To Teach or Not to
Teach Controversial
Issues?:
An Interview Study of Upper Secondary English Teachers’
Attitudes and Experiences of Teaching Controversial
Issues Through Fictional Works
Course:English for Subject Teachers 91-120, 15 credits
Writer: Ida Swärd
Examiner: Jenny Malmqvist
Supervisor: Anette Svensson
Abstract
To Teach or Not to Teach Controversial Issues?: An Interview Study of Upper Secondary
English Teachers’ Attitudes and Experiences of Teaching Controversial Issues Through
Fictional Works
By: Ida Swärd
This study aims to examine how upper secondary English teachers work with foundational
values and controversial topics through fictional works in order to discuss the function of values
and the civic mission in the EFL-classroom. The study was conducted using a qualitative
approach through semi structured interviews, interviewing seven currently active upper
secondary English teachers. To structure the data from the interviews a thematic analysis was
applied, and the theoretical approaches used for analysing the data were transformative
potential and narrative imagination.
The results of this study show that the participants have an interest in using fictional works
containing controversial issues for discussing foundational values in the classroom. The study
also shows that there are both common challenges and advantages of teaching controversial
issues through fiction. All participants had similar opinions about the advantages which were
the emergence of expanding worldviews and perspectives among pupils. The challenges
mentioned among the participants were: reading in a second language, giving the pupils enough
pre-knowledge and knowing which position to take as a teacher during discussions about
controversial topics. Noticeable differences in the teachers’ opinions were due to their length
of work experience. Finally, the civic mission in the EFL-classroom could be distinguished in
the teachers’ arguments of why they implement fictional works with controversial topics in
their teaching.
Key words: fiction, controversial issues, foundational values, EFL-classroom, civic mission
Number of pages: 24
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ... 1
2. Aim... 2
3. Background ... 2
3.1 The Syllabus for the English Subject in Gy11 ... 2
3.2 The Foundational Values ... 3
3.4 The Council of Europe ... 3
3.5 The Role of Fiction in School and in the EFL-Classroom ... 4
3.6 Pedagogical Topics Connected to Working with Foundational Values/Controversial Issues in the EFL-Classroom ... 6
4. Method ... 8
4.1 Semi Structured Interviews ... 8
4.2 Participants ... 8 4.3 Ethical Considerations ... 9 4.4 Data Analysis ... 9 5. Theoretical Framework ... 10 5.1 Transformative Potential ... 10 5.2 Narrative Imagination ... 11 6. Results ... 12
6.1 Foundational Values and the Civic Mission in the English Subject ... 12
6.1.1 The Teachers’ Views of the Foundational Values... 12
6.1.2 Active Planning for Working with Foundational Values in the English Subject ... 13
6.2 Teaching Controversial Issues Through Fictional Works ... 14
6.2.1 Reading Activities ... 14
6.2.2 Good Relationships ... 15
6.2.3 Teaching Methods ... 16
6.3 Advantages/ Challenges with Controversial Fictional Works ... 17
6.3.1 Expanding Worldviews ... 17
6.3.2 Different Challenges ... 18
7. Analysis and Discussion ... 19
8. Conclusion ... 24
9. List of References ... 25
9. Appendices ... 27
9.1 Interview Guide ... 27
9.2 Transcription of the Interviews ... 28
9.2.2 T2 ... 30 9.2.3 T3 ... 34 9.2.4 T4 ... 37 9.2.5 T5 ... 41 9.2.6 T6 ... 44 9.2.7 T7 ... 47
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In a rapidly changing society, it can be challenging to keep up with novelties or differentiating
debates that are circulating regarding values in society. One recent debate that has generated
altered opinions, is the Black Lives Matter debate, where millions of people have participated
in demonstrations and debates regarding black peoples’ rights in society and the strive for a
more equal society. Presumably, current news topics are something students might be exposed
to through various social media platforms, making them particularly important to highlight and
pay closer attention to in school. Therefore, Max Malikow (2006) argues that is important for
teachers to determine when to engage students in a controversial issue, especially if it is
anticipated that students might be interested in the issue or if the topic might be in accordance
with the syllabus of the course (p. 107). However, Walter Humes (2012) explains that some
people believe that teaching controversial issues in school should be done sparingly due to its
complex nature (p. 13). Humes argues the opposite, namely that “it is essential to present
challenging material in order to encourage young people to engage constructively with the
complexities of the modern world” (2012, p. 13). Furthermore, a healthy democracy requires
citizen involvement, especially during a time where sources of information need to be examined
more carefully due to the number of unreliable sources (Humes, 2012, p. 21).
As Humes (2012) states, it can be challenging to face and teach controversial issues in school,
mostly because teachers wish to avoid pupils feeling uncomfortable or exposed in class.
However, by using fictional works that cover sensitive areas, focus can be altered between the
controversial issue and the work itself, which could make the students reflect upon complex
issues from another point of view. Christina Vischer Bruns (2011) advocates the use of fiction
in school by stating that fiction can be seen as a transitional space where discussions of
otherness and cultures are central (p. 34). Vischer Bruns further explains that “cultural contact
is capable of deeply influencing readers’ experiences of difference and patterns of relating to
otherness” (2011, p. 34). Thus, fiction can function as a mediating device when working with
foundational values and controversial issues to bring further understanding and respect for
human rights questions. Therefore, this study will examine active Swedish upper secondary
teachers’ opinions of or experiences from these specific matters in the English as a Foreign
Language (EFL) classroom.
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2. Aim
This study aims to investigate how upper secondary English teachers work with foundational
values and controversial topics through fictional works in order to discuss the function of values
and the civic mission in the EFL-classroom.
- What are the advantages and challenges of working with controversial themes in the
EFL-classroom?
- Do upper secondary teachers in English use fictional works to work with the
foundational values? And if so, how?
- Why do the participants choose/not choose to include fictional works consisting of
controversial topics in their teaching?
- What effects do the participants see in the pupils when working with fictional works
that include foundational values and controversial themes in the EFL-classroom?
3. Background
This part of the study will include background information about the curriculum for the Swedish
school system and the syllabus for the English subject at upper secondary school, along with a
definition and deeper insight about how the Council of Europe views the function of
controversial issues in school. Furthermore, previous research concerning fiction’s use both in
the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom, which Yule (2016) explains as simply
learning another language, and the first language (L1) classroom, which is the first language
one learns will be accounted for (p. 190-195). Also, previous research regarding teaching and
learning controversial issues both in general and through fiction in the EFL-classroom will be
addressed in this section.
3.1 The Syllabus for the English Subject in Gy11
In the syllabus for the English subject at upper secondary level in Sweden, fiction is mentioned
as a core content in all three English courses, where the definition of it evolves and advances
depending on the level of the course. For example, in English 5 under core content “Literature
and other fiction” is mentioned, whereas in English 7 it has evolved to: “Contemporary and
older literature and other fiction in various genres such as drama” (The Swedish National
Agency for Education, 2011, p. 3-11). Consequently, fiction has a central role in the English
subject, making it a central role in students’ education. Besides mentioning what kind of fiction
3
that should be covered in the education, the syllabus also mentions contents of communication.
For example, in content of communication in English 7 “societal issues, cultural, historical,
political and social conditions, and also ethical and existential issues in different contexts and
parts of the world where English is used” should be covered (SNAE, 2011, p. 11). Thus,
controversial issues could be interpreted in the syllabus for the English subject since they can
be related to society, politics and not the least to ethics. By analysing the syllabus for the English
subject, it is clear that inclusion of foundational values of various forms are expected to be
implemented and discussed in class.
3.2 The Foundational Values
Regarding the foundational values and missions of Gy11, SNAE (2013) states that teachers
should “openly discuss and together with the students analyse different values, views and
problems, and the consequences of these”, and also inform the students about foundational
values and human rights (p. 11). Furthermore, the curriculum asserts that students should
achieve knowledge from fiction, by stating: “can use non-fiction, fiction and other forms of
culture as a source of knowledge, insight and pleasure” (SNAE, 2013, p. 8). Both these
quotations relate to the content in the English syllabus and on the one hand to Humes’ argument
about shaping constructive citizens and on the other hand to Vischer Bruns’ argument about
fiction’s impact on students’ cultural awareness. In theory, it sounds great, but in practice,
teachers tend to pay more attention at the knowledge mission than the civic mission due to New
Public Management, which Jonna Bornemark (2018) explains has affected what is viewed as
favourable knowledge where measurable results are more attractive than civic characteristics
(p. 35).
3.4 The Council of Europe
Another authority that strives for developing strategies and tools for promoting human rights
and democracy in school is the Council of Europe. In their text Teaching Controversial Issues
(2015), the importance of teaching controversial issues is accounted for, where the definition
of controversial issues is explained as “issues which arouse strong feelings and divide opinion
in communities and society” (p. 8). Moreover, the document states that controversial issues are
stated as a complex area that raises difficult pedagogical questions since it arouses such strong
feelings. It is the teacher’s task to raise awareness of these matters, and at the same time avoid
friction in the classroom (Council of Europe, 2015, p. 8). Since teachers might find
controversial issues challenging to teach, young people in Europe seldom have an opportunity
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to discuss controversial issues in class (2015, p. 15). Owing to the fact that controversial issues
can be complex and to some extent avoided, the Council of Europe (2015) has listed a few
arguments about why it is important to highlight these issues (p. 15). Firstly, they relate to
social, political, economic and moral problems in modern society that are important to highlight
since they are connected to pupils’ lives. Secondly, it is beneficial to increase pupils’ source
critical awareness since media sometimes tends to only show one way of the issue. Lastly,
controversial issues are to be seen as a contribution to a life in democracy where controversy is
acceptable and should not be feared (2015, p. 15).
3.5 The Role of Fiction in School and in the EFL-Classroom
When it comes to how fiction is used in school, Vischer Bruns (2011) argues for the usefulness
of fiction in humans’ lives, where she refers to “literary works” or fictional works as transitional
objects, which are explained as a middle space between self and world where the language
mediates an unconscious communication (p. 33). This unconscious communication might
contribute to the reader’s emotional engagement, making the self available for change and
possibly to be more responsive towards the complex ever-changing surroundings (2011, p. 33).
Regarding culture, a transitional object can therefore intervene on the perception of the reader
of both one’s own and others’ cultures and possibly affect intercultural ways of relating (2011,
p. 34). Furthermore, Vischer Bruns (2011) states that “an essential part of an instructor’s task
is to push students toward recognizing that what may frustrate, confuse, or even bore them in
reading a text may be a form of cultural contact, an experience of difference worthy reflection”
(p. 124). Hence, it is shown that a teacher’s role while teaching fictional texts is as important
as the actual reading, since the teacher might be able to direct the pupils towards reflection of
the text and help them explore hidden layers.
The significance of pedagogical methods when using fiction in the L1 classroom, is something
Björn Bradling (2020) has examined in his dissertation. In the dissertation, transformative
potential is applied, which means that the fictional text allows the reader to experience new
phenomena both within and outside the text with help from the teacher (Bradling, 2020, p. 40).
Furthermore, Bradling (2020) explains the concept transformative potential as something that
connects to “the alienation pedagogy” where students’ encounter with the text could be used
for teaching ethical dilemmas (p. 39, my translation). The chosen fictional work for Bradling’s
study was Låt den Rätta Komma in [Let the Right One in] by John Ajvide Lindquist which was
analysed by 31 pupils through Rita Felski’s (2008) four modes of textual engagement. Results
5
showed that reluctance in addition to these four modes was present throughout the entire
reading-experience, but instead of stop reading, the pupils could frame their own ethical
boundaries by formulating what induced their reluctance (2020, p. 147).
Bengt-Göran Martinsson (2018) also argues for fiction’s function in school, where he claims
that through reading, pupils are able to view society through a different lens where their own
ability to change and progress become visible (p. 61). One dilemma in connection to teaching
fiction is what is considered as “good fiction”, meaning which fictional works that can be used
for educating good citizens (2018, p. 89). According to Martinsson, there are two ways of using
fiction, where the first one concerns that only the selection of “good fiction” can help fostering
readers, and therefore this viewpoint focuses on the literary aspect. The other viewpoint,
however, states that the means for using “good fiction” can help fostering the readers and
therefore this side focuses more on the cultural and societal aspects of reading (2018, p. 89).
In the area of EFL reading, Minoo Alemi (2011) affirms that choosing appropriate fictional
texts can be challenging due to the proficiency level of the students, because if the students are
not linguistically prepared for the text, the reading experience might become frustrating and
unmotivating instead of enriching (p. 178). Despite possible concerns when teaching fiction in
a foreign language classroom, Alemi (2011) mentions a number of advantages, where the first
is that a fictional work has a more varied and richer language compared to language samples in
the textbooks (p. 178). Secondly, fiction brings cultural enrichment where students can explore
another culture and hopefully understand and appreciate different perceptions of cultures and
ideologies from their own. Lastly, fictional works ensure personal involvement since they can
relate to students’ own lives and could therefore deepen their understanding for human
conditions (Alemi, 2011, p. 178). In accordance with Alemi, Geoff Hall (2015) also argues for
the benefits of using fiction in foreign language learning. For example, Hall (2015) mentions
the contribution of cultural knowledge and intercultural experience, but also the expansion of
vocabulary and the development of more fluent reading skills (p. 112).
By comparing the presented scholars’ statements to the interviewed teachers’ answers regarding
various pedagogical concerns, such as selecting appropriate fictional works or the purpose of
the chosen work, it can be analysed if similar patterns might be distinguished. Even though
most of the previous research found on fiction’s use in school is aimed for the L1 classroom,
the pedagogical concerns of how to guide students towards understanding a work’s message,
and the selection and purpose of using a certain fictional work are applicable in the
EFL-classroom as well. Therefore, this study can contribute with a deeper insight of how upper
6
secondary English teachers in Sweden regard these concerns in the EFL-classroom, to broaden
the perspective of the role of fiction in school.
3.6 Pedagogical Topics Connected to Working with Foundational Values/Controversial
Issues in the EFL-Classroom
Concerning the aspect of pedagogy in school, education might have an important role for the
civic function where three features are central. Firstly, education could be a qualification for
students’ future working life as well as an overall competence as a member of society
(Wahlström, 2015, p. 98). Secondly, Wahlström (2015) mentions socialisation, which indicates
that the goals, content and methods of the education can provide students with insight about
norms of society and what is considered as vital knowledge (p. 98). Lastly, students are
supposed to develop into independent subjects in relation to other people and to society,
meaning that students also are expected to think critically and have a reflecting view upon the
norms and structures of society (2015, p. 98-99). Furthermore, Wahlström (2015) argues that it
is important for teachers to ask: “why must the student learn this content?” (p. 101) where the
answer must be in accordance with the learning process both for the individual and for society.
Various challenges and pedagogical issues that teachers find in connection to complex societal
questions are something Christian Rydberg (2018) discusses in his dissertation. According to
Rydberg (2018) the definition of complex societal questions is that the statements should be of
a controversial category where students could examine various values (p. 27). The results of
the study reveal that some pedagogical dilemmas were whether teachers should be objective,
neutral or if they should take a stand, and if the teachers should focus on “life-long learning”
for their pupils or if the pupils should “learn for school” (2018, p. 247, my translation).
According to Rydberg (2018), teachers’ choice of being objective, neutral or taking a stand
fulfils various functions and therefore those actions need to vary depending on the aim of the
teaching and learning (p. 261). Moreover, he writes that teachers need to be clear about the aim
of the lesson and the teaching practice and together with the pupils answer why-questions in
order to avoid unstimulating lessons (Rydberg, 2018, p. 250). The results also showed that
Swedish teachers in the study were more uncertain about how to approach complex societal
issues which resulted in them taking a more neutral stance regarding these issues compared to
the international teachers in the study (2018, p. 255). According to Rydberg (2018) it is
sometimes favourable to take a stance due to the socialisation function of the school system
since that can support students to face opinions of other people (p. 255).
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While the previous two studies focus on overall pedagogical concerns in relation to teaching
controversial issues or aspects connected to the civic mission in school, Liselott Forsman,
Mikaela Björklund and Kaj Sjöholm (2017), bring up pedagogy specifically aimed for the
EFL-classroom. They claim that the language teacher’s mission has developed from earlier having
an isolated mission with focus on the knowledge mission to nowadays focusing more on the
civic mission (2017, p. 215). A study summarized by Forsman et al. (2017) concerns
foundational values and intercultural aspects within language education. The study showed that
the word culture by some teachers was interpreted as providing students with facts about
English speaking countries (2017, p. 218). In contrast, only a couple of teachers saw culture as
a dialogical process intended to broaden students’ awareness about difference and respect for
other cultures (p. 218). According to Forsman et al. (2017), the confusion about intertwining
the foundational value questions in the language teaching is because the syllabus does not
specifically mention how each subject should include foundational values in the teaching (p.
221). Therefore, it might be of interest to examine how the participants in this study regard and
intertwine foundational values in the EFL-classroom, and if they tend to focus more on the
knowledge mission or the civic mission, or if they are considered equally important.
Since the present study aims to examine how upper secondary English teachers work with
fictional works, controversial issues and foundational values combined in school, Jenny
Edvardsson’s (2020) book Skönlitteratur i Värdegrundsarbetet [Fiction in the Foundational
Value Work] is of relevance (my translation). Edvardsson (2020) explains that through fiction,
difficult subjects might become easier to address and discuss for students due to the opportunity
to empathize with a character’s life and choices and consider how they would have acted in a
similar situation (p. 21). Therefore, fiction allows students to meet both the other in the story
and themselves through the reading experience where new attitudes and ways of thinking might
emerge (2020, p. 22). Further Edvardsson (2020) argues that it is of importance for teachers to
carefully analyse what part or parts of the foundational values they wish to raise in class, as
well as choosing an appropriate text and consider how comfortable they feel about bringing up
the chosen issue in class (p. 24). Thus, the interviewed teachers’ answers regarding possible
advantages and challenges when teaching controversial issues through fiction will be discussed
in connection to Edvardsson’s arguments in the area.
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4. Method
4.1 Semi Structured Interviews
Since the aim of this study is to examine upper secondary English school teachers’ attitudes to
and methods when integrating fiction and foundational values in the EFL-classroom, the choice
of using a qualitative method was found most applicable. According to Jennifer Mason (2002),
the definition of a qualitative study is that it is concerned with how the complex social world is
interpreted, understood, or experienced (p. 3). Furthermore, qualitative research aims to
produce an understanding of this complexity through the nuanced and detailed data where a
holistic view is more central than a statistical view (Mason, 2002, p. 3-4).
The benefit of conducting a semi structured interview is that the format is quite informal where
interactional exchange as a co-production between the participant and the researcher is
performed. Moreover, the outline is flexible and thematic with a couple of topics or issues that
the researcher wishes to cover where the participant is allowed to contribute with unexpected
themes to bring even further knowledge about the area (Mason, 2002, p. 62). In order to enhance
the participants’ ability to express themselves more fluently and freely, the choice to conduct
the interviews in Swedish was made. Hence, all quotations in the result presentation have been
carefully and thoughtfully translated and transcribed by me. The interviews consisted of a total
of 11 interview questions and each interview was approximately 30-40 minutes long. The
interview guide together with the full transcriptions can be found in the appendices at the end
of this essay.
4.2 Participants
The results of the study are based on the interviews and answers from the seven participating
English upper secondary teachers. The participants were contacted through email, where the
selection of the participants was strategic in order to find teachers with experience of working
with fiction in the EFL-classroom. Approximately between 20 to 30 emails were sent out to
upper secondary teachers in the southern region of Sweden, where the majority did not reply.
Therefore, as Kvale and Brinkman (2009) state, it is important for the researcher to ask oneself
how much time one has available for the study and how many participants that is needed (p.
112). Regarding the number of participants, Kvale and Brinkman (2009) claim that sometimes
it is beneficial to have fewer participants and focus on preparing the interviews thoroughly,
which is what I did for the present study (p. 113).
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The participating teachers for the study are five female teachers and two male teachers, and
their work experiences range from 1.5 – 35 years. The teachers work at different schools in the
region, and everyone are educated English teachers in combination with another language
subject. In order to structure the result and preserve the participants’ anonymity, the participants
have been categorized due to their years as active teachers, where T1 has longest work
experience and T7 the shortest. Furthermore, the participants’ time as active teachers and their
subject combination have been included in the table.
Table 1
Participants
Years as active teachers
Subjects
T1
30-35
English/Swedish/German
T2
30-35
English/ German
T3
20-25
English/Swedish
T4
15-20
English/Swedish
T5
15-20
English/ Swedish
T6
10-15
English/Swedish
T7
0-5
English/ French
4.3 Ethical Considerations
According to the Swedish Research Council, there are four key concerns that need to be
addressed when conducting research with a qualitative approach. These are: providing the
participants with adequate information in relation to the study, receiving the participants’
consent and their right to withdraw from the study at any point, keeping confidentiality and
anonymity of the participants, and lastly, to use the information only for a scientific purpose
(Vetenskapsrådet, 2002)
To ensure that the interviews were conducted from an ethical point of view, the participants
were informed of the four key concerns beforehand via an email. In the email, they received
information about the purpose of the study, along with the ethical considerations stated by the
Swedish Research Council. Hence, the participants were informed that the recordings of the
interview would only be done with their consent and be stored safely and deleted after the
publishing of the study, and that participation was optional and anonymous and that they had
the right to withdraw without any specific reason at any time during the study.
4.4 Data Analysis
Before transcribing a data collection, it is vital to carefully consider what data that is necessary
to transcribe. King and Horrocks (2010) explain that it is important for a researcher to consider
10
if it is necessary to do a full or partial transcription of the data collection, since for some studies
it is only necessary to identify main areas of interest (p. 143). For this particular study, the
approach of doing a full transcription was made.
The analysis of the data was conducted through a thematic analysis, which King and Horrocks
(2010) define as identifying similar patterns as themes by making distinctions of the
participants’ answers and by finding reoccurring answers among them (p. 149). Moreover, they
claim that themes need to be distinct from each other and be organized in some degree of
hierarchical association to each other, with both main and subthemes (2010, p. 149). Hence, the
decision of making the transcriptions of the interviews into both main and subthemes was made,
in order to achieve a straightforward structure for the result section. King and Horrocks state
that when doing a thematic analysis, it is vital to identify parts of the transcriptions that are
presumably helpful to address the research questions (2010, p. 152). To do so, an intensive
reading of the transcriptions was made in order to define data that was relatable to the research
questions and also to identify overall themes. In total, the result section is based on three main
themes together with additional subthemes.
5. Theoretical Framework
5.1 Transformative Potential
Malin Alkestrand (2016) writes in Magiska Möjligheter [Magical Possibilities] about the
concept transformative potential in connection to fiction. In this book, Alkestrand examines
“which possibilities to problematize foundational value questions that fiction gives origin to”
(2016, p. 70, my translation), which means how fiction can be used to problematize tensions
where the reader can apply a critical perspective and reflect upon foundational value questions.
Furthermore, Alkestrand (2016) points out that it is important to not only use “good” examples
of fiction that can be incorporated in the teaching practice to teach foundational values, but also
fictional texts where there is a clear ideology that goes against core values, since such examples
might induce discussions regarding ethical dilemmas (p. 71). When Alkestrand (2016)
discusses the transformative potential of a fictional text, she refers to four different situations
that can arise, namely: “individual reading”, “fictional conversations”, “different types of work
with fiction in classroom contexts” and “the researcher’s work with fiction from the concept
didactic potential” (p. 71, my translation)
.For the present study, however, only the third
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on the role as a mediating link between the fictional work and the pupils, where the teacher
more or less decides which parts of the text that should be observed (2016, p. 73).
Alkestrand’s transformative potential aligns with Louise. M Rosenblatt’s (1995) theory which
concerns that pupils might ponder on questions of right or wrong in connection to a fictional
work, which therefore makes fiction crucial for pupils’ framework of values (p. 16). In that
sense, Rosenblatt, similarly to Alkestrand, argues for the importance of the role of the teacher
when working with fiction in the English classroom, where it is desirable that the pupils, with
help from the teacher, develop a thoughtful approach towards human behaviour (Rosenblatt,
1995, p. 17). However, it might be both profitable and problematic if teachers want to highlight
specific foundational value questions from the fictional work, since possible observations made
from the pupils might not come to the surface (Alkestrand, 2016, p. 73). Therefore, Alkestrand
suggests that pupils’ reactions should be in the centre of the teaching practice.
5.2 Narrative Imagination
Another useful concept for the present study is Martha. C Nussbaum’s concept narrative
imagination (1998, p. 85). Nussbaum (1998) explains narrative imagination as an important
role which cultivates powers essential to citizenship, where fiction makes an especially rich
contribution due to its broad representation of people and circumstances (p. 86). Within
narrative imagination compassion is mentioned which requires moral abilities such as
imagining what it must be like to be in that person’s place (1998, p. 91). The narrative
imagination then, resembles of Rita Felski’s (2008) concept emphatic experience, which also
concerns compassion for characters’ lives and the ability to identify and reflect from the
storytelling of a work (p. 21). Nussbaum claims that since compassion is essential for civic
responsibility, there is a good cause for teaching works that promote compassionate
understanding (1998, p. 99). Therefore, it is vital to include works of marginalized groups in
society, or groups that pupils need more understanding and knowledge about (1998, p. 101).
Hence, the concept of narrative imagination will be applied to the participants’ answers
regarding the advantages of using fictional works when working with foundational values and
controversial issues, to analyse the civic mission in school.
The reason for applying both transformative potential and narrative imagination to the
participants answers in the study is that they both can contribute with an additional layer
concerning the use of fiction and teachers’ pedagogical methods. Within the EFL-classroom
context, transformative potential might clarify the teachers’ pedagogical methods when
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teaching controversial issues through fiction, whereas narrative imagination might contribute
to a fuller picture of the teachers’ experiences about how pupils receive fiction containing
controversial issues.
6. Results
In this section the results will be presented through three main themes: “Foundational Values
in the English Subject”, “Teaching Controversial Issues through Fictional Works” and
“Advantages/Challenges with Controversial Fictional Works”, along with subthemes.
6.1 Foundational Values and the Civic Mission in the English Subject
6.1.1 The Teachers’ Views of the Foundational Values
In the interviews, six out of the seven teachers (T1,2,3,4,5 & 6) believe that foundational values
in the English subject is easily retrieved from the syllabus for the English subject and that
working with values of different kinds can be seen as a red thread throughout the various
courses. T4 explains the civic mission in the English subject by stating:
In the English subject there is this aspect that the whole world should be included in the subject and in the classroom, or at least the English-speaking world which basically is every continent and parts of the world. So the English subject could contribute with a global thinking and a way to try to help the pupils to take part of lives from other cultures.1
Even though most of the teachers believe that the civic mission within the English subject is
important and a natural part of English teaching due to the inclusion of various cultures, two
teachers express their thoughts about this matter differently. T2, who has worked as a teacher
for 35 years, expresses: “There is no exact plan. That is not in the case in the English subject,
that now we work with foundational value-stuff. So that is not stressed, instead it is weaved in
thematically”.
2T2’s opinion differs from the other five teachers, since the others believe that
through thematic aspects brought up in various coursebooks, fictional works or movies, the
foundational values can be incorporated effectively and mentioned in connection with the
material used. The others therefore use material to incorporate issues connected to foundational
values, whereas T2 mostly sees the foundational values as something that is already touched
upon through the chosen materials.
1 “I engelska ämnet finns ju den här aspekten att hela världen ska tas in i ämnet och klassrummet, eller åtminstone den
engelskspråkiga världen men det är ju liksom alla kontinenter och världsdelar. Så engelska ämnet kan ju bidra med ett globalt tänk och ett sätt att försöka hjälpa eleverna ta del av livsvärldar från andra kulturer” (T4)
2 “Det finns ju ingen direkt plan. Det har vi inte direkt i engelskan, att nu arbetar vi med värdgerundssaker. Så finns det inte
13
The only teacher who does not expresses the importance of foundational values in the English
teaching practice is T7. Instead, T7 states:
That is not something I put a lot of effort at I could say. But when it is mentioned in texts and other exercises that we do then I can discuss it. But not so I structure lessons around it...So I would say that subject knowledge and such are more important than the foundational values.3
Hence, the teachers’ work experience could affect how they view the balance between the
knowledge mission and the civic mission, and if the two missions are viewed as intertwined or
separate. For instance, T7 has only been working for 1.5 years which might have an impact on
both the experience of working with and knowledge about the foundational values. In contrast,
the other teachers appear to view the two missions as equally important, and as several of them
express, that the foundational values have a significant and natural part in the English subject.
6.1.2 Active Planning for Working with Foundational Values in the English Subject
Regarding if the teachers actively plan for teaching foundational values or controversial issues
in the EFL-classroom, the answers varied. T1, T3, T4, T5 and T6 all express that they make
active choices of implementing the foundational values in their teaching. T3, T5 and T6 who
all have Swedish as an additional subject, mention that they try to address various subjects and
that it is important to have a broad representation of texts or issues since that can appeal to
several pupils.
T1 who has the longest work experience among the participants expresses: “I would say that I
do. One chooses texts that one think will lead to something. One always has goals with the
materials one chooses”.
4Thus, it is clear that several of the teachers do active choices when
working with foundational values in the classroom. However, T2 and T4 express that they do
not always need to plan for working with foundational values, since it is already covered in the
core content of the English subject. For example, T2 says: “when one has English 7 for example,
there is a lot that is already planned for. It concerns the foundational values-stuff almost
everything that one does with the pupils”.
5The only teacher who does not actively plan for including foundational values in the teaching
practice is T7, who says: “No, I do not make active choices to work with it. Why not? Well, I
3 “Det är väl inte någonting jag lägger jättemycket vikt vid kan jag säga. Men när det kommer upp i texter och andra uppgifter
som vi håller på med då kan jag ju diskutera det. Men inte så att jag strukturerar lektioner kring det…Så jag skulle säga mer att ämneskunskaper och sånt är viktigare än värdegrunden” (T7)
4 “Jo men det tycker jag att jag gör. Man väljer texter som man tänker ska leda till något. Man har alltid mål med materialen
man väljer ut” (T1)
5 “När man har engelska 7 tex, det är så mycket som är inplanerat redan. Det berör värdegrundsakerna nästan allting man gör
14
feel that it is more important with the subject knowledge. Em, so it is probably because I value
the knowledge more than the foundational values one could say”.
6To summarise the participants’ views on the foundational values in the EFL-classroom, the
results show that most of the teachers believe that it is important and that they actively work
with it. However, it also pinpoints that two teachers rely on the core content of the English
subject where the foundational values are automatically implemented. In addition, the years of
being active teachers might have an influence on the awareness of the civic mission in their
work.
6.2 Teaching Controversial Issues Through Fictional Works
6.2.1 Reading Activities
One factor that several teachers mention in connection to working with reading in general and
regarding reading about controversial issues are the methods of how to work with texts. Even
though a subject in a fictional text could be of interest to the pupils, the teachers mention that
one needs to encourage pupils’ reading processes through other activities both before and after
reading the text. Both T6 and T5 who have been working for 15 and 12 years, stress the
importance of selling in a text in order to create an interest among the pupils. T5 says:
One needs to advertise to make them interested. It is tragic but that is how it is. They are used to fast information all the time, so they need to have that in the teaching too. Only a picture can create a thought within them, so if I use the picture as an entrance to the book, that can create motivation.7
The other teachers have similar opinions about the fact that reading needs to be integrated with
other activities in order to be of interest to the pupils. T3 also mentions the benefits of selling
in a text beforehand, by saying: “one motivation thing I do, is to show the list of most banned
books in the US and there is that book, it wins almost every year. And that triggers the pupils
to ah, we will read something that is really controversial and they think it is fun then”.
8As well
as introducing the text, some teachers also argue for the significance of working with the text
afterwards. T4 expresses that:
It is not enough to only read a book or watch a movie or listen to a story, but there must also be what we do with the story, which questions do I ask to the
6 “Nej jag gör inte aktiva val för att arbeta med det. Varför inte, ja jag känner att det är mer viktigt med ämneskunskaperna.
Em, så ja det är nog att jag värderar kunskaperna mer än värdegrunden kan man säga” (T7)
7 “Man måste göra reklam för att de ska bli intresserade. Det är ju tragiskt men så är det. De är så vana vid snabbinfo hela
tiden, så de måste ju få det i undervisningen med. Bara en bild kan ju skapa liksom en tanke hos dem, så att om jag använder bilden som ingång till boken så kan det skapa motivation” (T5)
8 “En motivationsgrej som jag gör är att visa listan på most banned books in the US och där finns ju den med liksom, den
vinner ju nästan varje år. Och det triggar eleverna på att bara ”ah vi ska få läsa något som är jättekontroversiellt” och de tycker det är roligt då” (T3)
15 story to stimulate reflection? So it somewhere is the teaching that affects that
motivation, reflection and learning emerge. Otherwise, the janitor could go there and put on the movie.9
Similarly to T4, T1 states that it is important to provide pupils with thoughtful questions that
give them the opportunity to reflect about what the text gave them, not only by confirming
something, but by actually motivating answers and to make comparisons to their own lives.
Therefore, the participants’ answers of how to work with fiction in general indicate that teachers
need to use pedagogical methods in order to create a meaningful reading experience for their
pupils.
6.2.2 Good Relationships
When working with controversial issues in class, four teachers stress the benefit of having good
relationships with their pupils. They mention that by building trust and respect in the classroom,
sensitive subjects are easier to bring up and work with. Furthermore, they mention that it is
important to be familiar with the atmosphere of the class in order to know which subjects that
can be brought up. T6 says: “one probably doesn’t do something very controversial the first
week, before one knows the pupils...and then one needs to try one’s way forth, em, to see what
creates a reaction and what to do with it”.
10T3 also stresses the importance of having good
relationships with one’s pupils, by saying:
Essentially it is about having a really good relationship to your pupils, so one knows that this will work out...and that we will be able to have a constructive conversation. Because that is life, one will meet people who do not share one’s opinions and that is something the pupils need to face.11
In accordance with T3 and T6, T2 highlights the value of having an acceptable atmosphere in
the classroom when working with controversial topics, especially since it is difficult to discuss
such topics otherwise. T1 also expresses that the older the pupils become and the better you
know your pupils, the better the outcome of the discussions will be.
Even though the other teachers do not explicitly mention the importance of having good
relationships with the pupils when working with controversial issues, it is distinguishable that
9 “Det inte räcker att bara läsa en bok eller titta på en film eller höra en historia. Utan det måste också vara vad gör vi med
berättelsen, vilka frågor ställer jag till berättelsen för att stimulera reflektion? Em så att det någonstans det är undervisningen som gör att motivation, reflektionen, lärandet uppstår. Annars kunde ju vaktmästaren bara gått dit och satt på filmen” (T4)
10 ”man kanske inte går in och kör något väldigt kontroversiellt första veckan, innan man lär känna eleverna...Och då får man
testa sig fram, em också se vad väcker en reaktion och vad man ska göra med det” (T4)
11 "i grund i botten handlar det om att ha en jättebra relation med eleverna, så att man vet att det kommer funka det här...och
vi kommer ändå kunna ha en konstruktiv konversation. För så är det i livet, man kommer stöta på människor som inte delar ens åsikter och det måste ju eleverna också få möta” (T6)
16
at least T5 who has worked for 15 years has learned along the way how or how not to structure
lessons around controversial topics. For example, T5 explains how a girl once ran out of the
classroom while they were watching a movie where one character committed suicide. In
addition, T5 explains that if one feels unsure of a class and their previous experiences, it is
favourable to warn the pupils about content that might arise strong feelings to ensure that no
one will feel uncomfortable.
In brief, one can tell by the participants’ answers that reading in general is a complex teaching
aspect where a thorough plan and approach are necessary to achieve the best result for the
teaching and learning outcome.
6.2.3 Teaching Methods
The last subtheme in connection to teaching controversial issues through fictional works
concerns the aspect of teachers’ approaches towards controversial issues and how they come to
play in the EFL-classroom. One notion brought up by several teachers is the significance to
speak with one’s pupils and to have a good dialogue regarding delicate matters. Both T1 and
T5 refer to the book The Hate You Give which concerns police brutality towards coloured
people in the US and explain that when using that book it requires that there are a lot of common
discussions and that it is important to connect the book to today’s society since it raises
questions among the pupils. Furthermore, T1 expresses that it is the teacher’s task to hold the
discussion together to ensure that there is an acceptable climate in the classroom when
discussing controversial issues, which can be difficult since you cannot allow the pupils too
much freedom, but neither be too restrictive. T1’s long work experience of 35 years, might have
an impact on how to handle difficult situations in class, whereas T7’s work methods might not
be as developed as T1 due to T7’s short time as a teacher. For example, T7 expresses that: “I’m
very much for the hands-off strategy. At large the foundational value questions concern what
people value, em, and that I don’t believe is the teacher’s task to tell what is right and what is
wrong really”.
12By contrast, T6 agrees with T7 regarding that it is not the teacher’s task to affect someone’s
opinions, but rather to give the pupil the possibility to see things from other perspectives and to
be openminded. However, T6 explicitly states that: “but not that one accepts, it is not an
12 Ja, det jag själv känner är väl att lärare inte ska vara något sorts överhuvud som vet vad som är rätt, utan eleven ska få
reflektera själv och dra egna slutsatser. Jag är väldigt mycket för hands-off strategin, em. I stort sett handlar ju värdegrundsfrågorna om vad människor värderar, em och det tycker inte jag att läraren ska säga vad som är rätt och fel egentligen även om det står vad Skolverket tycker om värdegrund och sånt. (T7)
17
acceptance of your opinion that for example homosexual are less worthy. But rather I
understand but this is what it says in our foundational values”.
13Unlike T7, T6 has a work
experience of 12 years which might impact the view on how to deal with challenging opinions.
T3 also argues for the importance of relating to the foundational values as a guide when working
with controversial issues, especially if there are pupils with racist or homophobic opinions. T3
therefore expresses that: “but avoid, no I probably don’t do that, we have a curriculum to relate
to”.
14Hence, it is shown that some of the teachers actively try to meet opinions that might be
offending by referring to the curriculum of the Swedish school system
.By doing so, they ensure
that the foundational values are correctly applied and demonstrated.
Most of the teachers who participated in the interviews express that when pupils have opinions
that go against the foundational values, they want to interfere and try to acquaint the pupils with
another point of view. T7, however, believes that teachers should not be a director of right or
wrong, but instead allow pupils to reflect and draw conclusions on their own. To summarise,
the teachers express teaching controversial issues as difficult due to the tension between being
a teacher and a person with personal opinions, although most teachers feel that the foundational
values should be referred to in required situations.
6.3 Advantages/ Challenges with Controversial Fictional Works
6.3.1 Expanding Worldviews
All the participants somehow express that the advantages of working with controversial topics
through fictional works in the EFL-classroom are that such topics often expand pupils’
worldviews and perspectives. Both T4 and T6 believe that by using fiction, pupils might feel
that it is easier to discuss controversial issues, since it does not necessarily have to do deal with
themselves directly. According to T6, the use of fiction when working with controversial topics
can somehow de-dramatize the tension of those topics since it allows the pupils to use the
characters or the story as a frame for their opinions.
13 ”Och är det någon som vänder sig emot åsiktsmässigt, så är det inte så att mitt jobb är liksom att omvända nån, utan snarare
att ge dem möjligheten att se saker ur andra perspektiv och få liksom en annan bild av världen och verkligheten. Jag tror att man löser ganska mycket med just samtal och att man är öppen för vad dem tänker också. Men inte heller att man accepterar. Det är ju inte det att det är en acceptans av din åsikt att tex homosexuella är mindre värda. Utan mer jag förstår men så här står det i vår värdegrund.“ (T6)
14 ”Om det är så att eleven måste utmanas i sin tanka för att hen är rasistisk eller homofob eller vad hen är, då ser jag nästan
det som att jag måste ha en plan att vända den åsikten istället. Men jag skulle nog tänka igenom hur jag gör det och absolut vänta tills att jag har en så pass bra relation så att hen inte går i affekt eller börjar bete sig illa mot folk i klassen eller mot mig heller. Jag skulle fundera igenom det ordentligt innan, så, men undvika ne, det gör jag nog inte. Utan vi har ju en läroplan att förhålla oss till.“ (T3)
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Furthermore, a couple of the teachers express that they feel that their pupils become more aware
of situations or people’s lives when working with controversial topics. For instance, the teachers
share some previous experiences of working with controversial topics through fiction, and
everyone states that they have had pupils who have reacted positively to texts where the pupils
have received new insights from the reading. T1 explains how two pupils had read The Help
and afterwards became really engaged because of their new insights of race and gender
questions that were brought up in the book. T1 further explains that it was interesting to see two
18-year-old girls become so involved with societal questions after having read a book,
especially since those questions could be associated with today’s issues in society as well.
Therefore, the result indicates that fiction can function as a guidance towards controversial
issues and might be an eye-opener for pupils where perspectives they have not thought about
earlier become visible and accessible.
6.3.2 Different Challenges
Since controversial issues might be complicated to teach and discuss, there are certain
challenges in connection to them that the seven participants have noticed. Firstly, some of the
teachers (T1, T3, T4 & T5) find that the language, English, occasionally can be an obstacle due
to the fact that it is a foreign language. Moreover, they highlight that it is difficult to make
pupils read in general, which sometimes makes it even harder in a foreign language. T5 asserts
that even though pupils nowadays are generally good at English, they might not be familiar
with the language used in fiction or to read long passages. In addition, T3 defines the challenges
by saying: “Then it is about finding the right type of multimodal text, it needs to be at the right
level both mature wise and language wise”.
15Thus, it is shown that the actual reading and the
foreign language learning tend to affect what is possible to do with a fictional work.
Another aspect that was mentioned frequently during the interviews was the challenge to stay
neutral as a teacher during discussions containing controversial issues. T2, T5 and T7 all
express that they sometimes find it hard to know which position they should take when
discussions or opinions tend to be too strong in one direction. Further, T7 says: “so the difficult
part is probably to take away yourself and allow the pupils to take the floor”.
16Consequently,
15 “Sen handlar det om att hitta rätt typ av multimodal text, det ska vara på rätt nivå både mognadsmässigt och språkmässigt
”(T3)
16 ”Utmaningarna är nog att vara neutral, för man är ju ändå en person som lever ute i världen och har sina åsikter. Så det
19
T7 states that it is a challenge to stay neutral in certain debates mostly because teachers are
persons with opinions and feelings concerning the chosen subject.
Besides the mentioned obstacles, T2 and T5 express that even if the subject is controversial and
meant to bring deeper understanding about certain aspects, it is pointless if the pupils do not
have enough pre-knowledge about the area. Therefore, one challenge might also be to provide
the pupils with relevant pre-knowledge to avoid an unstimulating learning-experience. T2
explains that if the pupils do not know enough about the area, they might not have enough to
talk or write about which will affect their knowledge and ability to express themselves properly.
However, it is not only problematic if the pupils lack sufficient knowledge for the area, but also
if the teacher does. T7 for example brings up the book The Hate You Give and explains: “that
one I feel that I will not take now due to everything that is happening right now. I feel that I
can’t take those discussions since they are too present”.
17In this sequence, T7 decides to avoid
a book because of its content and possible reactions, since current situations in society make it
too challenging to bring up. A couple of the other teachers also mention The Hate You Give as
an example of a controversial fictional work, however, they use it and feel that it is important
to highlight the aspects brought up in the book just because of what is going on in society.
Consequently, T7’s short time of working as a teacher might affect the confidence of bringing
up sensitive issues, simply due to less previous experience within the field compared to the
other teachers.
To conclude, it has been demonstrated that the seven teachers share a common understanding
of that fictional works with controversial issues can provide pupils with new perspectives, and
on some occasions, a new engagement for societal issues. However, there are also several issues
or challenges that might prevent new perspectives to arise, where pedagogical dilemmas really
bring the teacher profession to its head.
7. Analysis and Discussion
The collected data from the seven teachers elucidate that there is a great interest among the
participants in using fictional works with controversial issues for specifically working with
foundational values in the EFL-classroom. Additionally, the results show that five out of seven
17 ”The hate you give, tex är en bok som handlar mycket om polisbrutalitet och, em, mot mörkhyade i Usa, och den känner
jag att jag tänker inte ta den i nuläget, på grund av allting som händer runt om. Jag känner att jag inte kan ta dem
diskussionerna för dem är för färska i dagsläget, em, så då har jag ratat på grund av innehållet och på grund av att jag inte kan hantera det, men inte på grund av klassen eller gruppen.” (T7)
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teachers actively weave in materials of foundational values in their teaching practice as means
to teach the pupils of such topics. By associating the results to Alkestrand’s (2016)
transformative potential, it is shown that the teachers use different kinds of fictional works in
order to efficiently discuss controversial topics or foundational values. For example,
Alkestrand’s (2016) third situation, where the teacher functions as a mediating link between the
fictional work and the pupils, and decides which parts that should be observed is apparent in
some of the teachers’ answers (p. 73). A distinct example is T1’s argument of the importance
of having specific goals with the material. Moreover, T4’s claim about the importance of asking
accurate questions to a story in order to stimulate reflection and that it is the teaching that
enables reflection are also in agreement with transformative potential due to its clear suggestion
of the teacher’s role in the teaching and learning practice.
Similar to Alkestrand, Vischer Bruns (2011) emphasizes the vital role of teachers for inspiring
and pushing pupils to notice cultural diversity in a work, which is noticeable in most of the
participants’ views on how to guide their pupils towards a deeper understanding of a work (p.
124). However, T7’s hands-off strategy where the pupils are supposed to draw conclusions and
reflections on their own without the impact of the teacher’s opinions, goes against Vischer
Bruns’ suggestion. On the other hand, Alkestrand (2016) mentions that one potential drawback
of teachers being directors concerning pupils’ reading experiences is that it might affect pupils’
own possible observations from a text (p. 73). Therefore, T7’s method might be effective when
wanting pupils to find answers and issues by themselves, without any directions from the
teacher. The other teaching methods expressed in the interviews are more teacher centred where
the teachers give directions in order to prevent friction in connection to controversial issues.
Teacher centred methods can also be useful in the sense of transformative potential, since they
encourage discussions and enable pupils to see things from several perspectives.
The issue of how to handle friction in connection to a controversial topic is raised by some of
the participants, which the Council of Europe (2015) acknowledges by saying that it is the
teacher’s task to raise awareness of controversial issues but at the same time avoid friction in
the classroom (p. 8). Therefore, T3’s argument about striving for constructive conversations in
the classroom and facing other people’s opinions as a preparation for the future of the pupils is
a distinctive example of how controversial issues can be demonstrated in the classroom.
Furthermore, as the Council of Europe (2015) puts it, controversy should not be viewed as an
obstacle, rather as a contribution to life in a democracy, which evidently is something T3 and
some of the other teachers advocate in their teaching (p. 15).
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