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Volume 40, 2013, Pages 211-235
© The Graduate School of Education
The University of Western Australia
Peace Education in English and Jordanian
Schools: A Comparative Study
Mohammad Sayel Al-Zyoud
Abu Dhabi University, United Arab Emirates
Eleanor J. Brown
The University of Nottingham
W. John Morgan
The University of Nottingham
This study examines the presence of peace education in Jordan and England
from the perspective of teachers. It adopts a qualitative research approach by
interviewing a sample of 80 teachers, both female and male, from English
and Jordanian secondary schools. Results indicate that peace education is a
vital part of scholarly life in both countries. In England, teachers supplement
peace education by cooperating with international organizations and by
teaching human rights issues in subject areas such as geography, citizenship,
history, English literature, and religion. To promote peace between cultures,
teachers in England educate students about diverse religions by hosting
events on religious occasions, such as the Islamic Eid and Ramadan, and by
arranging international food festivals. Furthermore, teachers in England
arrange field trips to areas with cultural minorities so that students may
experience other lifestyles and traditions by, for example, dining at non-
English restaurants and visiting mosques, churches, and temples.
Nevertheless, results also show that teachers in England discuss military
conflict with students in a very limited way. Meanwhile, Jordanian teachers
educate students about the values of tolerance in a practical way by hosting
activities inside and outside the classroom for subjects such as Islam,
citizenship, Arabic, English, literature, and history. Jordanian teachers
implement different pedagogies to promote cultural tolerance among
students, such as by teaching students about human rights, encouraging
students to express their views and feelings regarding all issues without
Address for correspondence: Mohammad Sayel Al-Zyoud, College of
Arts and Sciences, Abu Dhabi University, United Arab Emirates. Email:
mohammad.alzyoud@adu.ac.ae.