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In this study I defined the global learning environment (GLE) as it appeared in the Global Seminar Project (GSP) to address the issues of change in higher education under the pressure of globalization. The combination of constructivist theory and a Biggs' (2003) deep learning concept provided a framework for answering the following research questions: (a)what project components make the course global? and (b)in what ways does the Global Seminar contribute to deep learning? For the purposes of this study, I used three forms of data collection, including in-depth, open-ended interviews of 20 GSP's instructors; 11 direct observations of the GSP classroom; and analysis of GSP's written documents and artifacts. I used the open-coding feature of ATLAS.ti software to analyze the interview data and identify the descriptive themes that emerged from the observations and documents. The interview analyses revealed that the GSP's global learning environment included five areas: (a) course structure and academic leadership/management; (b) stakeholder involvement; (c) institutional support; (d) course conducive content; and (e) teaching and learning practices. Within these five major areas I indicated four "global" categories of the learning environment established in the course: innovative, international, interactive, supported by the culture of mutual learning. Evidence of deep learning included observed development of students' generic metacompetencies, identified components of instructors' teaching quality, and recognized value of the relationships among course participants. The research findings brought about two co-dependent understandings of the GLE as a conceptual phenomenon and a practical model. As a conceptual phenomenon, the GLE can be defined as a specific property of an educational structure that occurs when teachers and students are engaged in innovative experiences with the purpose of acquiring understanding of complex global-scale issues by means of cross-cultural interactions and on the basis of mutual learning. Applied to an educational practice, this understanding of the GLE forms a constructive and participatory model that provides possibilities for transforming higher education practices: shifting from mass-production knowledge to genuine quality education based on the values of teachers. These conclusive definitions open a dialogue regarding how the GLE can initiate meaningful changes in educational theory and practices. / Ph. D.

According to the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA, 2020), 2 million children attend K-12 Catholic schools in the United States. Because Catholic school systems are "among the largest and most significant" religious educational institutions (Marshall, 2018, p.185), Catholic educational leaders should be part of a dialogue to improve the quality of education. Furthermore, it is vital that these dialogues address phenomena impacting the quality of 21st century education. Among critical phenomena impacting 21st century education is globalization (Darling-Hammond, 2010; Friedman, 2005; Zhoa, 2009). In this qualitative study, phenomenological methodology was used to examine experiences and perspectives of Catholic school administrators regarding the phenomenon of globalization. Specifically, the study explored understandings of Catholic school administrators within the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia regarding globalization, global citizenship, and global competencies. Further, this study investigated current practices fostering global citizenship within the Catholic school system. Purposeful sampling of individuals who serve in administrative roles in Richmond diocesan schools, including Junior Kindergarten (JK)-8, JK-12, and 9-12 levels, was used to identify 11 participants who met study inclusion criteria. Consenting individuals were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview regarding the phenomena of interest. Upon completion, participant interviews were transcribed and coded for analysis using qualitative methods consistent with phenomenology. Themes regarding globalization, global citizenship, and global competencies within the Catholic education system were identified. The results and findings of this qualitative study, including implications for educational leaders and recommendations for future studies, were summarized. / Doctor of Education / According to the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA, 2020), 2 million children attend K-12 Catholic schools in the United States. Among religious educational systems in this country, Catholic school systems are particularly significant. Thus, Catholic educational leaders should be part of a dialogue to improve the quality of education. Globalization is a phenomenon that impacts the quality of 21st century education. In this study, the researcher explored perspectives and experiences of Catholic school administrators regarding globalization and global citizenship. This study also investigated current practices fostering global citizenship within a Catholic school system. Administrators in Richmond diocesan schools, including Junior Kindergarten (JK)-8 and 9-12 levels, participated in interviews. The researcher identified themes regarding globalization, global citizenship, and global competencies within the Catholic education system. The results and findings of this study will be used to improve the quality of Catholic education programs.

In todays complicated world global Education brings a new approach towards a man. Theoretical part of thesis introduces its philosophical bases, characteristics, teaching principles, environmental aspect and main objectives. It emphasises close connnection to other education areas and areas in the Czech educational system where global Education should be practised. Theses describes teaching methods for global Education suitable for primary school children. Work describes connection between development of self-belief and global responsibility of a child. Empiric part uses methods of interview, observation and educational artefact analysis. Results approve importance of the artefact supporting self-belief in educational process.

Based on ethnographic research with Class V students (generally aged 9-11 years old), their teachers and parents, this thesis explores how gendered and classed identities are constructed in two MCD government elementary schools and one Kindergarten-Class XII (K-XII) private school in West Delhi, India. I consider how local, national and global understandings of gender, class and education shape and are shaped by these identities. Through this thesis, I highlight a conformity of aspirations, among both boys and girls, in the two government and one private school, in which education is viewed as a route achieve middle class lifestyles and careers. Across the schools, students’ identities are shaped within a middle-class culture of schooling in which students are expected to be on track to become individual, self-responsiblised, entrepreneurial subjects who are committed to the development of the nation. However, more importantly, schools encourage students to develop relational identities in which they pursue individual aspirations within the broader context of an emphasis on the prioritisation of family, the nation and religion. As a result, both a (neoliberal) middle class culture of schooling and- more importantly- (Hindu) religious nationalist notions of national identity play a central role in shaping the classed and gendered identities of students in these primary schools. Within the framework of Hindu cosmopolitanism, it is the Hindu, middle-class boy that emerges as the normative school child, against which both girls and the ‘poor’/working class are placed in deficit.

This narrative inquiry explores the process through which a combination of coursework, field experiences, and experiential classroom activities engaged pre-service teachers with opportunities to expand their perspective upon culturally normative conceptions of values, beliefs, and worldview. Due to the current racial and ethnic demographic gap separating the professional ranks of the teaching force and the increasingly diverse population of students in the United States, cross-cultural awareness is imperative for both teacher education programming and membership in a culturally pluralistic society. Drawing on multiple data points, the narrative illuminates the participant voices, context, and dynamic social process of teaching and learning. The findings comprise a heuristic portrait that describes the process of how the instructor, students, and the researcher approached cross-cultural awareness from within the walls of a university classroom. The findings demonstrate how normative frames of reference in the class were meaningfully and experientially contrasted through a purposive curriculum under the guidance of an exemplar instructor. Findings included that cognitively dissociative cross-cultural simulations, with attendant debriefings, were effective means for engaging students in reflecting on culturally normative cognition and behaviors. This in part was due to the curricular decisions of an experienced instructor – students for the most part felt comfortable in reflecting and challenging their cultural assumptions and experiences. Not as effective was the engagement of guest speakers as a means for students to reflect on their cultural selves and others. These findings help inform and guide educators seeking to engage issues related to cross-cultural awareness, and offers new directions for future research.

As we embark upon the 21st century, the world is becoming increasingly interconnected. Yet, despite increasing globalization, educational systems are not reflecting this phenomenon. The overwhelming majority of countries, including the United States, still emphasize nationalistic curricula (Parker, 2008; Tye, 2009). Global education is a movement whose supporters advocate an education reflecting the push towards globalization by providing students with the components necessary to live and thrive in an increasingly interconnected world system. Global educators have a common bond as advocates that a global perspective needs to be developed in the classroom. The degree to which this is being done is unknown. Further, how a global educator is prepared and formed is unknown. Unfortunately, there is a lack of research in global education (Gaudelli, 2003). Personal experiences have a major influence to what a teacher attributes his or her beliefs and values (Lincoln, 2005), and this is an area of study that has not been examined in global education. Using a mixed-methods design that includes a background survey, a global-mindedness survey and interviews would provide a better understanding of what self-identifying global educators attribute their global-mindedness. By presenting a rich account of the perspectives of high school social studies teachers who are involved with a global education initiative, social studies teacher education programs can gain insight about providing the best preparation that will lead to teacher candidates gaining the skills necessary to teach from a global perspective The case study presented here consisted of 2 surveys, multiple interviews, and examination of program documents. Analysis resulted in 8 themes identified by the participants as being attributed to the development of a global perspective: (a) family, (b) exposure to diversity, (c) minority status, (d) curious disposition, (e) global education courses, (f) international travel, (g) having a mentor, and (h) professional service. Additionally, the themes were perceived to influence curricular decision making by providing strategies, resources, and empathy towards students. The participants‘ perspectives have implications on social studies teacher education programs and future research. These implications include the types of instructional methods, themes, and global dimensions that should be addressed in teacher education programs. Future research should focus on issues underlying the nature of global education courses being taught in social studies teacher education programs, the teaching methods being used by graduates of those programs, and further analysis on emerging themes perceived to be critical in developing a global perspective.

The researcher found few studies that explore decisions of social studies teachers as they plan what and how to teach their classes. Over a century, social studies educators have adapted and responded to political, social, and economic changes. From educating immigrants a century earlier to addressing contemporary cross-border issues, social studies educators inherit unique challenges in today's increasingly globalized world. In addition to these external forces, constraints are placed on teachers which prescribe what content must be included in an already crowded curriculum. This qualitative approach using a case study provides a better understanding of the influence a globally oriented program has on participants' teaching social studies by investigating how participation in UNA-USA Global Classrooms program influenced how social studies teachers teach social studies. The goal was to provide a rich, compelling account of experiences of high school social studies teachers so that others can understand the issues reflected in their experiences better. The primary method of gathering data was the hour-long interview, in a case study approach. Analysis resulted in six themes: (1) teachers' perceived influence of Global Classrooms on student interest and engagement, (2) content expertise and confidence, (3) challenges to teaching global perspectives stemming from students, (4) challenges to teaching global perspectives stemming from school environment (5) innovative pedagogy and learning activities, and (6) projects and advocacy dimensions evolved from Global Classrooms experiences. Participants' unique experiences underscore the importance of studying the influence of globally oriented curriculum programs on social studies instruction. Implications include (1) teacher preparation and inservice training needs to be responsive to the need to develop an emerging cadre of teachers who are becoming increasingly aware of the need to infuse global perspectives into the social studies curriculum, (2) it is important that school districts realign professional development programs to help teachers gain content knowledge and expertise on global issues (3) participants in this study confirm that globally oriented programs such as the UNAUSA Global Classrooms Curriculum enable teachers to build pedagogical content expertise in teaching about global issues, and (4) as pedagogical knowledge improved, participants became more adept at reinventing the curriculum and infusing components to serve the courses they taught.

The purpose of this study was to examine social studies teachers' perceptions about social studies goals and content areas that should constitute the social studies curricula of grades five to 10 in Oman. This national study involved a population of 538 social studies teachers in basic education schools of the second cycle (grades five-10). Of 538 surveys, 407 surveys were completed and returned for a response rate of 76%. Cronbach's alpha values for each subscale ranged from .723 to .861. The resulting alpha value for the whole scale was .886, which indicates sufficient internal consistency reliability. Major findings indicated that social studies teachers supported all social studies goals suggested in this study. However, the degree of implementation of each goal was significantly lower than that of importance (p < .005). Overall, social studies teachers indicated more support for social studies goals of citizenship transmission, social science disciplines, and life adjustment than for social studies goals of reflective thinking, global education, and civic participation. The most important social studies content areas were perceived to be current events, core values of Oman society, geography, environmental education, history, family life education, and public issues. Geography and history, along with the perceived most important content areas, received the highest degree of implementation. The lowest-rated content areas in both importance and implementation were sociology, political science, psychology, and law-related education. The degree of implementation of each content area was significantly lower than that of importance (p < .003). Findings of the post hoc analyses revealed that there were statistically significant differences between male and female teachers in their perceptions about the importance and implementation of some goals and content areas, favoring female teachers. Among these content areas were environmental education, current events, public issues, geography, and history. Findings suggested that teacher gender influences curricular decisions about teaching some goals and content areas. Major barriers to teaching social studies were centered on the lack of participation of local community and students in determining social studies goals and content areas. Social studies teachers reported having little control over the curriculum they teach. It was concluded that social studies is not a high priority subject in basic education schools of the second cycle. Recommendations were made to improve the status of social studies in Oman.

Global competence--a necessary attribute in an increasingly interconnected world--describes having the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to act creatively and collaboratively on important global issues. In urban settings comprised of racial, ethnic, and/or linguistic-minority students, especially, a logical but seemingly underutilized facilitator of global competence would be instruction that draws from students’ funds of knowledge--the home-based practices central to a household’s functioning and well-being. In response to a need for deepened insight into how these concepts may interact in practice, the goal of this qualitative study was to better understand the experience of urban teachers as global competence educators, specifically, the extent to which they consider and utilize their students’ funds of knowledge in developing global competence. In this study, 30 Boston area teachers were interviewed using a semi-structured protocol to draw out their understandings of students’ funds of knowledge and their awareness of how these funds of knowledge might be used to further the development of global competence. Data produced in this study were analyzed through a multi-phase thematic coding process. A conceptual framework built upon existing definitions of global competence and funds of knowledge was developed to inform the design and methodology of this study, and was used as a guide for viewing and understanding the produced data. The two major findings of this study were that: (1) teachers, while seemingly able and willing to talk about global competence and funds of knowledge in relation to their students, did not seem to synthesize (or speak about their synthesis of) these concepts in practice, and, (2) in teacher interviews, potential global competence-supporting funds of knowledge were most often recognized in immigrant and/or economically privileged White students. The potential global competence-supporting funds of knowledge possessed by non-immigrant, minority, and presumably, low-income students were not routinely recognized or accessed.