Teaching on the frontline: the confines of teachers' contributions to conflict transformation in Lebanon

Current education and peacebuilding literature invests high expectations in the ability of teachers to catalyse positive transformations in societies affected by armed conflict. Yet, very little is known about the actual experiences of teachers in such situations, or the strategies they employ to generate conducive learning environments. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Lebanese schools, this paper proposes a framework to understand the confines of teachers' peacebuilding capacities. Of central importance herein are the socio-political context of teaching; teachers' relationships with students, colleagues, and parents; teachers’ personal biographies; as well as the tools available to confront conflict inside the classroom.