Work

Challenges to inclusive teaching during war

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: We examined the challenges of inclusive teaching during wartime through a case study of a high school attended by Jewish citizens of Israel (JCI) and Palestinian citizens of Israel (PCI) during the Israel–Gaza war. While inclusive education aims to promote belonging and equity for marginalized students, most research assumes peacetime and stable Western democratic contexts. Using a qualitative case study design, we examine how JCI teachers without inclusive education training navigate teaching PCI students. We find that teachers operated under a principal's directive to remain silent about PCI students' presence and avoid their Palestinian identities, prioritizing classroom calm and conflict avoidance. These practices contribute to institutional silence that may harm PCI students' well-being. At the same time, when teachers emphasized personal and professional relationships over national identity, this potentially enabled their work and the PCI students' presence at the school during the war, despite the unsupportive environment.

Source: Teaching and Teacher Education

DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2026.105516

Authors: Idit Fast, Rotem Trachtenberg-Maslaton, Michal Shapira-Junger

Institutions: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Brandeis University

Language: English

Topic: Peace and Human Rights Education

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Reduced inequalities, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,380