From Teaching About Global Issues to Global Learning: Critical Issues, Trends and Drivers of Change within European Educational Contexts

Author(s):

Douglas Charles BournTine BenekerBarbara AsbrandVanessa AndreottiAnnette Scheunpflug Bogumila Lisocka-Jaegermann

Conference:

ECER 2008

Network:

7. Social Justice and Intercultural Education

Format:

Symposium

Session Information

07 SES 10, From Teaching about Global Issues to Global Learning

Symposium

Time:

2008-09-12

14:45-16:15

Room:

B1 113

Chair:

Douglas Charles Bourn

Contribution

Across Europe there is a recognition of the need to assist their citizens to deal with the challenges of globalisation, sustainable development, human rights and combating poverty (Osler and Vincent, 2002; Hoeck and Wegimont, 2003; Hicks and Holden, 2007; Beneker, Van Der Vaart & Stalborch, 2007 ). Education systems are recognizing the need to prepare people for living in a globalised world and to equip them with the skills and knowledge to be actively informed citizens at a local, national, European and global levels (O’Loughlin & Wegimont, 2007). However within these trends there are specific national contexts related to forms and nature of the curricula within schools, influence of colonial pasts and differing public perceptions of the importance of development and global issues (Andreotti, 2006; Scheunpflug and Asbrand, 2006). The recognition of these trends and needs can be seen through the development of policies and funding programs by the European Commission and many member states specifically in the area of development education or global learning (Hertmeyer, 2007; Davis & Coupez, 2007). Alongside this support from governments there has been increased engagement by civil society organizations through national and European wide programs on themes such as fair trade, active global citizenship and climate change (DEEEP, 2007). Underlying these trends are some major pedagogical questions. Are these trends based around recognition merely of the need for increased knowledge and understanding of the wider world or are they posing questions about approaches towards learning that suggest critical reflection on an individual and society’s relationships to other communities and societies. Secondly these trends pose the question to what extent are the drivers for change within or outside of the educational systems. Finally do the trends pose wider questions regarding the skills needs for the twenty first century related to the impact of globalisation and increased uncertainty about the future of the planet. Whilst there has been some major policy debates in these areas within a number of countries, there has to date been little academic and research engagement with these questions (Bourn, 2008). In recognition of these trends, a network of universities have come together under the umbrella of a new academic journal, the International Journal for Development Education and Global Learning to address these issues through a process of sharing of existing research, identifying areas for collaborative research and dissemination outcomes within the broader academic community. This symposium aims to bring together some of the initial research findings from members of this network, to identify areas for future research and debate and pose questions regarding the links between learning about global issues and wider pedagogical issues. This symposium looks at the following: i) Critical issues: interrogating how notions of interdependence, complexity, diversity of voices, insecurity and contingency are incorporated in pedagogical processes ii) Trends: examining teaching trends in Europe related to the introduction of global issues in the curriculum, with particular reference to the influence of policy-makers in determining learning outcomes iii) Drivers of change: looking at the role and impact of policy makers, non-governmental organizations and specific initiatives in areas such as sustainable development and global citizenship in influencing changes within educational systems and programs. Chair: Professor Annette Scehunepflug Discussant: Bogumila Lisocka-Jaegermann

Method

The papers will aim to bring together examples of the outcomes of empirical research on the impact of globalisation and global learning alongside a review of the theoretical debates on critical thinking, post colonialism and global citizenship.

Expected Outcomes

The symposium would aim to give an overview of the debates on these issues across Europe, identification of areas which need further research and to demonstrate that development and global education do by their very nature pose questions about the purposes of learning in general

References

Andreotti, V (2006a): ‘Theory without Practice is idle, practice without theory is blind’. In: Development Education Journal, vol.12.3, pp. 7-10. Asbrand, B & Scheunpflug, A (2005): Globales Lernen. In: Sander, W. (ed.): Handbuch politische Bildung – Praxis Béneker, T & Van Der Vaart, R (2007): Young people’s global awareness and geographical education. In: Catling, S & Liz T (eds.): Changing Geographies: innovative curricula. Oxford: IGU-CGE / Herodot, pp. 41-47 Béneker, T & Van Der Vaart, R (2006a): Global education in a local context – The case of The Netherlands. In: Purnell, K, Lidstone, J & Hodgson, S (eds.): Changes in Geographical Education: past, present and future. Brisbane: IGU-CGE, pp. 68-74. Béneker, T & Van Der Vaart, R (2006b): Global citizenship and development. In: Van Lindert, P, De Jong, A, Nijenhuis, G & Van Westen, G (eds.): Development matters. Geographical studies on development processes and policies. Utrecht: Faculty of Geosciences, pp. 127-139. Bourn, D (2003): Towards a Theory of Development Education, Development Education Journal, vol.10.1, 3-6. Bourn, D (2008) (ed): Development Education: Dialogue and Debates, London, IOE Davis, P. & Coupez, C. (2007): Development Education and the School Curriculum. Synthesis of the report on the status of development education in the formal education sector and school curriculum in countries of the European Union. CONCORD Development Education Forum, Curriculum Working Group. (unpublished) Davies, I. & A. Reid (2005), Globalising citizenship education? A critique of ‘global education’ and ‘citizenship education’. British Journal of Educational Studies 53-1, pp. 66-89. Davies, L. (2006), Global Citizenship: abstraction or framework for action? Educational Review 58-1, pp. 5-25. Development Education Exchange in Europe Project [DEEEP] (2007): The European Consensus on Development: the contribution of Development Education & Awareness Raising. Lisbon 2007 Hartmeyer, H (2007): Die Welt in Erfahrung bringen. Globales Lernen in Österreich: Entwicklung, Entfaltung, Entgrenzung. Frankfurt/Main: IKO-Verlag Hicks, D & Holden, C (eds.) (2007): Teaching the Global Dimension, London, Routledge. Hoeck, S & Wegimont, L (2003): National Structures for the Organisation, Support and Funding of Development Education, Lisbon, Council of Europe North-South Centre . Marshall, H (2005):‘Developing the Global Gaze in citizenship education: exploring the perspectives of global education NGO workers in England, ‘The International journal of Citizenship and Teacher Education, 1 (2), pp. 76-92. Mc Donnell, I. (2004): An International Perspective on Communication Strategies on the MDGs”, OECD and NCDO, Paris and Amsterdam. North-South Centre of Council of Europe (ed.) (2002) A European strategy framework for improving and increasing global education to the year 2015, Maastricht: EC. O’Loughlin, E & Wegimont, L: (2007) Government Funding for Development Education and information in European countries: A Comparative Analysis 2004 - 2006 GENE Osler, A & Vincent, K (2002): Citizenship and the Challenge of Global Education. – London: Trentham. Scheunpflug, A & Asbrand, B (2006): Global Education and Education for Sustainability. In: Environmental Education Research, Volume 12, Number 1, 2006, ppp. 33 - 47 Van Der Vaart, R (2003c): Global learning in The Netherlands. In: Kross, E. (ed.): Globales Lernen im Geographieunterricht. Erziehung einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung. Nürnberg: Hochschulverband für Geographie und ihre Didaktik. pp.109-121 Westheimer, J. & J. Kahne (2004), What kind of citizen? The politics of educating for democracy. American Educational Research Journal 41-2, pp 237-269.

Author Information

Douglas Charles Bourn

Institute of Education,University of London

Development Education Research Centre, Faculty of Culture and Pedagogy

London

Tine Beneker

University of Utrecht, Netherlands

Barbara Asbrand

University of Göttingen

Institute of Education

Göttingen

Vanessa Andreotti

University of Canterbury

Social and Cultural Studies in Education

Christchurch

162

Annette Scheunpflug

University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Germany

Pädagogik

Nürnberg

Bogumila Lisocka-Jaegermann

University of Warsaw,Poland

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