How Do Education for Peace and Transformative Pedagogy Actually Work?

Suchith Abeyewickreme, Eyerusalem Azmeraw, Kasumi Moritani, and Eleonora Mura
January 24, 2024

Suchith Abeyewickreme and Eleonora Mura are with Arigatou International; Eyerusalem Azmeraw and Kasumi Moritani are with UNESCO IICBA

Today is the International Day of Education with a focus this year on learning from peace. From 2017 to 2022, UNESCO IICBA led a series of projects for peacebuilding and the prevention of violent extremism (PVE) through education with support from the Government of Japan. The projects applied a transformative pedagogy approach, embodying the principles of teaching methods that encourage action-oriented, experiential, learner-centred, problem-based, and collaborative learning processes. In celebration of the International Day of Education, IICBA published a study with key lessons from the projects. We produced data briefs on perceptions of violence in Africa. And We also conducted a series of interviews with peace educators, of which an excerpt is provided below:

[W]e gathered in a circle for a reflective discussion on the insights gained from the activity. One student shared, “I learned that we all have conflicts, and they are not always about ethnicity or religion. Sometimes they are about family, friends, schools, or sports. I also learned that we could solve our conflicts peacefully, by listening to each other, understanding each other, and respecting each other. I realized that we are not so different after all, and that we can live together in harmony.” In appreciation of this insightful comment, I expressed gratitude and then asked the entire group if they concurred. They all nodded in agreement. 

– Dr. Mary Mugwe Chui, Senior Lecture at Mount Kenya University

The interview series was conducted with the African Union ESTI Department. The concept of peace education is frequently acknowledged in academic and educational circles, yet it seems to be less prioritized and sometimes overlooked in practical application. This may be especially the case in African countries where basic literacy and numeracy skills are still issues to be grappled with. But what if education for peace were to increase the motivation and performance of learners? This seems likely, even if robust evidence may be lacking to prove it.

A key milestone in IICBA’s multi-year effort was the development of regional teacher training guides. Activities in these guides may help understand how transformative pedagogy works. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development emphasizes the role of active engagement and hands-on experience in learning. Studies show that children learn best when they are actively engaged in the learning process, through exploration, experimentation, and conversation. This is at the heart of the pedagogical approaches to peace education. Peace education is often defined as an approach that promotes the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values needed to bring about behavior changes that will enable learners to resolve conflict in a non-violent manner and to create the conditions conducive to peace at an intrapersonal, interpersonal, intergroup, national, or international level. To cultivate competencies such as critical thinking, empathy, and the ability to understand different perspectives, learning must reflect on both global and local realities, actively engage learners in the sense-making process, and make education a mutual exchange rather than a one-way transmission of knowledge – making it profoundly engaging and experiential. To create a culture of peace and respect, education for peacebuilding and transformation needs to i) Be inclusive, ii) Provide a (physically, culturally, and psychosocially) safe learning environment, and iii) Address inequalities. Again, note that learning activities are most impactful when customized to the specific context and the group of learners you will work with. Therefore, you are encouraged to adapt these to best meet the learning needs of your group. Below are three examples of activities that can be undertaken in the classroom. 

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Activity Idea 1 – What I Stand For 

This is an activity that aims to let learners discover how their beliefs and opinions differ from those of others and thereby reflect on what it means to respect different beliefs.

• In whatever space you are, explain to the students that one end of the room means ‘agree’ and the opposite side of the room is ‘disagree’. Ask the learners to line up along the line or in the centre of the space facing you. Instruct them to respond to a series of statements by moving toward the side of the room to either ‘agree’ or ‘disagree’ with the given statement.
• Read out a few statements that can cause a difference of opinions among the learners. Examples:
  • All children should be able to go to school.
  • Killing someone for any reason is wrong.
  • People have the right to fight for what they believe in.
  • Everyone has the right to live in peace.
  • Pollution is only the responsibility of governments.
  • Religions are a major cause of conflict in the world.

You are encouraged to identify your own statements that are sensitive to the context before the lesson.

• After finishing your statements, get the learners to sit in a circle and ask some of them to talk about their answers. Discuss some of the issues that they confronted and how this made them feel. If learners experienced difficulties in responding to the questions, ask them why they think this was so. A major point to come out of the discussion is that the world is not simple and that it is not always easy to decide what to believe and when to take a stand. Ask the learners about how they felt when others were standing on the other side of the line.
• Conclude the exercise by emphasizing how people’s beliefs and opinions differ and how that at times can lead to conflict. Discuss the importance of respecting those who may not have the same beliefs as us.

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Activity Idea 2 – The Aardvark and the Elephant

The second activity intends to let learners reflect on the importance of listening. 

• Begin this activity by asking everyone to take out a piece of paper. Tell them that you are going to read the description of a real animal and that they are to draw the animal.
• Pause between each line of the description to give them time to draw. If you move too quickly this will not work. Here’s the description:
  • An animal found largely in Africa
  • Long tubular snout (clarify- the nose is shaped like a tube)
  • Small eyes
  • Large ears
  • Long tail
  • Legs that are thin, in comparison with the size of its body
  • Grey-brown hide
  • Thick claws that can be used as digging tools
• Ask learners to hold up their pictures so that others may see what they have drawn. Ask them to reflect on the lesson from the activity, whether it was easy for them to draw what you were describing, and what made them draw it in the way they did.
• Explain to the learners, if it doesn’t come up in their responses, that the activity is about listening and internal voice.
  • Listening: We tend to hear some basic pieces of information, and then jump to conclusions. Generally, we listen to the first part of what people say and then fill in the blanks.
  • Internal Voice: When we listen, we generally have a voice inside of our head that comments on what the other person is saying and fills in with additional information. 
• Ask learners to reflect on how we can listen better. If they don’t come up with it themselves, ask them what would be visible signs that show someone is likely listening well to them. At the end, ask learners to form pairs to practice active listening. If time is available, you can ask how it was to practice active listening and discuss.
• Most learners will draw an elephant. They will then hear the last clue and be VERY confused. Some will draw long claws on the elephant, while others may cross out their picture and start over. For your reference, here is a picture of the animal, which is an Aardvark (a type of anteater):   

Activity Idea 3 – My Life Tree

This last activity aims to let learners reflect on their own identity and what contributed to shaping their identity.

• Ask learners to take out a piece of paper and outline a large tree that fills up the paper. The tree should be only an outline that includes, roots, trunk, branches, leaves, fruits, and flowers.
• Explain that each part of the tree represents different aspects of their life.
  • Roots – Important beliefs that shape their life
  • Trunk – Important people in their life
  • Branches – Their strengths
  • Leaves – Challenging experiences they have had in their life
  • Flowers – What makes them happy
  • Fruits – Some of the most important achievements
• Tell students to write their responses to each part of the tree and take time to reflect on their answers.
• Ask learners to pair up and share the story of their life tree with their partner. After a while ask them to interchange their sharing roles. Invite participants to move around the room while holding their tree in front of their chest.
• Invite them to come together in a circle, and share similarities, differences, and anything else they found during the sharing with one another. Let them reflect on takeaways from the activity.