Collaborative conversations with teachers about hope: during and after Covid-19

Abstract

The concept of hope, from both a secular and Christian perspective, has been debated in many disciplines for centuries. Ideas around the phenomenon of hope have recently expanded in the field of education, owing to the major changes and challenges teachers had to face during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contemplating the concept of the source or existence of hope, especially during challenging times, requires careful investigation into how people interpret and experience hope. Therefore, this qualitative study focuses on teachers’ interpretations and experiences of hope during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conducted through two collaborative conversations held with teachers as part of a community engagement project stretching across the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Deductive data analysis was done through ATLAS.ti. The findings revealed that the teachers had a similar understanding of hope. Furthermore, it was also found that hope cannot be described solely from a secular or Christian perspective. However, the participants’ beliefs regarding the source of hope differed. These beliefs provided insight into whether participants’ understanding of hope was based on a secular or Christian perspective. From a secular perspective, hope was understood from the hope theory of Snyder et al. (1991). According to this theory, hope results from pathways thinking (planning various routes to a given goal), agency to reach a goal, and goal setting. In contrast, from a Christian perspective, hope views God as the source of hope owing to his promises. The invisible force of hope, whether agency-based or faith-based, was found to be central to teacher agency; therefore, the term “faith-based, purpose-driven hope” emerged from the data. Recommendations are made regarding the importance of nurturing teachers’ hope to improve educational outcomes.

https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.89.1.2573

Daar is al eeue lank in baie dissiplines oor hoop as konsep, uit ‘n sekulêre sowel as ‘n Christelike perspektief, gedebatteer. Idees oor hoop as verskynsel het onlangs in die onderwysveld toegeneem weens die groot veranderinge en uitdagings wat onderwysers gedurende die Covid-19-pandemie moes trotseer. Besinning oor die bron of bestaan van hoop as konsep, veral in uitdagende tye, vereis ‘n noukeurige ondersoek na hoe mense hoop vertolk en beleef. Daarom is hierdie kwalitatiewe studie toegespits op onderwysers se interpretasies en belewings van hoop tydens en ná die Covid-19-pandemie. Hierdie studie is uitgevoer deur middel van twee samewerkende gesprekke met onderwysers as deel van ‘n gemeenskapsbetrokkenheidsprojek wat oor die duur van die Covid-19-pandemie gestrek het. Deduktiewe dataontleding is met behulp van ATLAS.ti gedoen. Die bevindinge het aan die lig gebring dat die onderwysers ‘n soortgelyke begrip van hoop gehad het. Voorts is daar ook bevind dat hoop nie slegs vanuit óf ‘n sekulêre óf ‘n Christelike perspektief beskryf kan word nie. Die deelnemers se oortuigings aangaande die bron van hoop het egter verskil. Hierdie oortuigings het insig gebied in die vraag of die deelnemers se begrip van hoop op ‘n sekulêre of Christelike perspektief gebaseer was. Vanuit ‘n sekulêre perspektief is hoop vanuit die hoopteorie van Snyder et al. (1991) verstaan. Volgens hierdie teorie spruit hoop uit sogenaamde roetedenke (om ‘n verskeidenheid roetes na ‘n gegewe doelwit te beplan), werksaamheid/agentskap om ‘n doelwit te bereik en doelwitstelling. Daarteenoor word God vanuit ‘n Christelike perspektief as die bron van hoop beskou weens sy beloftes. Daar is gevind dat hoop se onsigbare krag, hetsy dit op werksaamheid/agentskap of geloof gebaseer is, sentraal tot onderwyserswerksaamheid/onderwysersagentskap staan; daarom het die term “geloofsgebaseerde, doelgedrewe hoop” uit die data te voorskyn gekom. Aanbevelings word gemaak oor die belangrikheid van die koestering en versterking van die hoop wat onderwysers het om opvoedkundige uitkomste te verbeter.