Dialogic pedagogies in educational settings for active citizenship, social cohesion and peacebuilding in Lebanon

Abstract

Many educational programmes in societies affected by armed conflict aim to promote dialogic engagement as a fundamental aim and pedagogy for social reconstruction. Despite supporting government policies, classrooms show very little or no evidence of dialogic practices where learners (co-)construct knowledge with peers and engage in critical and appreciative inquiry. In the case of Lebanon, I examine the approaches of promoting dialogic pedagogies through formal and non-formal educational programmes. The conceptual framework draws on literature from Bakhtin, Habermas, Islamic and Arab scholars and researchers in effective learning. Evidence is gathered from (1) classroom observations and conversations with teachers from seven schools and (2) students' written reflections from a 10-day residential programme. Evidence suggests that dialogic engagement is largely dependent on facilitators' approaches to knowledge construction. Even with intervention to support teachers in facilitating dialogic activities in formal schooling, teachers continue to seek student confirmation of preset content knowledge.

Educación para la ciudadanía en el posacuerdo

“…Entre las semejanzas está el propósito de evitar temas controvertidos, la desconfianza en los partidos políticos y las prácticas autoritarias. Los estudios sugieren la necesidad de formar a la ciudadanía en una participación activa, en el diálogo y en el pensamiento crítico desde pequeños (Akar, 2016). Los estudios también destacan la necesidad de fortalecer dos aspectos: un sentido de cohesión social (como el objetivo más difícil de lograr) y las normas democráticas como medios para garantizar la democracia y la justicia (Quaynor, 2012).…”

Exploring sustainable learning and practice of digital citizenship: Education and place-based challenges

“…Although the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) undertook a revision of curricular aims for shifting from content- to competency-based outcomes (Ministry of Education and Higher Education [MEHE], 2012), the curriculum and aligned textbooks are still outdated (from 1997), lacking themes related to the contemporary world such as digital citizenship. In addition, research shows that direct instruction and memorization rather than competency building are predominant classroom approaches in delivering the programme (Akar, 2016; Quaynor, 2012; United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] et al, 2008). Because digital citizenship is a highly practical competency, limiting learning approaches to memorization of content is unfitting.…”

“…Competency-based teaching. Research shows that competencies are compromised in favour of rote learning and memorization for the LNCC (Akar, 2016). As operationalized in this work, sustainable digital citizenship requires continuous practice that upholds associated ideals with support from the wider environment.…”

Bridging Theory and Practice in Entertainment Education: An Assessment of the Conceptualization and Design of Tsha Tsha in South Africa

“…This view chimes with Tufte's (2005) argument that lessons are preferable to didactic messaging which views learning as linear and whose primary objective is to disseminate information which results in individual behavioral change. Post-colonial scholars like Paulo Freire have criticized didactic messaging because it promotes rote learning, does not acknowledge the agency of the subaltern, and down plays the complexity and process nature of education and learning (Akar, 2016;Singhal, 2004). Conversely, a lessonbased approach acknowledges the complex nature of education and subaltern people and views education as a dialogic, empowering, and mutually transformative process.…”