The School’s Democratic Mission and Conflict Resolution: Voices of Swedish Educators

Abstract

Swedish educational policy mandates have given schools a double mission: the development of content-based knowledge as well as the promotion of democratic values and competencies. While detailed learning outcomes are specified for content domains, the democratic mission is imprecisely described and unsupported by practical measures. This leaves interpretation and effective implementation up to schools and individual educators. One way in which this mission can be clarified is by examining how conflict resolution practices intersect with, and may contribute to, democratic citizenship education. This article presents findings from interviews with 10 Swedish educators regarding their interpretations of the democratic mission. Although every participant affirmed in general terms that there was an important relationship between the school’s democratic mission and their practices of conflict management, no participant believed that he or she possessed the specific knowledge, skills, contextual support, or clarity of purpose to address conflicts democratically. The educators participating in our study focused on controlling disruptive and violent conflict incidents, rather than on democratic discussion of conflicting perspectives as learning opportunities. Informed by participating educators’ understandings and experiences, this article examines how conscious and constructive conflict resolution practices might inform and, ultimately, improve educational practices for promoting democratic values and competencies.