The challenges and possibilities of teaching and learning about conflict: A qualitative analysis of school-based peacebuilding education programmes on the island of Ireland.
Mallon, Benjamin J.
(2016)
The challenges and possibilities of teaching and learning about conflict: A qualitative analysis of school-based peacebuilding education programmes on the island of Ireland.
PhD thesis, Dublin City University.
This thesis provides a qualitative analysis of 13 school-based peacebuilding education
programmes on the island of Ireland, and through a critical case study, engages in a
deeper exploration of one programme as practiced and experienced within the
Transition Year class of an all-girls post-primary school within the Republic of Ireland.
Qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews with educators involved in the
development of peacebuilding education programmes developed for schools in NI and
Rol were used to explore the multiple theoretical frameworks underpinning educational
practice. Drawing upon qualitative methods including focus-group interviews with
young people participants, non-participant observation, and qualitative semi-structured
in-depth interviews with teachers and programme designers, this case-study reveals the
possibilities and challenges of teaching and learning about conflict within formal
education.
This study contends that whilst peacebuilding education programmes represent
an important challenge to the omission of conflict from schools in NI and Rol, there
remains a need to strengthen the opportunities for all young people to participate in
peacebuilding education in both jurisdictions. The experiences of educators suggest that
the legacy of violent conflict affects the understanding and attitudes of young people
across the island of Ireland and requires an ongoing commitment, m both jurisdictions,
towards both pedagogically driven peacebuilding education but also to the broader
development of education for peacebuilding.
Finally, this study advances a framework which supports the realistic inclusion
of young people, as active participatory citizens, within a broader network of
peacebuilding responsibility.
Metadata
Item Type:
Thesis (PhD)
Date of Award:
November 2016
Refereed:
No
Supervisor(s):
Bryan, Audrey
Uncontrolled Keywords:
Global Citizenship Education; peacebuilding education; conflict