Teachers’ understanding and implementation of peace education in Colombia: the case of Cátedra de la Paz

ABSTRACT

The longest internal conflict in Colombia was concluded in 2016, leading to the creation of Cátedra de la Paz, a peace and citizenship education course required for all schools and grade levels. However, teachers’ understanding of the course, their ways of implementation and the challenges they face remain unknown. This study examines teachers’ understanding of Cátedra de la Paz and the challenges they face when implementing it. Data were collected from 45 teachers using qualitative survey, followed by semi-structured interviews with 10 selected participants. Results showed that a) teachers have more integrated views of the course compared to the guideline provided by the Ministry of National Education, and b) teachers face several challenges implementing the course. Findings provide insights about context-oriented learning design for peace education and highlight the need for professional development and relevant support for teachers in a way that considers their understanding and implementation of peace education.

KEYWORDS:

• Peace education
• Cátedra de la Paz
• citizenship education
• teachers’ beliefs
• teachers’ knowledge

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Esteban Morales

Esteban Morales is a Ph.D. student in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia. He obtained his master’s degree in Educational Technology and Learning Design from Simon Fraser University and a second MA in Transmedia Communication from EAFIT University, Colombia. He is from Medellin, Colombia. His main research locates at the intersection between education, technology, and peace.

Engida H. Gebre

Engida H. Gebre is Assistant Professor of Learning Sciences and Technologies at Simon Fraser University. His research focuses on secondary school students’ data literacy, active contextualization of learning, learning with multiple representations, and process-oriented learning technologies. Gebre obtained his PhD in Learning Sciences from McGill University.