the risks. Because this category represents a significant share of teachers, Harris and Clarke (2011) present a confident-uncertain-uncomfortable continuum instead. In this paper, we intersect both continua and explore their use as a heuristic to foster self-reflection among secondary school teachers regarding conflict history education. In agreement with Harris and Clarke (2011), we argue that it is only possible to shift pre- and/ or in-service teachers’ stances towards conflict teaching once their original positions are known (see also Fatah et al., forthcoming; Korthagen et al., 2001). To examine whether and, if so, to what extent the new framework fosters self-reflection among teachers and assists teacher trainers to understand in which areas teachers need further support, we present data from a pilot teacher training on conflict education in Bukavu, DRC. All participating secondary school teachers (n=20) positioned themselves on the continuum prior and post training. This data is complemented by insights from in-depth interviews and journal entries.

Author

• Line Kuppens, University of Amsterdam