LESSON 10

PEd – PEACE EDUCATION

 Republic of the Philippines
JOSE RIZAL MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY
The Premier University in Zamboanga del Norte
TAMPILISAN CAMPUS
Znac, Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte

GE-PEd – PEACE EDUCATION

LESSON 10: Teaching-Learning Approaches and Strategies in Peace Education

Learning Outcomes:
Analyze various ways in Teaching-Learning Approaches and Strategies in Peace
Education

Content
The “how” is as “important” as the “what”. Hence, the teaching- learning approaches that are
compatible with the goals of peace education are holistic, participatory, cooperative, experiential and
humanist.

Holistic education does not confine itself to the parameters of facts and concepts.
Instead, it promotes cognitive, affective and behavioral goals of learning. Often, the focus of
learning is the transmission of concepts. In peace education, the goals are three-fold:
1. First is the building of awareness on the realities, roots and consequences of
violence, and the building of awareness on the roots of peace.
2. Second is the building of concern and the development of the values of
empathy, compassion, hope and social responsibility. Harris and Morrison
(2003) call it the development of moral sensitivity culminating in the building
of the capacity of learners to care for others.
3. Third is the call to action beginning with the resolve to change personal
mindsets and attitudes and doing something concrete about situations of
violence.

Participatory education means allowing learners to inquire, share and collaborate. It

allows learners to engage in dialogue with the teacher or with their co-learners. The practice of
articulating and listening to diverse points of view is an important exercise in broadening
perspectives. Such a skill is necessary in a world where many conflicts remain unresolved because
of peoples’ refusal to hear one another. In participatory learning, teacher acts more as a
facilitator rather than an authority figure. Even if teachers have definite stands on issues, they
should encourage students to articulate their own perspectives before inviting them to take
appropriate action on the issues discussed (Mcginnis, 1984). Participatory education also means
veering away from the traditional indoctrination style. The observance of democratic processes
in the classrooms can contribute to the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary
for democratic citizenship (Harris and Morrison, 2003).
Cooperative education means giving opportunities for participants to work together and
learn, rather than compete with each other. Cooperative learning, aside from increasing
motivation to learn, improves relations among students; challenges individualism; and lessens
divisiveness and feelings of prejudice. It reverses feelings of alienation and isolation and
promotes more positive attitudes. In a cooperative classroom, students learn to rely on each
other, and the success of learning activities depends upon the contributions of each one (Harris
and Morrison, 2003). Many of the problems in the word we face right now can be solved if people
would cooperate. If students would experience cooperative processes in the classroom, such
habit could be brought by them into their larger spheres of interaction.
Experiential education means learning not through didactic means but through the
processing of one’s experience from activities initiated in the classroom. Hence, lectures are kept
to a minimum. Learners build ideas and form their own concepts from the experience or activity
they went through. In educational psychology, this approach is close to the constructivist
approach. Constructivist teachers are flexible and process-oriented. They allow space for change.
A constructivist classroom will help develop humans who are skilled in developing new
paradigms. Our world needs new ways of thinking and new processes to challenge the systems
that breed violence and conflicts.
Description: Engages students in hands-on activities that encourage them to experience peace-
building concepts in action.
Purpose: Helps students internalize peace values by directly applying them, developing empathy
and practical skills for real-world conflict resolution.

Humanist education
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow are proponents of a type of education that is
humanist.
Humanist education emphasizes the social, personal and affective growth of the learners.
In a humanistic classroom, individuals are accepted for what they are. It develops the notions of
the self to promote a sense of self-esteem. It sends the message that all are valuable and gifted.
Mcginnis (1984) says that “without a positive self-concept or self-image, no one takes a stand,
‘goes public’, or works for change”. He also posits that the more aware we are of our giftedness,
the more willing we become to share our gifts with others. Teachers in a humanist classroom are
empathetic and affirming. They show interest and concern for the well-being of their students.
They encourage in the classroom care and respect for each other. They also encourage sensitivity
to diversity in the classroom and respect each other. Such approach will help breed in learners
the seeds of love and compassion-values that are necessary in building a peaceable society.
There are many teaching learning strategies that are compatible with the approaches to peace
education described above. They are as follows:
1. Discussion
The small group discussion is a strategy that is used to enable the individual
participant’s voice to be heard. To be most effective, a discussion has to be based
on factual information and good thought-out ideas.

2. Pair Share
It is a discussion technique where partner groups are formed. Facilitator
poses a question or topic for discussion. Person A responds to the question
uninterrupted while B listens. After a given time, partners reverse roles. Later, A
relates to the class the points B expressed and vice-versa. It is a good exercise to
improve listening skills.
3. Visualization/Imagination Exercise
The visualization exercise helps the participants to use their imagination.
It allows them to imagine alternatives, to, for example, situations of conflict. It
challenges learners to “propose” solutions and not just “expose” and “oppose”
problematic situations.

4. Perspective-taking
In this strategy, learners are asked to understand and appreciate where
the other person is coming from. It is a skill used in problem-solving. This entails
“standing in the shoe of the other and walking in them for a while” (Lee, 1960).
This device is often used to develop empathy and tolerance.
5. Role-playing
This strategy is used to provide the participants with the opportunity to
“feel” the situation rather than merely intellectualizes about it. Role playing also
develops empathy and greater understanding for other vantage points. It can
cultivate both cognitive and affective learning.

6. Simulation Games
-means imitation of a situation or process:
Simulating situations of violence, for instance, allows learners to have a
better feel of the situation of peacelessness and allows them to be more creative
in suggesting alternatives to the situation of injustice.
7. Problem-solving
Problem-solving is one of the most valuable learning strategies. It enables
the person to use other valuable cognitive skills such as analyzing, generating
options and evaluating options.

8. Considering positions/Issue Poll

This activity is used to surface the differing positions of participants to a
controversial statement as in the case of the statement, “Whether we like it or
not, wars will happen in the future.” There can be at least three positions vis-à-
vis controversial statements: agree, not sure/neutral, disagree.

9. Encouraging action
Whenever appropriate, the participants are asked to express a resolution
or commitment to certain actions as a form of application of learning(s).
10. Reading or Writing a Quotation
The reading of a peace-related quotation in the beginning or at the end of
a lesson encourages learner to think or appreciate better the concepts learned
in the session.

11. Web-Charting
Writing a word such as “war” or “peace” on the board in the beginning of
a session and inviting learners to write or draw their associations with the word
stimulate thinking. It is also a good springboard for the discussion of a particular
peace-related concept.

12. Use of Film and Photographs

The showing of film and/or photographs help create vivid images in the
minds of the learners. This can be followed by a discussion on messages
conveyed and learners’ reactions.
13. Telling Stories, including Personal Stories
Learners sometimes remember the concepts we want to share through
our anecdotes and stories. Sharing your personal experiences related to the issue
will help illustrate better the points you want to make. Such strategy also helps
learners connect with you on a more personal basis.

14. Song/Poem Analysis

Many songs and poems contain peace-related messages. Allowing your
students to listen to or read them, identify their favorite lines, and interpret
messages will help them learn the values you want to impart in a more creative
manner.

15. Sentence Completion

Encouraging learners to complete unfinished sentences will help you know
what thoughts and feelings they may have about a particular topic. The strategy
may also be used to solicit action ideas from the participants.
16. Journal Writing/Individual Reflection
At the end of a session, you may want to invite participants to answer one
or two questions that will allow them to think of their responses/
reflections/reactions to an issue that has just been discussed.

17. Go-Round
It is a strategy where the opinion of each participant is briefly solicited.

18. Teachable Moments

It is an opportunity seized by the teacher to discuss the hot issue of the
day. It may be an issue that is internal to the class (e.g., an ongoing conflict).
19. Interviews/Research
Learners get the chance to gather information from third sources. Asking
students to interview peace advocates, for instance, would help them appreciate
what others do to help build a culture of peace.

20. Expert Resources

Learners are exposed to the ideas of advocates for justice and peace. The
use of a third person is most helpful for very controversial topics.

21. Reciprocal Teaching

Students take turn in facilitating. “What we hear, we usually forget; what
we see, we usually remember; but what we do, we better understand.” When
given a chance to teach the subject matter, students are given the chance to
comprehend better the concepts, values and skills we want to impart.
22. Twinning
Students may partner with another person from a different locality via e-
mail or regular mail to discuss topics related to peace.

23. Dialogues
Students are given the opportunity to converse, rather than debate, about
problematic issues. In debates, the goal is to prove each other wrong. Dialogues,
on the other hand, are occasions to find common grounds.

24. Exposure Trips

Students are given the opportunity to be touched by victims of injustice.
Seeing, hearing, and encountering a victim of violence is more powerful in
developing empathy and compassion among the learners. Contact opportunities
also motivate better in prodding students to action.
25. Use of globes and maps
A constant show of these devices will remind learners that there are
people from other countries to care for and be concerned about other than one’s
own.

26. Brainstorming
It is a method that helps people think creatively by letting many ideas flow
from the students without any comment from the others. This strategy can be
useful in generating many different solutions or alternatives. Evaluation of the
ideas is done after the brainstorming.

27. Reading quotations

Peace activists, religious leaders, indigenous community leaders, and
philosophers have said words of wisdom and inspiration that relate to peace. Let
your students ponder on these quotations and speak about the impact of these
ideas on them.
28. Use of Charts and Graphs
Statistics do not have an impact on students in the same way that contact
with victims of injustice does, but statistics still help in giving learners an idea of
the extent and magnitude of problems in society. The Human Development
Report, an annual publication of the UNDP, is a rich resource for facts and figures.

29. Case Studies

This strategy gives the students an opportunity to know real-life situations
of violence or injustice. Case studies are stories or scenarios that require analysis
and invite solutions. Students are put in the position of problem solvers who
discover underlying issues, positions and interests.
 30. Collage-making
A collage is a collection of photos from various sources that are put
together to make a whole. Asking students to make a collage on issues that relate
to peace will help them understand those issues better.

31. Show and Tell

This strategy gives the student an opportunity to explain a concept to
his/her classmates with matching visual aids, and is premised on the belief that
if one can explain a concept well to someone else, this person, without doubt,
understands the concept.

These approaches and strategies are important tools toward the development of the
students’ intellect, attitudes and spirit that they may be inspired to work for peace. In deciding
what approach or strategy to take, the particular lesson/session objectives have to be
considered. Which strategies would be most appropriate and effective in achieving the latter?
As we use the foregoing tools, let us always be mindful of our goal, which is to facilitate
learning that is holistic, participatory collaborative, experiential and humanist.
Glossary

▪ Abandonment – to give up; discontinue or withdraw from something you began before
completion; (as distinguished from child abandonment) not to complete one’s work or
project for a client as mutually agreed upon; clients may feel strong negative emotions
when we do not fulfill our promises as peacemakers and professionals.
▪ Abuse – to treat in a harmful, injurious, or offensive way, whether physically, sexually,
verbally or psychologically; includes – to use harsh and insulting language to or about
someone; to force sexual activity on; rape or molest; to strike (hit, kick, throw things at,
trip) someone with the intention of causing injury or pain.
▪ Accommodation – inhibition of the impulse to behave destructively in response to
someone’s destructive behavior; essentially requires the individual to “turn the
other cheek”; Also, inhibiting negative explanations of their behavior; similar to editing
(paying attention to only the relevant issues and ignoring cheap shots) but refers to a
general response strategy.
▪ Accountability – the acknowledgment and assumption of responsibility for actions,
products, decisions, and policies including the obligation to report, explain and be
answerable for resulting consequences.
▪ Addiction – a total focus of one’s life on a drug (e.g., alcohol, methamphetamine) to the
point where it becomes more important than anything (career, health) or anyone
(spouse, children, friends) else, eventually causing great harm.
▪ Adolescence – the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from
puberty to financial and social independence
▪ Adversarial – involving, reacting to, or referring to others as if they were opponents,
enemies or foes.
▪ Aggression – physical, sexual, psychological or verbal actions taken to cause harm to
another or deprive them of something they want regardless of the consequences; can be
direct (open intention to harm or violent intent) or indirect with a hidden intention
(passive aggression).
▪ Ahimsa – (Gandhi) nonviolence, the practice of spiritual love; this means you want to
avoid causing suffering for those who oppose you (the ‘enemy’), and possibly even help
them.
▪ Altruism – having the intention or motivation to help or be of benefit to other individuals
or groups, and/or in general working for the common good
▪ Anger – an uncomfortable emotional response related to the belief of having been
disrespected, threatened, wronged or denied; can be intense, with high physical arousal
and low impulse control often leading to verbal attacks and destructive behaviors;
chronic anger is a tendency to collect injustices that one may feel constantly outraged
about.
▪ Angry conflict – conflict that is intensified because of the strong presence of anger, often
including abusive language and escalating into very destructive behaviors (especially
violence) that terrify and harm the relationship
▪ Antisocial behavior – harmful or exploitative actions in which the person (usually male)
exhibits a lack of consciousness of wrongdoing (even with friends and family members);
may also be aggressive and/or drug/alcohol related actions; during adolescence, this may
be called delinquency or delinquent behavior.
▪ Anxiety – an unpleasant emotional / physiological state in response to real or imagined
fears or stressors; while anxiety is a normal reaction to difficulties, it can become
 habitualized and/or excessive, leading to lowered functioning and anxiety disorders.
▪ Assessment – the systematic and objective measurement of knowledge, skills and/or
attitudes of individuals (also classes, groups and/or institutions).
▪ Assumption – a proposition that is taken for granted, as if it were true based upon
presupposition without knowing the facts.
▪ At risk – someone who is in serious danger, whether physically (malnutrition, eating
disorders), emotionally (trauma survivors, drug experimenters) or socially/interpersonally
(drop outs, victims of violence).
▪ Attachment – an emotional connection or bond between individuals; mainly refers to
bonds between infants and caregivers, but also refers to adult relationships, especially
bonds between romantic partners.
▪ Antisocial behavior – harmful or exploitative actions in which the person (usually male)
exhibits a lack of consciousness of wrongdoing (even with friends and family members);
may also be aggressive and/or drug/alcohol related actions; during adolescence, this may
be called delinquency or delinquent behavior.
▪ Anxiety – an unpleasant emotional / physiological state in response to real or imagined
fears or stressors; while anxiety is a normal reaction to difficulties, it can become
habitualized and/or excessive, leading to lowered functioning and anxiety disorders.
▪ Authority – legally defined position of higher power, or power conferred by a religious
organization, academy (based on study) or royal lineage; a delegated or inherited power
to control, command, lead, judge or limit (prohibit) what happens to others or what they
may do.
▪ Balance – equal distribution of demand, stress, resources and energy among members of
a system so that stability and equilibrium are maintained; using your influence or power
to realign the distribution within a system (including oneself) so that there is adequate
attention to important needs and relative harmony overall.
▪ Bullying – intentional and repeated physical and/or psychological aggression against a
physically weaker or lower power status individual with the aim of robbing, intimidating,
humiliating or controlling them; intimidating and oppressing a weaker person with
violence, intimidation, exclusion, threats and/or verbal abuse; a common child/teen
experience which harms both the abuser and the victim.
▪ Chaos – a state where traditional order starts to break down, a time that is both
extremely difficult and stimulating.
▪ Coercion – using force, manipulation or intimidation in order to compel another to act
against his/her will and/or obtain compliance with your wishes.
▪ Coercive power – (French & Raven, 1960) the ability to force a subordinate to comply
with an order through the threat of punishment; typically leads to short-term compliance,
but in the long-run produces dysfunctional behavior.
▪ Collaborate – work with others for a common purpose or benefit; cooperate.
▪ Colleagues – generally refers to someone you work with, but more often refers to
someone of the same profession or trade.
▪ Commitment – a vow or intention to maintain a relationship or arrangement; continues
to be loving to someone over time.
▪ Common good – an idealistic concept that represents a value of providing benefit to all or
most members of a community; providing a quality of fairness and relative wellbeing to
all segments of society
▪ Communication – the exchange of thoughts, messages, opinions, or information by
speech, writing, actions and/or nonverbal means between two or more people; includes
 verbal and nonverbal expression and reception (listening, acknowledgment) of messages.
▪ Conflict – the interaction process that occurs when a perceived incompatibility of actions,
goals, ideas, needs or desires is expressed in a relationship or community, whether
directly shown (arguments, disagreements) or indirectly seen through behaviours
(passive aggressive, covert conflict) or signs (frowns, slammed doors); conflict is natural
and necessary result of differences between individuals, and can usually be resolved
through communication and compromise; in the transformative view of conflict, conflict
provides an opportunity for viewing limitations in our relationship dynamics, and for
strengthening ourselves by becoming more open, tolerant and adaptive.
▪ Conformity – the process by which people obey the norms and expectations of society, or
do and say the same things as others in their social crowd to achieve a sense of security
and to avoid the risk of social rejection.
▪ Control – a relationship dynamic which reflects how much decision making is shared
versus held by one partner (or family member); some important distinctions are whether
the one who dominates the relationship uses negative affect or resource control to bully
the other into giving them power; and whether the non-controlling partner is willing to
manage a share of the control responsibly or shirks it.
▪ Cooperation – voluntarily working, sharing information and associating with others for
common goals and/or mutual beneficial exchange; being willing to contribute effort and
resources to the common good of a group or community.
▪ Core values – attitudes and beliefs thought to uniquely pattern a culture.
▪ Corrections – a variety of functions typically carried out by government agencies
involving the punishment, treatment, and supervision of persons who have been
convicted of crimes.
▪ Courage – having the mental and moral strength to do what’s right and persevere despite
physical danger, difficulty or the opposition of others.
▪ Crisis – an emotionally stressful, unstable and/or traumatic time when previous coping is
no longer productive and change is needed; a point when a conflict or struggle reaches its
highest tension and must be resolved as the situation comes to a turning point
(bifurcation point).
▪ Cyber-bullying – using the Internet, social networking sites and/or cell phones to hurt
someone or smear their reputation via emails, blogs, forum posts, text messages, etc...
Teens have even been induced to commit suicide by this kind of aggression, and those
who do cyber bullying have been sent to jail.
▪ Dangerousness – having traits, habits and histories of behaviour that indicate one is likely
to commit violence (sexual or physical); a high risk level for committing violence as
determined by an assessment expert who has experience or training in identifying violent
personalities and behaviours; generally found when the person has a history of violence,
sees nothing wrong with it, and has motives to continue using violence.
▪ Discipline – training people or children to follow a code of behavior, usually to avoid
harm and become contributing members of the community/society; ideally, discipline
corrects negative behaviors and strengthens positive ones; used as both a verb (to
discipline) or a noun for the general process of disciplining (“the child received no
discipline”); old fashioned discipline approaches favored punishment, especially spanking,
to correct improper behavior, but current approaches advocated by child specialists
emphasize modeling, shaping and encouraging positive behavior while using negative
reinforcement (withdrawal of rewards or attention) to correct misbehavior, along with
constant discussion to build social thinking and understanding.
▪ Disclosure – openly sharing information with clients and potential clients about actual
and potential sources of conflict of interest in handling their case; records of this are
essential.
▪ Discrimination – unjustifiable negative behavior or unfair treatment toward a group or its
members
▪ Equality – an equal share of resources and debts, or recognition and rewards versus
criticism and censure; where every member is treated the same regardless of need,
advantages or contribution; an equally divided proportion.
▪ Fairness – free from bias or tendency to benefit either side in a dispute or any
circumstance; objective weighing of issues in a case; impartiality
▪ Family – a group of people who form a household, including parents, children, other
relatives and adopted members; Extended families include all of those who are involved
in the day to day support of family needs and are involved in each other’s lives, including
grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, half or step-family members and sometimes
neighbors.
▪ Forgiveness – the pardoning of a transgression; a process in which a person overcomes
negative affect (anger, hostility), negative cognitions (hate, thoughts of revenge), and
negative behaviors (aggression, gossip) in response to an offender’s injustice
▪ Formal – using a specific professional or governmental process or set of procedures that
provides legal protections and records to the participants
▪ Frustration – an aversive emotional reaction to the prevention of a desired event.
▪ Guilt – painful thoughts and/or feelings of remorse for real or imagined wrongdoing;
feeling the weight of responsibility for a past error; a relational/social emotion
▪ Happiness – a general feeling of well-being that includes inner process, positive attitudes,
and a way of living your life and relating to those around you; happiness can be deeper
and more long-lasting when it involves both doing things that are gratifying and having an
inner sense that life is good.
▪ Hate – intense aversion and/or hostility towards someone or something; despise and
treat with contempt, and possibly violence.
▪ Honesty – the quality of being truthful and sincere; freedom from deceit or hidden
motives
▪ Human rights – (Amnesty International) the basic rights and freedoms that all people are
entitled to regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, language,
or other status
▪ Intention – the mental purpose or goal of a person; the reasoning behind someone’s
actions; often reflects a wish for positive or negative results for one or more of the
people involved.
▪ Interaction – an influence episode in which one partner’s behavior affects how the other
partner subsequently behaves and vice versa; the living flow of a relationship; it is
important to note whether each partner’s interactions interfere with or facilitate the
needs or goals of the other partner.
▪ Love – any of a number of emotions related to a sense of strong affection and emotional
bonding; a deep feeling of tenderly caring for another person; love can refer to a variety
of different feelings, states, and attitudes, ranging from generic pleasure (“I love that
movie star”) to intense interpersonal attraction (“I love my boyfriend”) to a transcendent
spiritual feeling of union with humanity, the common good, and the divine.
▪ Monitor – watch over with concern, especially looking for possible trouble (as in
monitoring children); monitoring is nonjudgmental, not expecting to find misbehavior,
 but willing to address it if it occurs; checking out for a purpose.
▪ Mood – relatively low – intensity, diffuse, and enduring affective states that have no
salient antecedent cause and little cognitive content
▪ Obedience – the act of complying with someone’s wishes or demands; dutiful or
submissive behavior.
▪ Open-mindedness – being receptive to new ideas and information while putting aside old
ideas and beliefs; being respectful and without bias towards ideas different from one’s
own or information that might challenge one’s belief framework.
▪ Opportunity – when circumstances provide a favourable background for something to
occur, the supporting environmental contingencies of behaviours.
▪ Patience – a state of enduring difficult or tiresome circumstances without negativity,
annoyance or anger; staying calm under strain, especially when faced with long-term
difficulties
▪ Peer group – people of similar age, gender, social status, ethnic background, education
and/or values who one feels are similar or comparable to oneself.
▪ Perception – the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information from the
environment in order to understand it; subject to many biases
▪ Respect – acting as if one believes in the worth of another; treating them with regard and
consideration; to refrain from intruding upon or interfering with another’s wishes
▪ Rules – words and messages which shape prescribe and limit the behaviour of people in
an organization or family over time; they are repeated explicitly or implied and rarely
written down. They give power, induce guilt, and control or limit behaviours; i.e., “Don’t
talk about it”, “Be responsible”, “Perfection is expected”.
▪ Sex – used in some research as the term used for gender differences
▪ Sex discrimination – discrimination on the basis of gender; certain forms of sexual
discrimination are illegal in some countries, while in other countries it may be required by
law in various circumstances.
▪ Stress – the process by which we respond physically and emotionally (tension and
arousal) to certain events that we appraise as threatening or challenging (called
stressors),
▪ Transgressions – violations of one’s duty or of boundaries that have been consciously or
unconsciously set with others
▪ Tribe – a group that centers around kinship groups, ethnic identity, common traditions
and/or territory that have cultural standards, traditions, rituals, values, roles and leaders.
▪ Trust – belief in the responsiveness and good intentions of another in times of need; has
been conceptualized as a personality trait (a chronic personal predisposition to trust or
distrust others in general) but increasingly is viewed as a relationship variable (specific to
a particular person).
▪ War – an organized hostile and violent response to an apparent conflict; using violent
means to harm and weaken an opponent in order to force them to accept terms or
dominance by another; war generally refers to large-scale violent conflict between
political factions or nations, but may also be used to refer to what happens in any
relationship (couples, professional rivals, companies in competition) where parties
declare each other ‘the enemy’ and engage in hostile attacks in order to ‘win’ dominance.