Research on Peace Education at Teachers College by Werner Windersteiner
Dear Colleagues and Peace Education IED concentration students and graduates,
Dr. Werner Wintersteiner (Klagenfurt University, Austria) is a visiting scholar at the Peace Education Center currently conducting research on the history of peace education developments at Teachers College.
He has asked that I send to you, as current students, graduates and/or individuals familiar with the work of the Center and peace education at Teachers College, the attached short questionnaire to aid in his research. He also welcomes comments and thoughts on anything outside the questions included. This information will aid him in understanding the history of peace education at Teachers College and how individuals who have been connected with us are able to apply their learning.
More information on Dr. Wintersteiner and his research is included in the attached. We appreciate you help in aiding him with his research.
Below is a brief introductory note from Dr. Wintersteiner. You may contact him directly by email at ww2165@columbia.edu.
Best regards,
Tony Jenkins
Director of Administration & Research
Peace Education Center
Teachers College Columbia University
********
Dear colleagues and fellow peace educators,
I am a professor specialized in peace education based at Klagenfurt University, Austria (http://www.tc.edu/peaceed/staff/visiting.htm). I am working now as a Fulbright visiting scholar at Peace Education Center Teachers College/Columbia University. I am conducting research on the history of peace education at Teachers College. Thus, I am interested to know what alumni think about their peace education studies. Basically, I want to know two things:
a. How do you assess the peace education studies that you have done at Teachers College?
b. In which way these peace education studies have influenced your further professional and/or avocation life?
Therefore, I need your help. Please take a couple of minutes and fill out the attached questionnaire. I believe that this can help very much to the improvement of peace education at Teachers College.
Thank you in advance!
Werner Wintersteiner
Prof. Dr. Werner Wintersteiner New York, October 2005
c/o Peace Education Center
Grace Dodge Hall
Teachers College, Columbia University
Phone: (212)6788116
ww2165@columbia.edu
Dear colleague,
Please let me introduce myself:
I am a professor specialized in peace education at Klagenfurt University, Austria.
In this autumn, I am working as a Fulbright visiting scholar at Peace Education Center Teachers College/Columbia University.
Description of the research
My aim is a critical inquiry on the history, the philosophy, the practice and the organisation of the peace education concentration in the International Educational Development Program and the Peace Education Center at Teachers College. Basically, I am using the documents to investigate the history of the peace education activities.
But beside this, I will also try to find out what alumni think about their studies in peace education. Basically, I want to know two things:
a. How you assess the peace education studies that you have done at Teachers College.
b. In which way these peace education studies have influenced your further professional and/or avocation life.
Therefore, I need your help.
Please take a couple of minutes (about 10 ms) and fill out this questionnaire.
Confidentiality
I am using the data basis of alumni of the peace education center in an indirect way. This means I submit the questionnaire to Tony Jenkins who is sending it out. Thus, you answer to me as an anonymous person. You send your data directly to me, not to the Center. Thus, the Center is unable to identify who answers to the questionnaire.
In the questionnaire, there are no questions about your personal identity. When I ask for the gender, this is to find out whether or not there is a gender gap in the assessment of the studies as well as in their use for a future career.
The research and survey is voluntary. Your choice to participate is a sign of your consent.
The confidentiality of your answer will be preserved. The data will only be used for professional purposes.
I ask you, please, to be sincere and critical! This study is not about getting friendly comments but reflective statements. This may not only help to conduct my research but is also intended to improve the quality of the peace education studies offered.
The results of the whole study, including the feed-back of the alumni, will hopefully be published as an article in a journal dealing with peace education issues.
Please send the questionnaire back to me as soon as possible, not later than by October 31, 2005!
Thank you in advance!
With peaceful regards
Prof. Werner Wintersteiner, Ph.D.
Questionnaire on Peace Education at Teachers College/Columbia University
1. Personal data:
1.0. Gender:
1.1. Previous degrees (and topics) before entering graduate school:
1.2. Work experience before entering graduate school:
1.3. Which degree did you complete at T.C.: M.A., Ed.M., Ed.D., Ph.D.?
1.4. Which year did you finish your studies:
1.5. How were you involved in peace education (multiple answers are possible):
o Workshops
o International Institute for Peace Education IIPE
o Degree courses
o Degree specialization
1.6. Current profession:
1.7. Is there any relation to your peace education studies in your current profession:
1.8. Do you have peace education related avocation (which one):
2. Interests and expectations: (please use additional paper when space is too small)
2.1. Reasons why you decided to study peace education:
2.2. Topic of your final thesis / dissertation
2.3. What are – for you personally – the most important points of interest in peace education:
(Please describe which aspects, field, way of working or method are the most interesting for yourself rather than giving a scientific definition.)
3. Assessment of your study experience: (please use additional paper when space is too small)
3.1. Were you satisfied with your studies (please choose one):
Very satisfied Quite satisfied Not really satisfied
3.2. What did you like the best (e.g. content, methodology, climate, personality of teachers):
3.3. What didn’t you like or what could be improved:
4. Outcome:
4.1. In what ways did your studies contribute to changes in your personal life (awareness, attitudes, behaviour, activities …):
4.2. How did your studies influence or improve your professional development, job or career goals:
Thank you very much!
Please return to ww2165@columbia.edu not later than by October 31, 2005
