Infusing Creativity into Peacebuilding in Sri Lanka

ABSTRACT

This paper examinations the nexus between creativity and teacher identity in post-war peacebuilding. It aims to understand how infusing creativity into teacher preparation geared towards peacebuilding can help language educators reflect on their identities, values and their roles in bridging a fragmented society at the end of a war. Drawing on data generated from a visual ethnography carried out in the aftermath of Sri Lanka’s civil war, one of the longest civils wars in recent history, this study explores the power of self-generated identity portraits in helping teachers to visualise their identities as second language educators. This paper highlights the potential of creativity and creative approaches to teacher education to help teachers articulate their identities, expectations, responsibilities towards their learners and challenges they face. The paper highlights the power of creative approaches to meaning making, especially in tapping into identities that are otherwise hidden and the need be for teachers to be included in larger discussions on educational reforms towards peace.

KEYWORDS:

• teacher identity
• peace building
• identity portraits
• Sri Lanka
• creativity
• teacher education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Correction Statement

This article was originally published with errors, which have now been corrected in the online version. Please see Correction (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17400201.2024.2343233I)

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sreemali Herath

Sreemali Herath is an Assistant Professor attached to the Faculty of Education of the University of Manitoba, Canada. She has a PhD in language and literacies education from OISE, University of Toronto. Her doctoral research focused on the role of second-language teachers in post-conflict reconciliation. Her doctoral work won the Outstanding Dissertation Recognition Award offered by the Canadian Society for Teacher Education (CATE), of the Canadian Society for the Studies in Education (CSSE) and the Comparative International Education Society (CIES), Gail P Kelly Award for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation that addresses social justice and equity issues in an international context. Prior to taking up her current position, she taught at the Open University of Sri Lanka. Her research looks at language teacher education, post-conflict reconciliation, arts-based approaches to identity research, the role of critical action research in countering the impact of neoliberalism on education, and the preparation of teachers to teach English as an additional languages.