The Other Side of the Story: Israeli and Palestinian Teachers Write a History Textbook Together

Abstract

In this essay, Shoshana Steinberg and Dan Bar-On present the work of a team of Israeli and Palestinian teachers who developed a history textbook that includes both groups' narratives of the same events side by side. These teachers then tested the effects of its use in both Israeli and Palestinian classrooms; for the first time, students on each side of the conflict were exposed to the other side's understanding of key historical events. The authors present the challenges that the team faced in developing the textbook and that teachers encountered in the classroom as well as the understanding and collaboration this project fostered. They argue that the process of creating the dual-narratives text, as well as the text itself, allows teachers to play a productive role in violent political conflicts.

Positive weighing of the other's collective narrative among Jewish and Bedouin‐Palestinian teachers in Israel and its correlates

“…Yet this represents a complex frame of mind that should be taken into consideration in peace education programmes focused on the other's narrative. Bearing in mind the internal rifts noted between participants in such groups (Maoz, ; Steinberg & Bar‐On, ), attention here was directed to discerning the ways teachers' willingness to approach the other's narrative positively and to selected variables which colour their psychological makeup while doing so. Deepening our understanding of this complex framework and its correlates can further the development and implementation of peace programmes, and help practitioners overcome psychological barriers accompanying participation in such programmes.…”

“…Scholars (Bar-Tal & Rosen, 2009;Smith, 2005) have emphasised the pivotal role the educational system and teachers have in shaping and influencing the ways the young members of societies caught in conflicts come to view their group and the adversary. Teachers serve as models for citizenship behaviour, hold the power to change stereotypes and enhance empathy and understanding of other groups and their narratives (Steinberg & Bar-On, 2009) depending on their emotional styles while approaching the other's narratives as these are conveyed to their students (Zembylas, Charalambous, & Charalambous, 2014). Furthermore, teachers are an important factor in the constructing and sustaining a culture of peace, as they can bring their students, as well as others in their community to leave behind disparaging patterns of conflict management and embrace attitudes that foster a positive stance towards the 'other' and acceptance of peaceful resolution to a conflict (Nasser & Abu-Nimer, 2012;Smith, 2005).…”

“…A different study reported that, while the mixed teams of Jewish and Palestinian teachers working to produce a textbook discussing the narratives of each group, succeeded in their task, this was done following intense disputes and difficulty in establishing mutual trust. In addition, both groups faced ongoing criticism by outsiders such as family members and friends (Steinberg & Bar-On, 2009). Kelman (2007) described the I-P conflict as a clash of national narratives and identities, which serve each side to evaluate the other's behaviour and worldview.…”

Pedagogical dilemmas among Bedouin-Palestinian peace educators in Israel

“…Teachers’ vital role in peace education emanates from several factors. First, according to Steinberg and Bar-On (2009), teachers serve as role models for citizenship behavior and can influence the stereotypes held by their students and bring them to express empathy and understanding of other groups. Second, actions taken by teachers can help to create and maintain a culture of peace, as they can encourage their community and their students to abandon unproductive modes of conflict management and welcome modes of conduct which promote a positive stance toward the “other” and acceptance of a peaceful resolution to a conflict (Nasser and Abu-Nimer, 2012).…”

Schooling’s ‘contribution’ to contemporary violent conflict: Review of theoretical ideas and case studies in the field of education and conflict

“…Deliberate unequal distribution of education among different ethnic groups has been seen in, for instance, Nigeria (Ukiwo, 2007) and South Africa (Barakat, 2008; Johnson, 2007). The teaching of history classes is also connected deeply to conflict in Kosovo (Sommers and Buckland, 2004) and in Israel and Palestine (Steinberg and Bar-On, 2009). Moreover, stereotypes regarding different ethnic groups were also promoted in cases such as Sri Lanka (Bush and Saltarelli, 2000).…”