The Basque Country, after a long period of conflict involving ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna), is undergoing a peace process. Education plays a crucial role in navigating this post-conflict society and fostering coexistence. The Adi-adian program, a key component of teacher training, aims to address the issue of terrorism and politically motivated violence through victim testimony. This study analyzes the attitudes of future teachers towards this conflict *before* the implementation of Adi-adian to establish a baseline understanding. Modern citizenship education emphasizes human rights, democracy, and respect for diversity, but challenges remain in addressing difficult histories, especially in post-conflict societies. These challenges include the difficulty of confronting complex past events, silencing or distorting the past, the emotional difficulty for teachers to address controversial issues, and the potential for biased information sources outside of the school environment. Therefore, comprehensive teacher training is necessary to equip educators with the skills and knowledge to effectively handle these sensitive topics in the classroom and promote peaceful coexistence.

The literature review extensively examines the role of education in addressing armed conflicts and promotes peace-building. It explores existing literature on citizenship education in post-conflict societies, highlighting the successes and failures of such initiatives in various countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Guatemala, Northern Ireland, Rwanda, Lebanon, Indonesia, Laos, Argentina, Peru, Cyprus, and South Africa). The review emphasizes the challenges faced in teaching controversial issues, such as the difficulty of finding consensus, the emotional toll on teachers, and the risk of biased information sources. Studies on Basque youth, terrorism, and politically motivated violence are also reviewed, showing varying levels of knowledge and attitudes among young people. Previous research indicates a general support for victims, but also a notable minority who either don't reject or even justify violence. Family influence is highlighted as a significant factor in shaping these attitudes. The existing literature on the Basque context reveals a lack of knowledge among young people about the conflict, dissatisfaction with the information received, and limited school involvement in addressing the issue. The review sets the stage for this study's investigation of pre-service teachers' attitudes and preparedness to address these issues.

This study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection. Study 1 involved a quantitative survey administered to 204 pre-service teachers from three different teacher training programs at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU): Preschool Education (n=45), Primary Education (n=138), and a Master's degree in Secondary Education Teacher Training in social sciences (n=21). The survey included 29 items using a four-point Likert scale and multiple-choice questions to assess attitudes towards empathy, human rights violations, conflict resolution, emotional management, commitment to peace, recognition of victims, and classroom approaches to controversial issues. Study 2 used a qualitative approach, collecting narratives from 112 pre-service teachers (Primary Education: n=85, Secondary Education: n=27) using the "I used to think...now I think..." thinking routine. The narratives were analyzed thematically to identify patterns and insights. The quantitative data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25, while the qualitative data were analyzed using NVivo 12. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of the Basque Country's Ethics Committee for Research Involving Human Beings. The questionnaire was administered before the Adi-adian program's implementation. Data from the "I used to think..." section of the narrative were classified using nine nodes: quantity and sources of information, empathy, human rights (respect and violation), attitudes towards addressing conflicts, commitment to the peace process, motivation, and classroom approaches. Both studies were conducted anonymously or pseudonymously.

The key findings reveal that future teachers generally hold a respectful attitude towards human rights and the delegitimization of violence. A majority expressed empathy for victims and supported providing reparations. However, a small minority showed a tendency to justify violence, particularly when it came to state actions. There was a significant discrepancy in responses between the rejection of ETA violence and the rejection of state violence in the fight against terrorism. While a majority of respondents opposed ETA violence, a much smaller percentage explicitly rejected state violence. Significant majorities also indicated a belief in the importance of positive values, living with diverse beliefs, tolerance, and building an inclusive culture; however, the level of agreement was less pronounced for the last two values. The narratives confirmed the survey data; the most frequent references in the narratives regarding human rights were the violation of human rights, including a high number of murders, kidnappings, abuses, and instances of torture, as well as the lack of recognition for victims of violence. The pre-service teachers showed a high level of motivation and interest in learning about the conflict. However, regarding classroom approaches, a significant portion expressed reservations or uncertainties about effectively addressing this complex topic. The main sources of information were family, mass media, and school, with a majority expressing dissatisfaction with the quality of information received previously. This dissatisfaction with the information received was consistent across both the quantitative and qualitative data, indicating a gap in knowledge and the need for more comprehensive information provision.

The findings highlight the complex attitudes of future teachers towards terrorism and politically motivated violence in the Basque Country. While generally supportive of human rights and peace, a segment still exhibits a tendency to justify certain forms of violence. This finding underscores the need for a nuanced approach to education in post-conflict settings, one that doesn't shy away from confronting the complexities of the past but avoids the normalization of violence from either side. The discrepancy in responses regarding ETA violence versus state violence warrants attention and further exploration. The high motivation and interest expressed by the future teachers are positive indicators, but their reservations about handling this subject in the classroom reveal the need for better training and support. The limitations of the information received, particularly the role of family and mass media as primary sources, call for enhanced educational initiatives to provide balanced and accurate information in schools and other suitable spaces. The significant family influence also necessitates that any future educational efforts should involve the family.

This study reveals generally positive attitudes towards human rights and peace among future Basque teachers, but also identifies a need for further educational initiatives to address the complexities of the past and equip educators to handle these sensitive topics. Future research should focus on evaluating the Adi-adian program's effectiveness, investigating the reasons for the minority's justification of violence, improving knowledge of Basque Country's history, and creating classroom materials to help teachers deal with the issue effectively. Future teacher training should prioritize addressing controversial issues, promoting citizenship education, and strengthening the role of schools and families in providing balanced information.

One limitation is the reliance on self-reported data, which may be susceptible to social desirability bias. The study's focus on pre-service teachers at one university might not fully reflect the attitudes of all future teachers in the Basque Country. The cross-sectional design of the study prevents conclusions about causal relationships. The study's focus on the pre-Adi-adian period does not reflect teachers' experiences and understanding following exposure to this training program.