Today, global challenges such as climate change, migration, and conflict will require people to take effective action, by both individuals and communities. Development of global competence is one means to help young people develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to engage in responsible individual and collective action at their local levels with the aim for better future at the global level (Measuring Global Citizenship Education, 2017).

International collaboration and development of global competence are the new trends in current education worldwide and of Kazakhstan in particular. Its implementation should be researched and evaluated. Thus, all stated above brings forth the research question: How does international collaboration, as part of project, develop students’ global competence? The aim of the research was to investigate in action the mechanism of global competence development, its four domains, and the way international collaboration affects global competence.

“Global competence is the capacity to examine local, global, and intercultural issues (domain 1); to understand and appreciate the perspectives and world views of others (domain 2); to engage in open, appropriate, and effective interactions with people from different cultures (domain 3); and to act for collective well-being and sustainable development (domain 4)” (OECD/Asia Society, 2018).

As Barbara Leigh Smith and Jean T. MacGregor put it, collaborative learning is a term which includes various teaching approaches “involving joint intellectual effort by students, or students and teachers together” (Barbara Leigh Smith and Jean T. MacGregor, 1992). Consequently, international collaboration requires joint effort by students and teachers from different cultures and languages. Finland being one of the world leaders in education focuses on internalization in higher education which includes “the ability and willingness to think and operate globally” (Ala-Louko, R., 2017). It is an evolving trend in secondary schools as it may extend the borders of the classroom for the students and allow them to learn through action and engagement (Collaboration in the Online Learning Environment, 2013).

In 2019 the research was based on the project in collaboration between Nazarbayev Intellectual School (NIS) in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan and two Israeli schools. These schools were chosen as partners because Kazakhstan and Israel represent two very different cultures with different religions, traditions, lifestyles and languages. Students from both sides did not have any information about the partner school’s country before the project, so collaboration between them could bring maximum novelty for students’ learning.

The students of the schools were involved in digital collaboration through performing tasks online on such topics as my school, my town, my country, culture and traditions and sustainable development. Each session of digital collaboration was followed by face-to-face conversations via Skype to discuss the same topics. The purpose of these encounters is to start a process that includes getting to know the pupils on the other side, developing meaningful connections, speaking about what is being done on the different tasks and present the different educative outcomes (A.W. Bates, 2015).

The project was completed by a collaborative product from each side summarizing the learning process in this collaboration integrated with the idea of multiculturalism, necessity to take action locally and globally, tolerance, accepting others and those who are different, etc., which are constituent parts of global competence.

Since that time more schools from Israel and more teachers from NIS Pavlodar joined this collaboration. Besides, NIS Pavlodar is today a participant of another project of international collaboration called Global Scholars which unites many schools around the world. This year our school collaborated with  schools from Spain, Canada, Taiwan, China and the USA.

The focus group of the research today consists of 154 students. Other participants of the research are three English teachers from Kazakhstan and three from Israel, two project facilitators who plan and coordinate the activities of the schools, and two teachers-observers from each side. To collect data, teachers of the schools kept reflective diaries and took photos and videos of all the activities of the project. Each session took place approximately once every two weeks. By the end of each session the students were surveyed on the questions that allow the teachers to measure the level of their global competence development. Each survey consisted of 5 questions including multiple choice and open ended questions that required extended answers. Besides regular surveys, all students were interviewed at the end of each term (approximately every 8-9 weeks) which made sufficient contribution to the research, as during interviews some students tend to give more extended and detailed answers than answering survey questions in writing.

As a result, three domains increased substantially according to the data derived from qualitative methods (observation, students’ feedback, interviews), but domain 4 has been identified as an area for development. Domain 1: all participants noted in their oral and written feedback the rise in their background knowledge in culture and history of the country of the partner school. Additionally, some students noticed that they also improved the knowledge of their own country and culture. Domain 2: this project gave the students an opportunity to see different people, to listen to their ideas and be unbiased to them. Domain 3: a bright example of effective communication can be one student from the group who started to perform better and better since the project began. His academic performance of English rose from 64% to 82% by the end of the project. Domain 4: students had difficulty answering the questions about taking responsible actions so international collaboration projects should include tasks for students that will teach them to act responsibly and independently toward sustainability and collective well-being. Thus, development of global competence should be interwoven in school curriculum and continue in high school and university. To sufficiently develop global competence such projects should include tasks for students to take actions beneficial for their local areas. The results of this research will be of interest to schools doing international collaboration projects, developing global competence of their students which are the relevant issues of modern education system.

Ala-Louko, R., 2017. Developing International Competence and Intercultural Communication Skills is an Investment in the Future. P. 2 A.W. Bates, 2015. Teaching in a Digital Age. Guidelines for designing teaching and learning. P. 138 Barbara Leigh Smith and Jean T. MacGregor, 1992. What is Collaborative Learning? National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning, and Assessment at Pennsylvania State University Collaboration in the Online Learning Environment, 2013. Florida Virtual School and FLVS. P. 1,4 https://www.smore.com/ydnap-metc-schools-online-newsletter Measuring Global Citizenship Education. A Collection of Practices and Tools. Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution. April, 2017. P. ix OECD/Asia Society, 2018. Teaching for Global Competence in a Rapidly Changing World, p.13.