Pre-service teacher perspectives on the importance of global education: World and classroom views
Abstract
In an era of international multimedia exposure and a global economy, there is no question that global education (GE) must be part of the school curriculum. Effective delivery of GE is reliant on adequate teacher preparation. A group of teacher educators at one University sought to raise the profile of GE with pre-service teachers through the integration of global perspectives in various courses. This paper explores pre-service teacher perceptions of the importance of GE and their learning as a result of this emphasis. Additionally, pre-service teacher preferences for further learning about GE are examined. It is apparent that pre-service teachers are interested in GE, especially in terms of how they can incorporate it in their teaching and, with exposure over a number of semesters student understandings develop, creating better prepared teachers of GE. Not surprisingly, these students were primarily focused on their future classroom practices rather than their role in the world more generally. Additionally, it was clearly evident that unique GE approaches were linked to specific teaching disciplines, an indication that GE continues to be a difficult concept to incorporate without explicit guidance for integration, something not always easy in a university setting.
Reference
Patrick, K. F., Macqueen, S., & Reynolds, R. (2014). Pre-service teacher perspectives on the importance of global education: World and classroom views. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 20(4), 470-482.
Journal
Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
unclear
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
- design study
- Exploratory study
- mixed methods
- Qualitiative
- Quantitative
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
- early childhood
- primary (Australian term)
- Secondary
Programatic Focus
- classroom management
- Economics
- English
- Geography
- History
- inclusive practices
- Integrated curriculum
- primary literacies
- professional experience
- Social Skills
Research Location Context
Preservice Participants
Preservice Sample Size
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
Data Analysis Tools
- broad brush coding
- exploratory analysis
- lean coding
- Likert-type scale
- NVivo software
- open coding and examined for emergent themes
- Statistical analysis
- Statistics Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS) programme
- Thematic analysis
Researcher Positionality
- Inside (studying their own programs)
Research Questions
"This article presents an investigation into the success of a programme incorporating global perspectives in a teacher education programme with a view to providing guidance to the broader Higher Education sector." (p. 471)
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
In courses with a global education (GE) focus, what were "students' perceptions as to the value of GE in their courses?" (p. 474)
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Combination
Across courses with a global education (GE) focus, "which strategies were effective in incorporating GE?" (p. 474)
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Combination
At the end of a course with a global education (GE) focus, "what [were] aspects of GE students wanted to learn more about?" (p. 474)
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Combination
Categories
1TEP Category: Teacher educator practices.
2PTI Category: Preservice teacher identity, knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and/or orientation (ikbao) toward literacy or the teaching of literacy.
3CCT Category: Course content -- Content of instruction (including TE's teaching with technology) and the experiences in the course that relate to this content.
5FPP Category: Focus of the preparation program
5SPP Category: Structure of preparation program.
7TSJ Topic: Teaching for social justice
1TEC Category: Teacher educator practices focused on institutional structures, constraints and pressures.
8A Topic: Findings in Need of a Category
7SIU Topic: Sociocultural Influences and Understandings
7PTB Topic: Preservice teacher beliefs about students, families communities etc
7CDL Topic: Content area literacy
1TEI Category: Teacher educator identity, knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and/or orientation (ikbao) to literacy or teacher preparation in literacy.