Nurturing Participation in Teachers: The Case of Teachers in Sukma Bangsa Schools, Aceh, Indonesia

Democracy is often regarded as an ideal for a peaceful society, with citizen participation as its cornerstone. However, participatory skills must be nurtured, including among teachers who subsequently teach these skills to students. This becomes more complex for teachers in post-conflict regions, necessitating consideration of the post-conflict context. This chapter addresses two questions through action research conducted at three Sukma Bangsa Schools in post-conflict Aceh, Indonesia: (1) how to cultivate participatory skills among teachers, and (2) what factors to consider when fostering these skills for teachers in post-conflict areas. Employing a participatory framework, the findings emphasize embedding habits in the school system to facilitate teacher participation, as the system significantly influences their skills. Post-conflict experiences did not directly impact teachers’ participatory skills, suggesting the importance of reinforcing a school system capable of nurturing such skills in teachers, who eventually will use the skills in their school and community. © 2024 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.