When Nationalism Supersedes Belief in Religious Freedom: An Analysis of Teachers’ Beliefs

Abstract

This study is based on an analysis of survey data from a national sample of K-12 public schools teachers (N = 5,237). The purpose of this article is to examine teachers’ beliefs about nationalism and how it correlates to teachers’ beliefs about religious liberty, and to what extent beliefs about nationalism are stronger than beliefs about religious liberty. To this end, we use regression analysis of survey data. This research is significant because it adds to the small but growing literature about teachers’ beliefs about nationalism in the U.S. and how this impacts attitudes and practices in schools, especially toward immigrant students and more broadly about teaching controversial, political issues. Implications for teacher education are also discussed.