Collaborative conversations with teachers about hope: during and after COVID-19

Abstract

The concept of hope, from both a secular and Christian perspective, has been debated in many disciplines for centuries. Ideas around the phenomenon of hope have recently expanded in the field of education, owing to the major changes and challenges teachers had to face during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contemplating the concept of the source or existence of hope, especially during challenging times, requires careful investigation into how people interpret and experience hope. Therefore, this qualitative study focuses on teachers' interpretations and experiences of hope during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conducted through two collaborative conversations held with teachers as part of a community engagement project stretching across the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Deductive data analysis was done through ATLAS.ti. The findings revealed that the teachers had a similar understanding of hope. Furthermore, it was also found that hope cannot be described solely from a secular or Christian perspective. However, the participants' beliefs regarding the source of hope differed. These beliefs provided insight into whether participants’ understanding of hope was based on a secular or Christian perspective. From a secular perspective, hope was understood from the hope theory of Snyder et al. (1991). According to this theory, hope results from pathways thinking (planning various routes to a given goal), agency to reach a goal, and goal setting. In contrast, from a Christian perspective, hope views God as the source of hope owing to his promises. The invisible force of hope, whether agency-based or faith-based, was found to be central to teacher agency; therefore, the term "faith-based, purpose-driven hope" emerged from the data. Recommendations are made regarding the importance of nurturing teachers' hope to improve educational outcomes.