Teachers' Understanding of Peace Education and Its Integration into Secondary School Curriculum: A Case Study of District Lasbela, Balochistan

Abstract

Peace education has emerged as a vital component of secondary school curricula worldwide, equipping students with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to resolve conflict nonviolently, respect human rights, and function as responsible global citizens. Despite growing international recognition of its value, empirical evidence on how secondary school teachers in Pakistan understand and enact peace education remains limited. This study explores teachers' perceptions of peace education and examines the extent to which its core components are integrated into the secondary school curriculum in District Lasbela, Balochistan. Using a qualitative interpretivist design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 secondary school teachers, complemented by a qualitative content analysis of English, Urdu, Pakistan Studies, and Islamiat textbooks for grades 9 and 10. Findings indicate that teachers broadly recognise peace education as central to fostering tolerance, empathy, and conflict-resolution skills, and view it as necessary for reducing school violence and building a more harmonious society. However, its presence in the curriculum remains largely implicit, embedded within moral and civic lessons rather than taught as an explicit, skills-based subject. Teachers identified an overcrowded curriculum, insufficient training, and a lack of dedicated resources as the principal barriers to implementation. The study recommends the development of a structured peace education framework, sustained teacher training, cross-subject integration, and stronger policy support to move peace education from rhetorical commitment to classroom practice.