Answer:
I am interested in how patriotic education is carried out in schools, particularly how teachers understand patriotism, the kinds of national narratives that they have, and how this might influence how they teach subjects like social studies. I stumbled upon this fascination when I read in the literature that some teachers felt dis-empowered in their classrooms owing to certain conceptual clashes. Could teachers' belief that they should help students cultivate a love for the country sometimes discourage them from helping students to consider how their countries, their people, or/and their governments are not all good but have also committed injustices. Does telling that grand old tale of national progress and advancement, hinder teachers from telling the not-so-nice parts of the national history? Teachers are in a unique position. They have to educate students to be democratic, critical thinkers, able to engage in debates, point out injustices and flaws in the system. Yet, often times, they are also given that role of nurturing the loyal and patriotic citizen.
