Development Of Global Competencies Research Articles

The Transformative Role of Digital Resources in Teaching and Learning

This study examines the evolving terrain of Digital Resources (DR) by investigating its influence on teaching methodologies and student achievement and exploring the diverse aspects of integrating these resources to improve teaching methods and establish more efficient learning settings. The study focuses on diverse DR, such as Learning Management Systems (LMS); interactive software, online platforms, and Collaboration and Communication Tools; including multimedia content used to produce Educational Software and Applications, and evaluates their influence on engagement, accessibility, and overall student success. These examples of digital resources represent the diverse array of digital tools that contribute to the transformation of teaching and learning in various educational settings. This list is not exhaustive, as the field of digital resources is continually evolving with the advancement of technology. The impact of these tools extends to areas such as accessibility, personalized learning, and the enhancement of both in-person and online education. Examining the integration of adaptive learning platforms seeks to understand how technology adapts to individual learning needs, providing tailored support to students and promoting a deeper understanding of educational content. Furthermore, the study explores the global connectivity and collaboration facilitated by DR, investigating the impact of virtual classrooms, video conferencing, and collaborative platforms on students' ability to connect with their peers and educators worldwide. It seeks to identify how this interconnectedness contributes to cultural awareness, diverse perspectives, and the development of global competencies. It also addresses challenges related to digital literacy, ethical use, and equitable access as it unfolds. The research aims to provide insights that inform best practices for educators, policymakers, and stakeholders in the ongoing endeavour to optimise integrating DR into teaching and learning. Ultimately, this research aspires to contribute valuable knowledge supporting education's evolution in the digital age. The researcher explores the transformative role of DR in education, examining how these tools contribute to a more dynamic and inclusive learning environment.

GLOBAL COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT AMONG COMPUTER ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY UNDERGRADUATES IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

Nowadays higher education institutions are directly involved in the training of new personnel, so they should seriously puzzle one of the most obvious questions today, how to prepare students to meet the challenges of Industrial Revolution 4.0 in an increasingly globalised society. And although the unequivocal answer to this question doesn’t exist, one thing is certain: while providing Education 4.0 through incorporating advanced technology into the curriculum for implementing best practices and innovative methodological approaches, methods and techniques, higher education institutions should do their best to shape the next generation of highly employable global citizens who can think and act from a global perspective. In the future students who specialise in the field of Computer Engineering and Information Technology will be at the forefront of advancing the technology available to all people in the world and, therefore, they should be globally competent. It means that they should possess a global competence to successfully compete on a global scale. Significant practical experience gained by the authors of the article made it possible to assume that being one of the humanities which is taught to Computer Engineering and Information Technology undergraduates in Ukrainian higher education institutions, English has a great potential for developing their global competence. Considering the fact that Ukrainian 15-year-old students were not a part of the PISA 2018 Global Competence assessment, the present research was aimed at finding out how the participants understood the concept of “global competence”, their awareness of the importance of global competence development in accordance with the requirements and principles of Education 4.0 associated with the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and participants’ views on the role of the English language in its development. For exactly this purpose the authors made a questionnaire in Google Forms. The research participants were 249 Computer Engineering and Information Technology undergraduates who were selected by means of a purposeful sampling method. The conducted research shows that the didactic uniqueness of the English language as an academic discipline aimed at developing global competence is manifested in the fact that it can be seen as both a learning goal and a learning tool. The results obtained became the basis for devising a paradigm defining strategy (the core strategy) and four sub-strategies effective for developing Computer Engineering and Information Technology undergraduates’ global competence in the English language classroom.

The Study Abroad Experiences of Secondary Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Students

The purpose of this research was to explore the study abroad experiences of secondary school Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) students as they relate to career determination, self-awareness, cultural awareness, and global competence. There were two distinct samples from which data were collected: (a) students who participated in a secondary school study abroad experience and (b) a comparison group of undergraduate students at [University] enrolled in AFNR Education without secondary school AFNR study abroad experience. Both groups were given a survey measuring number of countries visited, career determination, self-awareness, cultural awareness, global competence, and demographics. Results illuminate several trends worthy of further consideration, including AFNR travelers reported higher levels of global competency and cultural awareness when juxtaposed to the comparison group. Examining the relationships among variables, cultural awareness and number of countries visited yielded the strongest relationship. None of the correlations were statistically significant; therefore, potential conclusions are limited. From this exploration, encouraging both students and teachers in natural sciences programs to explore opportunities for international study abroad focused on AFNR, especially when programmatic objectives include student development of global competence and cultural awareness, is recommended.

Assessing the development of global competence in teacher education programmes: internal consistency and reliability of a set of rubrics

ABSTRACT Global competence is a complex concept as it is multifaceted, composite, multi-layered, multidimensional, and can be viewed from several perspectives. A previous study validated a set of rubrics designed to assess pre-service teachers’ development of global competence. The research presented in this paper tested the internal consistency and reliability of the set of rubrics in order to create an instrument validated within the international context that was robust and consistent from a methodological point of view. The set of rubrics was self-administered online by 729 pre-service teachers studying in 12 teacher education programmes across 10 different countries around the world. The data analysis showed a high level of reliability and internal consistency of the rubrics, indicating their ability to assess pre-service teachers’ global competence. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis suggested changes to two areas of the rubrics.

International Research Experiences and Global Competency Development for Graduate Students in Engineering and Science

Challenges from globalization, population growth, and climate change require science, technology, and engineering (STEM) professionals to have global competency. However, the impact of international experiences on STEM students’ development of these abilities has not been well studied. We assessed the effects of international research experiences in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and Europe on the development of global competency for STEM graduate students from the United States. Research placements in LAC were generally field-based, involving interactions with community members, while placements in Europe were mostly lab-based. Surveys and interviews with participants before and after their trips revealed increases in intercultural abilities for students from all groups. Students who traveled to LAC had higher intercultural abilities before the trip but experienced smaller gains than their counterparts who traveled to Europe. Despite the value in community-based activities for students outside of university settings, more effort is needed to eliminate students’ barriers to understanding communication styles in their host communities.

Toward a model of global citizenship in business education

The world is rapidly changing because of ecological, social, geopolitical changes and digital transformation. For example, the global pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation and encouraged more online learning and working. Furthermore, reducing the speed of climate change is one of the major issues of our time. To be able to deal with major changes in our environment, employers, employees, and students (future employees) need to readjust how they evaluate their business, organizational activities, and education. Business schools have the responsibility to prepare the students with skills and values to engage in this rapidly changing environment. This means a change from the traditional profit maximization approach only to, among others, the development of global competencies and a global mindset. The development of a comprehensive framework for Global Citizenship in business education will therefore help organizations and educators alike. Based on an extensive literature review and an empirical study through focus groups and in-depth interviews of the professional field and educators a model of Global Citizenship for business education and practitioners is presented. The model of global citizenship consists of components encouraging the development of global competencies and attributes. These competencies and attributes are needed for (international) professionals to act as responsible global citizens.

Immigrant students and global education

Research on immigrant students in higher education often articulates a deficit narrative emphasizing the challenges immigrant students face in comparison to their native-born peers. In education for global competence, however, immigrant students’ life experiences give them a potential advantage. This study investigated whether project-based learning designed to take advantage of immigrant students’ intercultural life experiences could contribute to the development of global competence among undergraduate students. Developing and teaching a collaborative, project-based course where undergraduate students researched the intercultural experiences of their immigrant peers, researchers measured specific learning outcomes using quantitative and thematic analysis of student research papers and reflective essays. The study concluded that project-based assignments designed to take advantage of immigrant students’ intercultural experiences could yield significant contributions to the global education of immigrant and non-immigrant students alike.

Globally competent teachers: English as a second language teachers' perceptions on global competence in English lessons.

Due to the implementation of global education and global citizenship education in the 21st century, more focus is given to developing teachers’ global competence in English language teaching. This study aims to examine the perceptions of English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers of (1) global competence integration in English teaching and (2) the professional development programs organized by the Ministry of Education (MOE) for their global competence development. A web-survey questionnaire was distributed to 172 Malaysian ESL teachers based on selected criteria. The data collected were analyzed descriptively. The main findings indicated that most ESL teachers showed positive perceptions regarding the importance of global competence and integration in English lessons. Although 83.1% of the 172 participants agreed to have attended 10 or more programs related to developing global competence, the descriptive analysis found the ESL teachers’ moderate knowledge and understanding of what constitutes global competence. In contrast, a high agreement was found regarding their perceptions of the importance of global competence in ESL lessons. Also, most respondents revealed the lack of support from the MOE through professional development programs specifically structured to develop ESL teachers’ global competence. The findings served as a template for a larger-scale study that focuses on implementing global competence in the local non-western context.

Global competence development in EFL teacher training – An interview study on the global content in EFL teacher trainers' courses in Hungary

Abstract In today's world, education needs to empower students to become active global citizens who are prepared for 21st century challenges and who can solve local and global problems, thus, who are globally competent. To affect lasting change in our education systems, it seems urgent to incorporate the global perspective as early as in initial teacher training, and nurture globally competent teacher trainees. As essentially teachers decide on what and how they teach, it is worth examining how they develop the knowledge dimension of global competence, i.e., what content they teach for global competence development (GCD). The main aim of this study, involving five university tutors involved in EFL teacher training in Hungary, is to inquire into what topics they deal with for GCD, what attitudes they have towards dealing with these topics, and how they decide on the content in their first-year language development courses. Findings suggest that they deal with a variety of global and intercultural issues in their lessons; however, they tend to avoid certain local ones. Overall, they have a reasonably positive attitude towards these issues. Finally, the participants predominantly consider the connection to the syllabus, students' language level, and personal and student interest important when deciding on what topics to deal with in class.

The Integration of Global Competence Into Malaysian English as a Second Language Lessons for Quality Education (Fourth United Nations Sustainable Development Goal).

Research in the globalization era has emphasized the importance of global competence and its integration into language teaching and learning. This article discussed the current focus of global education through the integration of global competence in English as a Second Language (ESL) in Malaysia. The country’s global competence development among ESL teachers and students, along with its integration into English lessons, were identified, satisfying the need to achieve quality education. The global competence integration of ESL teachers will meet the fourth United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4), which strives for quality education. The global education goals form a critical starting point of this article, which articulates the connection to the targets in SDG 4. Hence, this article investigated the significance of global competence in language teaching and learning in Malaysia. Overall, the integration of global competence among ESL teachers can provide life-long learning, enhancing the quality of education.

Knowing, acting and becoming: Australian students’ curriculum-specific learning through a New Colombo Plan short-term mobility program to Japan

ABSTRACT Embedding learning abroad as part of the curriculum has become popular in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the US and European countries. In Australia, the government has actively promoted and committed to funding students’ learning abroad in the Indo-Pacific region which is considered to be strategic to the nation's prosperity and public diplomacy. The majority of the literature on outbound student mobility has concentrated on its benefits to students’ development of global competence and employability. However, little is known about how students are engaged in curriculum-specific learning and development of discipline-specific knowledge through short-term mobility experiences. This article responds to this gap in the existing literature. It aims to examine how a short-term mobility program to Japan affects Australian undergraduate students’ curriculum-specific learning. The article draws on 45 interviews with science students across three rounds (pre-departure, in-country, and re-entry). It uses Barnett and Coate's framework of curriculum and Tran's concept of mobility as becoming to analyse whether and how the short-term mobility program engages students in their knowing, acting and becoming whereby they are able to construct, organise and build on what they know and can do to arrive at new knowledge, skills and ways of being/becoming. Based on the findings of the study, we discuss implications for how learning abroad in the Indo-Pacific can potentially enhance Australian students’ deep and meaningful learning in not only cultural and social but also academic aspects. Practical principles for optimising students’ curriculum-specific learning through short-term mobility programs are generated.

Global Competence and Foreign Language Education in Japan

The pursuit of global competence (GC) is heavily promoted as part of university education in Japan, where the government exhorts universities to equip graduates with skills that will enable them to function as global citizens. Foreign language (FL) educators are often expected to cultivate these globally competent individuals. However, there is little consensus on what GC actually is, and limited evidence that existing models of GC are actually applicable in the Japanese context. This study used a qualitative survey targeting professionals, researchers, university teachers and students to determine the attributes that are seen to comprise GC, and the challenges faced in achieving GC in the Japanese context. Findings highlighted the primacy of FL communication skills, as well as openness, extraversion, emotional stability, and a willingness to engage. To overcome challenges to the achievement of these attributes, we suggest that FL educators need to tap into learners’ individual identities and aspirations, rather than pursuing generic and decontextualized approaches to the development of GC.

Education for a Sustainable Future: Strategies for Holistic Global Competence Development at Engineering Institutions

Higher education institutions (HEIs) must ensure that their graduates possess not only professional know-how, but also the global competence to address the challenges posed in the UN’s 2030 Agenda. This is especially relevant in engineering education, which plays an important role in sustainable development. These competencies are typically thought to be developed in relation to institutions’ internationalisation efforts, but reports on how this is supposed to happen are often vague or built on wishful thinking. In this article, we describe a mixed-methods investigation into how holistic global competence development as a crucial aspect of sustainable education can be systematically enhanced in higher engineering education. Following a design-based research approach, connecting theoretical and practical insights from experts and stakeholders, we present here four dimensions of such an approach. Firstly, we discuss the setup, contents, and implementation of institutional guidelines as the crucial starting point of any internationalisation strategy aiming at integrating sustainable development education and global competence development. Secondly, we stress the role of institutional diversity, and show how institutions can foster inclusive and welcoming environments. Thirdly, we suggest strategies and approaches for global competence training for students, faculty, and staff, and highlight important background considerations for enabling global competence development. Fourthly, we emphasise the importance of assessing efforts to ensure that they live up to their potential and deliver the desired outcomes. The recommendations based on the investigation summarise key considerations that all HEIs—not just those focused on engineering education—must take into account as they strive for holistic global competence development, which is a key aspect of education for sustainable development.

Teaching for Global Competence: A Responsibility of Teacher Educators

ABSTRACT Today’s PK-12 teachers and students navigate an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. This growing interconnectedness and need to navigate life and work in our globalized world have prompted calls for teacher educators around the world to design changes in coursework that inspire teachers to create learning experiences to foster PK-12 learners’ development of global competence. The present study applied action research to address this goal in an asynchronous, online graduate teacher education course. Using a principled framework for teaching for global competence (TfGC) across four domains and Global Thinking Routines as pedagogical tools, participants explored an issue of global significance – the lived experiences of refugees and immigrants across time and contexts – to learn about TfGC. The article incorporates rich examples of participants’ learning and ideas for application of teaching for global competence in PK-12 classrooms in national and international contexts. Participants’ responses to key learning activities suggested that including a specific focus on TfGC can be beneficial for current and future teachers. Findings suggest that a thematic approach to TfGC with opportunities to apply pedagogical strategies that can be used in PK-12 classrooms may be productive for encouraging teacher education students to embrace teaching for global competence.

Research-Based Learning Applied in First Semester Courses of Engineering Programs (preliminary study)

The development of research abilities is a necessary competency for students of Engineering and Science. Regardless of the engineering field of interest, the development of global competencies influences their professional performance. In the present work, we describe the impact, from the students' perception, of the early approach in research activities that involves critical thinking, innovation, problem-solving, self-direction, leading, and written communication abilities. To introduce the students to Research-Based Learning (RBL), we asked them to develop a solution to a problem presented in a first-semester science class in a university focused on developing technical and transversal competencies. This work proposes a teaching methodology based on RBL, which includes the appropriate use of search tools, data analysis, and writing skills, taking advantage of the institution's resources. Simultaneously, we looked for an effective research methodology to build a solid theoretical framework relevant to their experimental results. Moreover, we aimed to link the theoretical course contents to the student's engineering field through RBL activities. The sample under study had 98 students taking an experimental physics and statistical analysis course; 49 in an experimental group (class) were guided using RBL, and the other students were in the control group. The evaluation of the learning outcomes was carried out comparing the pre-and-post surveys, using a 5-point Likert scale (ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree). The statistical analysis of the experimental guided group results showed an increase in critical thinking, innovation, problem-solving, and self-direction compared to the control group students. However, the leadership competency did not show any improvement in both groups. We concluded that implementing the RBL methodology for students in the early stages of engineering education promoted and reinforced the development of technical and transversal competencies

Fostering Global Competence in International Business Students on a Latin American Campus

ABSTRACT This article discusses the development of global competence through the integration of a series of international-intercultural in-class activities in a Latin American international business (IB) course. A pre- and post-survey were applied and analyzed using a non-parametric Wilcoxon test to identify changes in student perceptions of their global competence development. Results showed development of all competences included in the survey. Intercultural effectiveness was the factor that showed the most statistically significant improvement, while willingness to learn from and adapt to other cultures, openness to other cultures, and awareness of diversity developed to a lesser extent. In addition, the dimensions of attitude and knowledge showed improvement while skills demonstrated only slight change. Therefore, IB teaching can be improved by including well-planned international-intercultural classroom activities to promote not only discipline-related knowledge but also global competence development without relying on student mobility.

Rethinking Curriculum Internationalization: Virtual Exchange as a Means to Attaining Global Competencies, Developing Critical Thinking, and Experiencing Transformative Learning

Virtual exchange and collaborative online international learning have emerged as a means to internationalize campuses and foster the development of global competencies among students by facilitating connections with people, organizations, and institutions abroad. Based on a virtual exchange between the U.S. and Thai undergraduate students, this qualitative research used written individual reflection, focus group data, and observations to explore whether U.S. students developed global competencies in the form of ability to communicate and collaborate in a global and multicultural context. Additionally, this study explored whether the focus on the “process” of the collaborative project allowed for the development of critical thinking skills and whether virtual exchange created opportunities for transformative learning. The findings suggest that the U.S. students in this study developed cross-cultural communication and critical thinking skills, an increased awareness and mindfulness of global and cultural dynamics, higher levels of perceived proficiency in global collaboration, and experienced transformative learning as a result of participating in the virtual exchange project.

Leveraging Technology to Promote Global Citizenship in Teacher Education in the United States and Brazil

With globalization and the increase of technology, collaborative work between institutions from different countries is a reality. Beginning in 2018, two teacher education programs, one in the United States and one in Brazil, developed a partnership to promote collaborative activities in curriculum and instruction, scholarship and research, and for student and faculty exchange. Critical pedagogy and social justice approaches to global citizenship education in teacher preparation guided the partnership’s collaborative activities toward the development of pre-service teachers’ global competencies and ability to integrate technologies as users and educators. This empirical research article presents an exploratory case study of a transnational, collaborative curricular project that leveraged technology in courses for pre-service teachers in the United States (n=12) and Brazil (n=10). The study explores the extent to which course content and activities facilitated pre-service teachers’ development of global competencies and ability to employ emerging technologies for learning and offers implications for practice.

Developing Global Competencies through International Teaching: Using Critical Cosmopolitan Theory to Compare Case Studies of Two Study Abroad Programs

For students to become global citizens they need globally competent teachers. The purpose of this article is to describe and compare the development of global competencies in teacher candidates who participated in international teaching-focused study abroad programs. The article is framed by Critical Cosmopolitan Theory (Byker, 2013), which offers a lens for the development of global competencies through the fusion of critical consciousness (Freire, 1970) and cosmopolitanism (Appiah, 2010). In the field of teacher education, study abroad experiences can help enhance teacher candidates’ commitment to culturally responsive teaching practices (Gay, 2002) and intercultural awareness (Hammer, Bennett, & Wiseman, 2003). The article reports on two case studies of study abroad programs for U.S. teacher candidates. One case study focuses on a study abroad program in China (n=13) and the other case study focuses on a study abroad program in South Africa (n=22). The article compares the teacher candidates’ perceptions of their study abroad experiences in relationship to the development of global competencies.

Fostering Global Competence through Short-Term Study Abroad

The article summarizes the effects of an eight week short term study abroad program four weeks in the U nited S tates and four weeks in Germany on students’ global competence. Students’ global competence was measured with the Global Competence Aptitude Assessment (GCAA) before and after the eight week summer program. Data was collected from three summer programs and a total of 42 students participa ted in the study. The results indicate that students made statistically significant improvements in several dimensions of global competence but also statistically declined in one area. Suggestions for possible curricular and programmatic changes were made that may be put into place to provide more opportunities for the development of global competence in future iterations of this summer study abroad program.