Abstract deadline: 10 February 2026 (SUBMIT HERE)
Full paper submission deadline: 10 April 2026
Anticipated publication date: October 2026
Educators will be aware, concerned even, by the increasing social, political and cultural polarisation affecting our teaching spaces. Topics once considered neutral or apolitical are now politically divisive and lead to emotionally charged responses. Where there was once consensus there is now contention. This tense atmosphere is further challenged by students whose lives and well-being are impacted by the seeming perma-crisis of conflict, social injustice, displacement and trauma, not to mention the youth mental health crisis profoundly exacerbated by the pandemic.
These realities raise complex questions for teaching and learning across all disciplines in higher education. In response, many educators have turned to approaches such as trauma-informed teaching (e.g., Carelo & Butler, 2014; Crosby, Howel & Thomas, 2018), and pedagogies of hope, kindness and care (e.g., Denial, 2024; Matesan, 2025). We are looking at educating the whole student, developing competencies and values such as continuous improvement, respect for diversity, integrity and accountability (UNESCO Competency Framework, 2016), as well as contributing to students’ moral and ethical development, drawing on the manner of traditions such as Pestalozzi’s “head, heart, and hand”.
Scope:
This special issue invites reflective contributions that explore what it means to teach sensitive issues in their field/discipline, in current challenging times, and how educators approach such teaching. Contributors are invited to reflect on their teaching experiences related to sensitive issues, including, but not limited to:
- Teaching contentious, difficult, controversial, or polarising topics
- Teaching subjects that were not previously considered political or divisive, but have become so in socio-political environment today
- Navigating classroom dynamics marked by strong emotions, disagreement, or uncertainty
- The role of universities in supporting lecturers pedagogically, safeguarding academic freedom, and creating conditions for teaching in challenging environments.
Submissions should focus on the following:
- Ethical, emotional, and institutional challenges encountered
- Concrete teaching approaches and practices
- Reflections on what worked, what did not, and why
- How students responded and what was learned from their engagement
- Recommendations for other educators facing similar teaching contexts.
Submission guidelines:
- Abstracts: Up to 300 words, clearly outlining the teaching context, sensitive issue(s) addressed, pedagogical approach, and reflective focus
- Final manuscripts: Reflective pieces of up to 3000 words
- Submissions are welcome from all disciplines
- Abstracts will be reviewed and authors invited to make full submissions via the OSoTL journal system.
Guest Editors:
Dr. Gorana Misic, SFHEA, Learning Innovation Officer, Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow
Dr. Jenny Morrison, Senior Lecturer, Political & International Studies, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow
Dr. Michael Scanlan, Lecturer, Political & International Studies, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow
Dr. Michael Toomey, SF-RET, Lecturer in International Relations, Political & International Studies, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow
References:
Carello, J., & Butler, L. D. (2014). Potentially Perilous Pedagogies: Teaching Trauma Is Not the Same as Trauma-Informed Teaching. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 15(2), 153–168. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2014.867571
Crosby, S. D., Howell, P., & Thomas, S. (2018). Social justice education through trauma-informed teaching. Middle School Journal, 49(4), 15–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/00940771.2018.1488470
Denial, C. J. (2024). A pedagogy of kindness. University of Oklahoma Press.
Matesan, I. E. (2025). Toward a Pedagogy of Hope for the Political Science Classroom. Journal of Political Science Education, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2025.2529857