The uses of conflict in the pedagogy of teacher education

I begin by questioning the polarizing distinctions between conflict and post-conflict states, suggesting that the search for what is common and binding yields unexpected findings across these two contexts. Working with Jewish and Arab-Israeli student teachers, I examine "the small but passionate dramas " that energise the multicultural classroom. Engaging students through presentations of their own life stories in mixed group contexts, I ask "what happens when conflict erupts? "In this research I examine the positive moments that emerge within controversial classroom interactions, and what this may mean for progressive pedagogy with post-conflict ideals in mind.