This paper explores a self-study action research project which aimed to identify effective approaches to support students to develop their critical thinking skills within the context of global citizenship education (GCE) in initial teacher education (ITE) in Ireland. The study was guided by a theoretical framework for critical global learning which is used within this study to identify the ways in which the fields of critical thinking and GCE overlap in relation to their purpose, aims, outcomes, and the pedagogical approaches employed when teaching about them in ITE.

The main research question explored in the study was as follows:

What can be learned from a self-study action research project to contribute to the understanding and application of critical global learning for teacher educators?

Furthermore, the study had two objectives which guided data collection and analysis:

1. To ascertain the factors which contribute to student motivation, participation and achievement within critical global learning.
2. To identify the supports and barriers which impact on implementation of critical global learning.

This paper will explore outcomes from these aims in sharing the external, societal tensions which were found to influence students’ acquisition of critical thinking skills within the contexts of GCE and ITE. The findings from this research are significant within Irish and European contexts as they are presented within the context of my professional role as a member of the DICE (Development and Intercultural Education) Project. The DICE Project has been repeatedly commended for its contribution to progressing GCE within formal education due to its long-standing involvement in ITE in Ireland. In their reporting, the Global Education Network Europe (2015) named the DICE Project to be a model of good practice for mainstreaming GCE in ITE. The research presented in this paper reflects my experiences as part of the DICE Project and builds on what I have learned about embedding GCE into ITE as part of the project.

The critical global learning theoretical framework developed in this study was informed by a wide range of literature in the fields of GCE, critical thinking and ITE which were brought together to present a conceptual framework of the synergies between the three. From a theoretical perspective, this study draws in particular on Freire’s (1974) Critical Consciousness, Boler’s (1999) Pedagogy of Discomfort, and Bourn’s (2015) Pedagogy of Development Education. The components of the resultant conceptual framework draw on these perspectives to offer an interactive approach to teaching which is focused on dialogue, modelling skills and attitudes, sharing challenging content knowledge, and supporting students to engage with and reflect on their learning. To support the development of ‘critical consciousness’ Freire (1974) promotes an emancipatory approach to education which focuses on raising learners’ critical capacity. Furthermore, Boler’s (1999, p.176) ‘pedagogy of discomfort’ which she describes as “both an invitation to inquiry as well as a call to action” echoes Freire’s ambitions for education. The pedagogy of DE developed by Bourn (2015) further echoes the learning from critical consciousness and pedagogy of discomfort through a focus on debating while drawing on personal experiences and wider social and cultural influences. All three prioritise critical thinking as a core component of education. This conceptual framework is further enhanced by an awareness of the opportunities and challenges faced within ITE. The ITE context in Ireland is significant to this research study as the limited cultural, religious, socio-economic, and gender diversity represented in the student body in ITE in Ireland (Heinz and Keane, 2018; Higher Education Authority, 2020; Central Statistics Office, 2017) has an impact on student’s prior exposure to and level of preparedness for engaging with critical global learning in higher education.

I undertook self-study action research, which is adopted by practitioners interested in studying their own practice with the aim of improving their practice, their understanding of it, and sharing research outcomes. Engaging in self-study research is a form of professional development for educators. Samaras (2011) positions this work as a lifelong process, reminding us that as educators we can engage our skills in questioning, reflecting and ultimately acting to improve our practices throughout our careers. As a research process, self-study enabled me to identify what was working well within my practice and where there were opportunities for further exploration specifically in relation to supporting student’s development of critical thinking skills. Rather than shying away from problems in your practice, self-study allows you to openly ask questions and embark on a process of discovery to identify solutions (Samaras, 2011). Samaras’ (2011) conceptualisation of self-study necessitates engagement with colleagues and research participants, requiring the researcher to draw on sources of knowledge beyond themselves. While self-study legitimises the knowledge educators can generate based on their own practices, the knowledge generated through self-study research is as a result of consultation and critical conversations with others (Russell, 2008). My inquiry into my own practices was undertaken alongside support and engagement from critical friends, my students, and colleagues. Data collection methods were chosen to help capture not only what was happening in practice, but to try and understand what was working or not in the classroom, and why that might have been so. This approach is typical within the field of action research which is often typified by an informal, less systematic approach to data collection which allows methods to be responsive and specific to the context being explored (Patton, 2002). The data set included data generated alongside critical friends through recorded critical conversations, emails and written reflections offered by critical friends who observed me teaching. Additionally, data generated with students included recordings and notes from focus group interviews; surveys; Most Significant Change Stories; exit slips from classes; photographs of in class work; post-it notes or worksheets from in class work; and assessments. Variety enabled students to choose the extent of their engagement. These multiple sources of data were underpinned by ongoing written and recorded self-reflections generated by me. The wide variety of data types helped to capture the complex and messy nature of classroom practice and provided multiple sources to aid in triangulation of findings.

Throughout the three cycles of data collection I faced a number of challenges to my practice. One category of challenges related to the impact that external societal influences were having on student’s engagement and learning within the classroom, which this paper focuses on. Some of the challenges which emerged during data analysis related to tensions which were beyond my control as they originated outside of the classroom and related to students personal lives and societal influences. I found that not all students presented with the same levels of readiness to engage in critical global learning. Data revealed a number of reasons for this disparity, highlighting the ways in which students learning was being impacted by factors originating outside of the classroom. The tensions I identified as rooted in external societal influences included: • Students primed for critical thinking from their background Versus. students unprepared for it; • Students perception of issues informed by the media and society Versus. perspectives presented in GCE; • Approach to learning which was successful in second level education Versus. approach to learning promoted in higher education. While there was limited diversity amongst the student population in terms of ethnicity, religion or gender, there was diversity in terms of their prior life experiences and the impact these had. Students personal histories impacted whether they brought with them a foundation in critical thinking or not. For some students questioning the status quo was something that was not rewarded or encouraged in their personal or educational experiences which made it more challenging to engage with critical global learning. As a result of these findings, an awareness of these tensions and ensuring that in my approach to teaching and learning I am cognisant of broader societal influences became an essential component of my planning and preparation for teaching and learning.

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