Actions That Build Peace from the Voices of Teachers Affected by the Armed Conflict in Colombia

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article is interesting and relevant, and the context is described convincingly. However, I believe the weakest part is the results and discussion section. While I have no issue accepting that the informants have undergone an inner transformation, are teaching with love, and frequently cite the example of Jesus, I think this adds an important spiritual dimension that is often underrepresented in academic writing.

The problem arises when the authors discuss forgiveness. It’s unclear who is being forgiven. Are the perpetrators being forgiven? If so, in what way? Are the teachers forgiving the soldiers who have killed students in their classes? The authors need to clarify this to avoid vagueness and prevent the discussion from becoming overly abstract. Additionally, have the educators managed to reduce tension and killings in their areas as a result of their teachings on love? While this may be difficult to articulate, the authors should be more concrete in addressing these points.

Author Response

Comment 1: The article is interesting and relevant, and the context is described convincingly. However, I believe the weakest part is the results and discussion section.

Response 1: Thank you for your positive feedback on the relevance and context of our article. We appreciate your insights and have made revisions to strengthen the results and discussion section.

Comment 2: While I have no issue accepting that the informants have undergone an inner transformation, are teaching with love, and frequently cite the example of Jesus, I think this adds an important spiritual dimension that is often underrepresented in academic writing.

Response 2: We agree that the spiritual dimension is significant, and we have incorporated it into the results and discussion section. We have elaborated on how the informants integrate teachings of love and the example of Jesus into their pedagogical practices, emphasising the impact this has on their approach to education.

Comment 3: The problem arises when the authors discuss forgiveness. It’s unclear who is being forgiven. Are the perpetrators being forgiven? If so, in what way? Are the teachers forgiving the soldiers who have killed students in their classes? The authors need to clarify this to avoid vagueness and prevent the discussion from becoming overly abstract.

Response 3: Thank you for highlighting this ambiguity. We have clarified our discussion on forgiveness to specify that the educators focus on forgiving those involved in the violence, including themselves. We provide examples and context to illustrate how this forgiveness is expressed and its significance in their teachings.

Comment 4: The authors need to clarify this to avoid vagueness and prevent the discussion from becoming overly abstract.

Response 4: We appreciate this constructive feedback and have revised the section to be more concrete. We have included specific instances of how forgiveness is practiced and understood by the educators, ensuring clarity and depth in our discussion.

Comment 5: Additionally, have the educators managed to reduce tension and killings in their areas as a result of their teachings on love? While this may be difficult to articulate, the authors should be more concrete in addressing these points.

Response 5: We acknowledge the complexity of measuring the impact of educational practices on violence reduction. In the revised manuscript, we include qualitative data and testimonies from the educators, highlighting instances where their teachings have contributed to a decrease in tension and violence within their communities, as well as cases where they are unaware of this transformative process.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Thank you for this interesting - it is important to hear directly from teachers about their experiences and the pedagogical choices they make and the paper is valuable for this reason. I think the paper can improve with some restructuring and deeper engagement with literature on education and conflict generally and education and conflict in Colombia in particular.

I suggest re-writing the introduction section so that it clearly introduces the key questions the article is exploring and outlines how the article will be organised. Key information like that this is a qualitative study of X teachers from Y regions should be stated in the introduction.

The literature review sections are very brief and should be developed further (perhaps by making the introduction section shorter to make more room). In particular, I feel the following elements are necessary and should be added:

- More information on educational inequality in Colombia and how conflict has exacerbated this - clear information, including data, on rural/urban divides in terms of access, quality, and outcomes. Data as well on outcomes for different socioeconomic and racial/ethnic groups.

- Information on relevant education, peacebuilding and transitional justice policy in Colombia that affects possibilities for peacebuilding through education. It is true that famous international people like Nelson Mandela think education is important for peace, but so do key processes in Colombia, like the truth commission, education policies like catedra de paz, etc. These are relevant for providing contextual information.

- Engagement with education, peace and conflict literature that takes a political economy approach. Literature does suggest curricula, subject knowledge and pedagogy as outlined in the paper, but it also calls for policy change, equitable distribution of resources, work to address disparities in outcomes like those in Colombia, etc. Start with the work of scholars like Mario Novelli, Kelsey Shanks, Diana Gomez, etc.

- Review of other research that explores teachers perspectives in Colombia. This paper is not the only one that reports on teachers' experiences, perspectives and strategies - it is important to acknowledge other research in the literature review and then to explore how your findings enter into dialogue with the findings of this research. See Bellino et al.'s 2023 study on Catedra de Paz and teachers' strategies for a good review of relevant literature.

I also think it is important to provide more information about the sample - how many teachers from each region? How many teachers from private schools? How many rural and how many urban teachers? Were the urban teachers still all from the regions identified as most conflict affected.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The paper is well written.

Author Response

Comment 1: Thank you for this interesting paper; it is important to hear directly from teachers about their experiences and the pedagogical choices they make, and the paper is valuable for this reason. I think the paper can improve with some restructuring and deeper engagement with literature on education and conflict generally and education and conflict in Colombia in particular.

Response 1: Thank you for your positive remarks about the paper’s value and the importance of teachers’ perspectives. We appreciate your suggestions for restructuring and enhancing our engagement with the relevant literature. We have revised the paper accordingly to provide a more robust context and alignment with existing research.

Comment 2: I suggest re-writing the introduction section so that it clearly introduces the key questions the article is exploring and outlines how the article will be organised. Key information like that this is a qualitative study of X teachers from Y regions should be stated in the introduction.

Response 2: We have rewritten the introduction to clearly articulate the key questions guiding our research and outline the structure of the article. Additionally, we have specified that this is a qualitative study involving 412 teachers from 5 regions to provide a clearer context for our findings.

Comment 3: The literature review sections are very brief and should be developed further (perhaps by making the introduction section shorter to make more room).

Response 3: We appreciate your feedback regarding the literature review. We have expanded this section significantly by integrating more comprehensive discussions on educational inequality in Colombia, relevant policies, and theoretical frameworks. In doing so, we have made adjustments to the introduction to create room for this expanded content. The information was adjusted by organising it into three sections: Education and Conflict in Colombia; Education and Peace; Peacebuilding in Colombia

Comment 4: In particular, I feel the following elements are necessary and should be added: more information on educational inequality in Colombia and how conflict has exacerbated this—clear information, including data, on rural/urban divides in terms of access, quality, and outcomes. Data on outcomes for different socioeconomic and racial/ethnic groups.

Response 4: We have included detailed information on educational inequality in Colombia, highlighting the rural-urban divides in access, quality, and outcomes. Additionally, we present data on educational outcomes for various socioeconomic and racial/ethnic groups to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the context.

Comment 5: Information on relevant education, peacebuilding, and transitional justice policy in Colombia that affects possibilities for peacebuilding through education.

Response 5: We have incorporated information on key policies affecting education and peacebuilding in Colombia, including the truth commission and the "Cátedra de Paz." This contextual information is essential for understanding the role of education in fostering peace.

Comment 6: Engagement with education, peace, and conflict literature that takes a political economy approach.

Response 6: We have enhanced our literature review to include a political economy perspective, citing the works of scholars such as Mario Novelli and Kelsey Shanks. This engagement allows us to situate our findings within broader discussions about policy change and equitable resource distribution.

Comment 7: Review of other research that explores teachers' perspectives in Colombia.

Response 7: We have included a review of relevant research on teachers’ perspectives in Colombia, including Bellino et al.'s 2023 study on "Cátedra de Paz." We discuss how our findings align with and contribute to the existing literature, providing a richer dialogue within the field.

Comment 8: I also think it is important to provide more information about the sample—how many teachers from each region? How many teachers from private schools? How many rural and how many urban teachers? Were the urban teachers still all from the regions identified as most conflict affected?

Response 8: We appreciate your request for more detailed sample information. The sample consisted of teachers who volunteered to participate, rather than being selected based on specific criteria. We contacted the director of each educational institution, who then invited teachers willing to participate, ensuring that no personal or location information would be requested. This was done to protect their identities and allow them to speak freely about their experiences. We have included specific data about the number of teachers from each region and the participation of one private school and nineteen public schools. Four of the public institutions were located in rural areas, and some of their teachers participated in the synchronous face-to-face meetings. We clarify that all urban teachers were from regions identified as most affected by conflict.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This is a good article that leverages an impressive amount of firsthand evidence collected directly from teachers in Colombia to address the extremely important theme of violence against teachers and the peacebuilding practices and pedagogies of teachers. The article could be strengthened by reviewing the introduction and conclusion, which tend to make broader statements that aren’t directly related to the analysis at hand, and making better use of the rich empirical data collected. The article could also be strengthened by discussing, a bit more, the ambivalent role that teachers can play with regards to violence (sometimes, being part of it), notably in the empirical analysis. See below for the main comments:

-The first paragraphs of the introduction aren’t necessary, and generally too broad in scope; I would suggest focusing immediately on the question of violence against teachers, and the relationship between education and peacebuilding (incorporating a discussion of the ways in which education can contribute to violence). Generally, I would recommend a revision of the introduction to clearly state a question, and objective, and situate the study in the literature on violence against teachers, or violence against education more broadly. I would also suggest making the tone less personal in the introduction.

The contextual background section on the Colombian conflict is generally; I would suggest adding references, however, to the question of trauma (as violence doesn’t automatically produce trauma).

The literature review is a bit too broad and too focused on declarations by prominent figures which, although important, may be reflective of dominant conceptions of the relationship between education and peacebuilding, rather than their actual relationship. I would recommend to sharpen this section, first by introducing some more critical elements on the relationship between education and peacebuilding (using, for example, the work of Bajaj), and focusing on theoretical elements that are directly relevant for the study.

The methodology section is convincing, you carried out an impressive number of interviews and focus groups, and you present the data and analysis well. Here again, however, I would suggest refraining from broader statements about peace and peacebuilding – which, although generally relevant, sound less academic.

The results section is broadly convincing, although some sections (such as the section on ‘teaching with love’) are slightly unclear. Generally, the analysis tends to hover at a relatively abstract level, bringing in some quotes from the teachers themselves and discussing them in relation to the literature, but without providing much context on who/where these are expressed from, which makes the analysis somewhat abstract. As a result, it feels as if the analysis doesn’t make the most of the rich empirical material that the authors have collected – and perhaps spends a bit too much time on referencing other contexts and studies. A few more detailed examples, naming regions and specific historical periods, could address this.

In the conclusion, you say that ‘However, our analysis highlights that these initiatives  often stem from an external understanding of the conflict's effects’ – The analysis, however, doesn’t really do that. The conclusion also tends to hover towards general statements which aren’t always connected to the analysis, and feel more like personal statements that the authors want to make. I would recommend to focus more on the implications of the results.    

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Generally, the quality of the writing and english is good. There are some sentences and sections that can be clarified a bit (see comments). 

Author Response

Comment 1: The first paragraphs of the introduction aren’t necessary, and generally too broad in scope; I would suggest focusing immediately on the question of violence against teachers, and the relationship between education and peacebuilding (incorporating a discussion of the ways in which education can contribute to violence). Generally, I would recommend a revision of the introduction to clearly state a question, and objective, and situate the study in the literature on violence against teachers, or violence against education more broadly. I would also suggest making the tone less personal in the introduction.

Response 1: We have revised the introduction to focus immediately on the question of violence against teachers and the connection to peacebuilding. We have clarified our research question and objectives, and adjusted the tone to be more academic.

Comment 2: The contextual background section on the Colombian conflict is generally; I would suggest adding references, however, to the question of trauma (as violence doesn’t automatically produce trauma)

Response 2:  We did not address the suggestion to delve into "trauma" in order to maintain the narrative flow and stay focused on the primary objective regarding actions that build peace.

Comment 3: The literature review is a bit too broad and too focused on declarations by prominent figures which, although important, may be reflective of dominant conceptions of the relationship between education and peacebuilding, rather than their actual relationship. I would recommend to sharpen this section, first by introducing some more critical elements on the relationship between education and peacebuilding (using, for example, the work of Bajaj), and focusing on theoretical elements that are directly relevant for the study.

Response 3: We have refined the literature review by incorporating more critical perspectives on the relationship between education and peacebuilding, including insights from the work of Bajaj.

Comment 4: The methodology section is convincing; you carried out an impressive number of interviews and focus groups, and you present the data and analysis well. Here again, however, I would suggest refraining from broader statements about peace and peacebuilding – which, although generally relevant, sound less academic.

Response 4: We are glad that the methodology was well-received. We have revised this section to eliminate broader statements about peace and peacebuilding, focusing instead on the academic presentation of our findings.

Comment 5: The results section is broadly convincing, although some sections (such as the section on ‘teaching with love’) are slightly unclear. Generally, the analysis tends to hover at a relatively abstract level, bringing in some quotes from the teachers themselves and discussing them in relation to the literature, but without providing much context on who/where these are expressed from, which makes the analysis somewhat abstract. As a result, it feels as if the analysis doesn’t make the most of the rich empirical material that the authors have collected – and perhaps spends a bit too much time on referencing other contexts and studies. A few more detailed examples, naming regions and specific historical periods, could address this.

 

Response 5: Thank you for highlighting this concern. We have clarified the "teaching with love" section and provided more context around the teachers' quotes.

Comment 6: In the conclusion, you say that ‘However, our analysis highlights that these initiatives often stem from an external understanding of the conflict's effects’ – The analysis, however, doesn’t really do that. The conclusion also tends to hover towards general statements which aren’t always connected to the analysis, and feel more like personal statements that the authors want to make. I would recommend to focus more on the implications of the results.

Response 6: We appreciate your feedback on the conclusion. We have revised the conclusion to ensure it accurately reflects our analysis and focuses on the implications of our findings, avoiding general statements that do not connect to the data.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors I don't think they have responded to all my remarks, but I guess you can publish it now. I don't think they have data to expand the article more.