Navigating tensions between despair and hope - Arab teachers' perception in challenging situations in Jewish schools

Abstract

The present research reveals the challenges and coping methods of Arab teachers in Hebrew-language schools based on Contact Theory in a multicultural context. This qualitative study uses a semi-structured interview of interpretive processes influenced by personal and social structures. The participants: nine Muslim Arab teachers, ages 25–32, teaching in a Jewish school. The findings: these Arab teachers are agents of change reducing prejudices and stereotypical perceptions between the two groups. The teachers deal forcefully with diverse challenges through coping mechanisms running between silence through pedagogical courage in revealing their personal Arab stories.