Global Citizenship in Japanese Higher Education: Toward an Ethical Pedagogical Framework for Humanity Empowerment, Critical Moral Consciousness, Autonomy, and Carefulness

Abstract

Global citizenship education (GCE) is one of the strategic areas of UNESCO’s Education Sector. It calls for the education of values and knowledge that help learners to become informed and responsible global citizens and it is increasingly recognized as a pivotal field in Japan. Yet, the perceptions of individual GCE educators in Japan have been relatively under-investigated. It is not fully clear how Japanese educators understand GCE and what values and knowledge they intend to foster in their graduates. To fill in the gap, this chapter examines how 15 Japanese university educators perceive the role of GCE in higher education. Data were collected by means of questionnaires and responsive interviews, then analyzed with the use of grounded theory and the constant comparative method. Three notions of GCE emerged from the data. The Japanese educators expressed the opinion that GCE must (1) foster students who comprehend, analyze, and potentially solve local and global issues; (2) GCE must extend students’ learning experience beyond the classroom; and (3) GCE must help students recognize the interconnectedness of human lives. Based on the findings, the chapter concludes by proposing an ethical pedagogical framework of GCE informed by the knowledge and values of humanity empowerment, critical moral consciousness, autonomy and carefulness to teach GCE in Japanese universities. With development, the framework has potential for application in future research and evaluation of the complex teaching and learning processes involved in GCE in Japan.KeywordsGlobal citizenship educationJapanUNESCOCritical moral consciousnessHumanity empowermentAutonomy and carefulness