Abstract
Abstract
In response to societal polarization in many Western countries schools have developed transformative pedagogies based on hope and empathy, next to pedagogies that teach students to deal with ‘difference’, learning to negotiate disagreement. This study systematizes and analyzes recent research asking what effective interventions in educational settings exist that deal with what is considered ‘undesirable’ polarization. A systematic literature search was conducted in Web of Science that was restricted to original and peer-reviewed research in English, published from January 2014 onwards.
Our analysis focuses on 1) the paradigms that underlie interventions addressing polarization, contrasting, for instance, interventions focused on remediation and reconciliation with those that focus on peacebuilding, an ethos of hope and transformative action, 2) the role of context, nature and severity of the group conflict and how intervention approaches and their underlying paradigms can be linked to the particularity of the conflict or tension, and 3) how the answers to these questions translate into suggestions for practitioners working with diverse student populations, and provide them with suggestions for achieving more inclusive, socially cohesive and democratic classrooms.
Our findings indicate that underlying paradigms for intervening, as well as their effectivity, are related to the nature of the conflict at hand.
This study has the potential to guide the design of effective interventions in polarized educational settings. Its focus on transferability to other contexts and populations, attention to understanding effects within the historical, social, geographical, interethnic, socio-economic setting enhances its potential value across national and local contexts.
In response to societal polarization in many Western countries schools have developed transformative pedagogies based on hope and empathy, next to pedagogies that teach students to deal with ‘difference’, learning to negotiate disagreement. This study systematizes and analyzes recent research asking what effective interventions in educational settings exist that deal with what is considered ‘undesirable’ polarization. A systematic literature search was conducted in Web of Science that was restricted to original and peer-reviewed research in English, published from January 2014 onwards.
Our analysis focuses on 1) the paradigms that underlie interventions addressing polarization, contrasting, for instance, interventions focused on remediation and reconciliation with those that focus on peacebuilding, an ethos of hope and transformative action, 2) the role of context, nature and severity of the group conflict and how intervention approaches and their underlying paradigms can be linked to the particularity of the conflict or tension, and 3) how the answers to these questions translate into suggestions for practitioners working with diverse student populations, and provide them with suggestions for achieving more inclusive, socially cohesive and democratic classrooms.
Our findings indicate that underlying paradigms for intervening, as well as their effectivity, are related to the nature of the conflict at hand.
This study has the potential to guide the design of effective interventions in polarized educational settings. Its focus on transferability to other contexts and populations, attention to understanding effects within the historical, social, geographical, interethnic, socio-economic setting enhances its potential value across national and local contexts.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |
| Event | EARLI Conference20th Biennial - Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. , Thessaloniki, Greece Duration: 22 Aug 2023 → 25 Aug 2023 Conference number: 20 |
Conference
| Conference | EARLI Conference20th Biennial |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Greece |
| City | Thessaloniki |
| Period | 22/08/23 → 25/08/23 |