Global Citizenship Education in Teacher Education in Canada and the US

Abstract

Scholars have identified tensions within the varied rationales as part of the larger debates surrounding the very aims of education. As global citizenship education (GCED) is prevalent in primary, secondary, and tertiary education, and teacher education bridges across various levels, there has been considerable attention on adapting teacher education with “global” perspectives. A substantive report by Merryfield examined teacher education programs in both the US and Canada with a focus on the connection between multicultural and global education. Merryfield’s study found that while each teacher educator has their own foundational framework, there are commonalities across contexts. Specifically, the study identifies six major components of teacher education for multicultural and global education. Taylor’s research demonstrating the possibilities of a reflexive approach is extremely important given Appleyard and McLean’s findings that pre-service teachers lack confidence in handling complex and controversial issues. Teacher education has been the focus both of research in this area and of efforts towards promoting GCED.