Amman — Following the terrorist attack on the church in Hamoud village, Karak Governorate, which left nine people martyred and 34 others injured, questions have resurfaced about preventing extremism and the role of schools in raising students’ awareness and promoting tolerance and acceptance of others.
Experts say teachers have an important role in protecting students from extremist and violent ideologies, given their close interaction with students and their ability to notice changes in behavior and attitudes. Their educational role also includes promoting intellectual awareness and values of moderation, in cooperation with school counselors, families and school administrations.
They stressed the importance of distinguishing between a student’s right to ask questions and express opinions and indicators that may warrant educational attention, such as repeatedly justifying violence against others, denying their humanity, calling for harm against them or becoming preoccupied with exclusionary ideas.
Such indicators alone, they said, are not enough to label a student as extremist, but they may warrant dialogue and responsible educational assessment.
Schools can address such behaviors through curricula, teaching methods, teacher-student relationships, school administration, peer interaction and the wider educational environment. Promoting acceptance of others, respect for diversity and human dignity is essential to building students’ intellectual and social resilience.
Experts said this requires training teachers to understand student behavior, manage sensitive discussions and distinguish normal differences of opinion from behavior that may pose a genuine risk. Schools should also provide clear pathways for psychological and educational support.
Shaping Students’ Attitudes
Educational expert Faisal Tayeh said the teacher’s role in preventing extremism goes beyond transferring knowledge to include building students’ personalities, developing their awareness and strengthening their ability to think critically and distinguish legitimate differences of opinion from hate-based, exclusionary or violence-justifying rhetoric.
He said schools are not merely places of learning but educational environments where students’ attitudes, values and understanding of themselves and others are shaped. This gives teachers an important role in early prevention of ideas and behaviors that could threaten individuals and society.
Tayeh stressed that the issue should be approached through prevention and understanding rather than suspicion and labeling. Asking unusual questions, discussing controversial ideas or holding different opinions does not necessarily indicate that a student is vulnerable to extremism, as questions, debate and differences are a natural part of developing personality and awareness.
He said teachers should distinguish between students’ right to question and express their views and indicators that may require attention, such as repeatedly justifying violence, denying others’ humanity, advocating harm or embracing exclusionary ideas alongside noticeable behavioral changes.
These indicators alone are not sufficient to judge a student, he said, but they may call for dialogue and responsible educational assessment. A teacher who builds relationships based on listening, respect and fairness is better able to notice behavioral changes, understand students’ circumstances and create safe channels for dialogue.
A school environment based on dialogue and mutual respect also encourages students to express their concerns and ideas, strengthens their trust in teachers and counselors, and supports early intervention when behavioral changes require attention.
Developing Critical Thinking
Tayeh said developing critical thinking is one of the teacher’s most important roles in this area. Students should be taught to verify information, analyze messages encountered on social media and digital platforms, and avoid rhetoric that exploits anger, perceived injustice or identity to justify hatred and violence.
Students’ ability to analyze ideas, examine evidence and verify information sources strengthens their resistance to misinformation and harmful ideological influence. Digital and media literacy should therefore be integrated into everyday teaching rather than treated as a temporary response when problems arise.
Promoting acceptance of others, respect for diversity and human dignity is also essential to building students’ intellectual and social resilience. Schools should provide an environment where students feel a sense of belonging, fairness and respect, and learn that differences do not justify exclusion and that disputes should be resolved through dialogue and evidence rather than threats or violence.
Tayeh added that students who feel heard and accepted and can express their concerns without fear of humiliation are more likely to benefit from early and effective educational intervention.
At the same time, he stressed that this responsibility should not fall solely on teachers. Their role is to observe students educationally, initiate dialogue, provide support and refer cases requiring further attention to school counselors, administrators and relevant specialists in accordance with established procedures and in cooperation with families.
The goal, he said, is not to stigmatize or isolate students, but to understand their circumstances, professionally assess potential risks and provide appropriate support to protect them and others.
The School’s Role
Tayeh said a school’s success in preventing extremism should not be measured by the number of cases it detects or the level of monitoring it imposes. Instead, it should be measured by its ability to build an educational environment that promotes positive belonging, develops students’ skills in critical thinking and dialogue, and responds early and wisely to indicators requiring intervention.
Achieving this requires training teachers to understand student behavior, manage sensitive discussions and distinguish normal intellectual differences from potentially dangerous behavior, while establishing clear referral and psychological and educational support mechanisms.
The teacher plays a fundamental preventive role by understanding student behavior, listening before judging, engaging in dialogue before labeling and intervening responsibly when necessary, Tayeh said.
Preventing extremism begins with building awareness, not merely monitoring students. Strengthening critical thinking, information verification and dialogue helps students disagree without resorting to hatred or harm.
Limited Cases
Educational expert Mohammad Abu Amara said ideological extremism is not an inherent phenomenon in Jordanian society but rather occurs in limited cases. He noted that extremism is not confined to any particular country and is faced by societies around the world in different forms.
He said extremism is linked to a range of interconnected factors beginning with the family and extending to schools and society, as well as influences associated with social media and the internet. Prevention therefore requires shared responsibility and coordinated educational and awareness efforts.
Abu Amara said the family is the first environment in which a child’s personality develops, particularly during the first five years of life. Children are influenced by their parents’ behavior and how they interact with others, learning from them patterns of communication, expressing opinions and resolving disputes.
A child raised in a family environment characterized by intolerance, rigidity and a lack of dialogue may adopt these behaviors in dealing with others, potentially leading to aggressive interactions with classmates or bullying at school.
Schools have an important role in addressing these behaviors through curricula, teaching methods and teacher-student relationships, as well as through the role of school administrators, peers and the broader educational environment.
He stressed the importance of promoting dialogue, accepting different opinions and respecting differences among students. Acceptance of others is a key pillar of preventing extremism and intolerance because it helps students understand that society consists of diverse groups with different views, interests and perspectives.
Teachers bear a significant responsibility for building this culture through classroom management, observing student behavior and organizing educational activities. Teaching methods based on dialogue, role-sharing and listening to students’ opinions give them opportunities to express themselves and discuss ideas in an environment that respects differences.
The teacher should also serve as a role model by accepting differing opinions, avoiding intolerance and relying on dialogue and evidence when discussing ideas, while allowing students to reconsider their views and change them when they realize they are incorrect.
Beyond the Classroom
Abu Amara said these practices help develop open-minded students who can engage in dialogue, accept differences and respond flexibly to ideas.
The teacher’s role extends beyond classroom lessons to sports activities and school competitions, which provide opportunities to teach students how to accept both victory and defeat and deal with results in a sportsmanlike manner, without intolerance or blaming others for failure.
Some situations related to sports competitions or academic results may reveal behaviors requiring guidance, such as anger after losing or resentment toward classmates who achieve high grades. Students should be taught to accept others’ success and use failure to identify weaknesses and improve themselves rather than blame others.
Abu Amara also highlighted the importance of coordination between families and schools in monitoring students’ use of social media and the internet, given their exposure to potentially extremist content and attempts to influence their thinking.
Awareness, guidance and follow-up are essential, along with paying attention to behavioral changes and indicators that may require questions and appropriate educational intervention.
He cited repeatedly falling asleep in class due to staying up late as an example of a behavior that warrants checking its underlying causes, including the activities a student engages in at night and the content they consume, rather than viewing the behavior in isolation.
Referring students who display indicators requiring follow-up to school counseling departments and providing appropriate guidance can help address behavioral and intellectual problems early and reduce the likelihood of their escalation.
Abu Amara stressed the importance of providing a safe and supportive school environment based on mutual respect and rejecting bullying and hatred. Teachers have a central role in strengthening positive relationships among students, resolving conflicts and addressing them educationally, thereby reducing the potential for divisions and hostility.
Promoting Moderation
Educational expert Ayesh Al-Nawaisah said teachers play an important role in protecting students from drifting toward extremism and terrorism because of their close interaction with them and their ability to observe behavioral changes. Their educational role also includes promoting intellectual awareness and values of moderation, in cooperation with school counselors, families and school administrations.
He said key indicators that teachers should observe include sudden withdrawal, aggression, irritability or noticeable changes in appearance and clothing. Such signs should be approached cautiously and should not be treated as definitive evidence of extremist tendencies, but rather as signals requiring follow-up and understanding.
Changes in academic performance and interest in learning should also be monitored. A sudden decline in results or loss of interest in school may indicate that a student is preoccupied with other matters and warrants an effort to understand the reasons.
Teachers should also pay attention to students’ interactions with classmates, including withdrawal from their surroundings, joining closed groups or displaying intense reactions when discussing certain subjects, including religious and intellectual issues.
Al-Nawaisah added that reviewing what students write or draw may help teachers understand their ideas and interests, while attention can also be paid to the content they engage with on social media within the limits of the teacher’s educational role. Sports and extracurricular activities provide additional opportunities to interact with students and understand their relationships and interests.
Intellectual Prevention
Al-Nawaisah said teachers’ role in intellectual prevention extends beyond monitoring behavioral changes to promoting moderation through curricula and educational practices. Students should be taught to engage consciously with extremist ideas and rhetoric, develop dialogue and calm discussion skills, accept differing opinions and respect differences.
He stressed the importance of developing critical thinking and teaching students to distinguish reliable sources from misleading or extremist content, particularly on social media, enabling them to evaluate information and ideas rather than accepting them without scrutiny.
Involving students in positive activities such as sports, theater and school clubs can also help them use their free time constructively and provide spaces to interact and express their interests. Misconceptions should be addressed as soon as they emerge through dialogue, discussion and a scientific approach to presenting and examining ideas.
Any behavioral changes requiring follow-up should be addressed through cooperation among teachers, school counselors, families and school administrators. The aim is to understand the circumstances surrounding the student, identify the reasons for behavioral changes and develop appropriate educational plans that address their needs.
Al-Nawaisah said directing students and their parents to psychological specialists when necessary can be an important step in providing appropriate support. He stressed the need to protect students’ privacy and keep information confidential, limiting its circulation to those responsible for their follow-up, including the family, school counselor and administration.
Teachers also serve as role models through their behavior, language and approach to differences. Respecting others and their ideas, relying on dialogue and evidence, and accepting differing opinions are practices students learn through observation.
Building relationships based on trust and mutual respect between teachers and students strengthens their positive influence and makes students more receptive to guidance. It also helps strengthen students’ self-confidence and self-esteem and address feelings of inadequacy or marginalization that may affect their behavior and relationships.
Al-Nawaisah concluded that creating a classroom environment based on dialogue, respect and acceptance of others, alongside strong trust between teachers and students, is an essential part of the school’s educational role in preparing a generation that respects differences, coexists with others and rejects violence and extremism in all its forms.
Source: Al-Ghad
