Global Learning Programme Research Articles

Living in and working through the wake: A Black undocumented student's study abroad experience

AbstractUsing Sharpe's (2016) wake work theory, this paper highlights how one Black undocumented student used a study abroad experience to negotiate his dis/comfort and take up ontological space a liminal space. I argue that choosing to study abroad while risking uncertain access back in the United States is wake work. Escaping the wake, albeit short, was an intentional move to resist his liminal space, given his Blackness and immigration status. Findings reveal wake work occurred through (1) Movement: The beginning, (2) The escape, and (3) The return: Re‐entering the wake.Practical Takeaways Study abroad programs should assess how they are being inclusive in engaging undocumented students about these programs and identify successful practices and approaches to support those interested. Universities should partner with schools and independent organizations that provide study abroad opportunities for undocumented students. For example, the California‐Mexico Studies provides three academic programs for undocumented students 21 years and older to study abroad for 4 weeks in Mexico. Because DACA is a renewable program under the Obama‐era, no new students can apply for DACA which means more students entering higher education will be undocumented without DACA. As we enter a post DACA era, universities and study abroad programs will need to create and implement global learning programs and opportunities for undocumented students. Scholars working with, and alongside undocumented students should use more asset‐based theories and methodologies to highlight the experiences of Black undocumented students in higher education (see Santa‐Ramirez, 2021, 2022; Shelton & Thompson, 2023).

The value of third sector organisations’ provision of global learning CPD in English schools

ABSTRACT Third sector organisations have been providing continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers in the UK in the field of global learning over decades. Given the patchy provision within initial teacher training, these organisations are the main source of support for teachers in helping their pupils engage with and respond to global issues. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data from the Global Learning Programme in England (GLP-E 2013–18), this article investigates what teachers identify as valuable from the global learning CPD they received from organisations on the programme. Teachers value the specialist expertise, both in terms of global learning knowledge and pedagogy, the relationships they develop with global learning organisations, and the willingness of these organisations to collaborate for the benefit of schools. The findings demonstrate that there is potential for a greater contribution to teachers’ global learning professional development within schools, but this requires more consistent, engagement with global learning organisations over the longer-term. To facilitate this, policymakers need to ensure a sustained funding environment both for schools and the global learning sector if teachers are to be sufficiently supported for working in an increasingly global and rapidly changing world.

Terminology framing global learning and internationalization discussions

AbstractThis article clarifies language in internationalization literature and its uses by collegiate faculty. Terms such as internationalization often have widely varied interpretations by people who use them worldwide. We explore the more common meanings and uses for terms used in this volume. To avoid cultural hegemony, we attempted to be as unambiguous as possible when applying the terms across various cultures. We engage here in a brief analysis of such terms as cultural strengths, cultural humility, cultural competence, cultural sensitivity, cultural intelligence, and cultural agility and how those concepts are manifested in the faculty and student populations involved in global learning programs and activities.

Fostering Global Mindedness in Short-Term Community-Based Global Learning Programs: The Importance of Strategic Design, Collaboration, and Reflection

Trends toward short-term academic service-learning abroad necessitate programs designed to maximize effectiveness and measurement of outcomes. The current study sought to strategically foster and measure increases in global mindedness during an immersive community-based global learning program abroad. University students studying either Computer Science or Spanish collaborated to design curriculum and host a technology summer camp for junior-high students in the Dominican Republic. The semester before the two-week travel experience included extensive pre-departure preparation, collaboration, reflection, and communication among students, program directors, on-site program coordinators, and stakeholders in the host community. Results of pre- and post-tests using the Global Mindedness Scale indicate perceptions of five dimensions of global mindedness (i.e., responsibility, cultural pluralism, efficacy, global centrism, and interconnectedness) were significantly increased after participating in this program. Pre-departure activities, curricular design, and logistical elements of the program are discussed, along with recommendations for future research. Abstract in Spanish Las tendencias en los estudios en el extranjero a corto plazo que incluyen el aprendizaje a través del servicio en la comunidad requieren un diseño que maximice la eficacia y medida de los resultados. Este estudio midió un crecimiento en la mentalidad sobre asuntos globales entre participantes en un programa a corto plazo en el extranjero. Estudiantes universitarios con concentraciones en informática y en lengua española colaboraron para diseñar un currículo y ofrecer un campamento tecnológico de verano para estudiantes de una escuela secundaria en la República Dominicana. El semestre antes del programa, que duró dos semanas, incluyó la preparación extensiva, la colaboración, la reflexión y la comunicación entre los estudiantes universitarios, los directores del programa, los coordinadores del programa in situ y miembros de la comunidad local. Los resultados de los cuestionarios antes y después del programa fueron creados con una escala de mentalidad global (Global Mindedness Scale), indicando percepciones en cinco dimensiones de tal mentalidad (responsabilidad, pluralismo cultural, eficacia, centrismo global e interconectividad); se concluyó que la mentalidad fue aumentada significativamente después de participar en el programa. Se examinan aquí las actividades antes del comienzo del programa, el diseño del currículo y los elementos logísticos mientras se recomiendan investigaciones posibles para estudios futuros.

Seeking equilibrium between a social justice and a charity stance towards global learning among Northern Ireland pupils

Developing pupils' knowledge and understanding of world poverty and how to reduce it requires building teachers' capacity. With this objective in mind, the UK Global Learning Programme (GLP 2013–18) sought to determine the extent to which a social justice mentality was evident among pupils in Northern Ireland schools in tandem with, or instead of, the prevailing charity mentality. Using a qualitative approach, the research examined their conceptions of, and attitudes towards, social justice and equity, and how they had helped make the world fairer. They understood the causes of inequality and saw the contrast between great wealth and absolute poverty. Their growing motivation to help related mainly to charitable actions, but there was evidence of critical thinking about longer-term implications and a social justice stance.

Applying Credit Hours to International Clinical Placements for Baccalaureate Nursing Programs.

As global learning programs gain momentum in nursing education, a variety of models have emerged. A typical experience consists of 1-week international immersion in which faculty, nursing students, and an interprofessional team deliver direct health care to impoverished communities. Our international clinical placements have been successful in providing rich learning experiences while applying clinical credit hours toward required courses in our baccalaureate nursing program. The unique attributes of these international clinical placements include full integration into the curriculum, use of formative and summative clinical evaluations, participation across specialties and life span in one experience, an interprofessional practice setting, and consistent design and standards across programs. By integrating the experiences into the curriculum and maximizing credit hours applied, the international experiences fulfill clinical placements and develop the students' personal and professional goals. These innovative strategies of international clinical placements have been successful in meeting student, program, and community needs. [J Nurs Educ. 2019;58(12):733-735.].

Letting the village be the teacher: a look at community-based learning in Northern Thailand

ABSTRACTHigher education in the U.S. sees global learning as critical to student development. Over the last seventy years, study abroad has emerged as the method of choice for teaching global knowledge and intercultural competence. In this context, community-based global learning programs are a type of program where students live in communities to learn directly from people and place. Looking at a field studies program in Northern Thailand, this paper explores the educational mobility of study abroad and impact on host communities. It shares findings on the experiences of two communities who have hosted study abroad students for almost twenty years. Best practices and recommendations for faculty and institutions running community-based global learning programs are shared, including the centrality of community voice in curriculum, benefits of applying a range of pedagogical methods on course, the critical nature of adequately preparing students for cultural immersion, and compensating communities justly for their work.

The Global Learning Distinction: an Experiential Learning Research Project

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of integrating global learning and culturally-responsive teaching as part of a University curriculum to prepare graduates to enter a global workforce. According to the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), global learning programs are an important aspect of culturally responsive teaching which help students to “understand and engage the diversities and commonalities among the world’s peoples, cultures, nations, and regions” (AAC&U, 2018). The objective of this experiential learning project, implemented at the College of Business at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI, USA, was to research ways to engage students in active global learning both inside and outside of the classroom. Specifically, the problem being explored included needs to assess student attitudes toward global learning (1), understand perceived benefits of a Global Learning Distinction program (2), and identify an opportunity for students to get involved in the promotion of this program prior to the full launch in 2018 (3). Focus group research results are discussed and recommendations for future research in Global Learning.

A place for development education in the current Spanish and English curricula: Finding possibilities for practice

Development education has a long and well-established trajectory in terms of initiatives promoted by international organizations, national governments and civil associations, accompanied by a growing awareness of the significance of global issues. Nevertheless, an analysis of the education policy reflected in the official Spanish and English curricula supports what Bourn (2015) has described as the current decline in development education. A comparative analysis of these curricula reveals interesting similarities and suggests a need for initiatives where teachers and schools take the lead in developing educational practice committed to prepare students for global citizenship. Our research project, entitled Investigating the Global Dimension of Development Education: A Pilot Study in a Galician School, was largely inspired by the work of the Global Learning Programme – England, in supporting collaborative networks to develop and implement effective teaching practices related to global issues. This participatory action research project aimed to design and put into practice a school-wide interdisciplinary teaching plan to embed development education into everyday school practice, where the teachers served as the principle designers and developers of the educational proposals. We include a section of this teaching plan to demonstrate that, despite the limited policy support, there are possibilities for incorporating development education into the existing curriculum.

Becoming critical: A challenge for the Global Learning Programme?

The Global Learning Programme in England employs a new form of networked governance to deliver education for sustainable development in schools. This article focuses on Biccum's claim that such programmes serve to sustain the prevailing neo-liberal hegemony by further marginalizing critical voices such as those drawing on Marxist and post-structuralist theories. After introducing the GLP, Biccum's argument, and indicators of the neo-liberalization of education for sustainable development, it examines the potential of these two theories to inform critical pedagogy. It then evaluates the GLP's core guidance, assessing the extent to which it reflects the indicators and whether it is likely to promote such pedagogy. It concludes by outlining some research questions.

Global learning and the school curriculum

The global society of today is one that children and young people are aware of but this has not been fully recognised by education policy-makers despite the efforts and activities of many civil society organisations and the enthusiasm of teachers. Since 2010 in England, a government-sponsored programme, the Global Learning Programme, has been a conscious attempt to equip children and young people with the knowledge and skills to not only understand but actively engage with global issues. This programme is beginning to show the value of a ‘whole school’ approach in terms of increasing not only knowledge and understanding about the wider world but putting themes such as social justice and concern for the environment as key themes of a child’s learning.

Putting global citizenship at the heart of global learning: a critical approach

ABSTRACTWhat is involved in encouraging learners to think critically about the state of the world? And what may be required to make it more just and sustainable? This article answers these questions by focusing on global political economy, governance and citizenship. It draws on critical theories relating to network society, global deliberative democracy, reflexive modernisation and global citizenship education, to show how geography teachers might respond to the concerns of contemporary youth. Readers are encouraged to consider the contested discourses surrounding global citizenship education and recognise the limitations of curriculum guidance offered by the Global Learning Programme.

A Global Stocktake of UNICEF's Programme Activities on Public Finance for Children

This global stocktake examines past trends and performance to ascertain achievements and identify how UNICEF can further strengthen its engagement in public finance for children (PF4C). The exercise includes a desk review and targeted survey that captures information on PF4C activities in 116 country offices during 2009-13.PF4C describes UNICEF’s efforts to influence the transparency, efficiency, equity and adequacy of public investments in children. By undertaking this work, UNICEF is better able to address gaps in public funding, which particularly disadvantage the poorest and most marginalised children. Key goals of PF4C include influencing government decisions about spending on children and social services, reducing spending disparities among different population groups, and applying value for money approaches so that children benefit optimally from the resources available to enhance their wellbeing. As a programme stream, PF4C brings together sector-based and cross-cutting initiatives to influence budgetary frameworks (how the budget is put together) and public financial management (PFM) processes (how funds are transformed into public goods and services) for the benefit of children. The stocktake finds that UNICEF’s PF4C work takes many shapes and forms, involving diverse interventions, sectors and partners. Activities at the national level are increasingly complemented by engagement at subnational levels and being carried out across all country typologies, from extreme poor and fragile situations to high-income countries, including ones with UNICEF National Committees. UNICEF’s efforts in PF4C have achieved positive outcomes for children, demonstrating the potential to do even more. More than half of the country offices reviewed succeeded in removing public finance-related bottlenecks, paving the way to ensuring results for children. A greater equity focus is also emerging, including interventions to address revenue side concerns, influence intergovernmental transfers, and support local government capacity in budget planning and management. At the same time, it is clear that longer-term planning that links sector-based and cross-cutting opportunities and actions coupled with more robust budget monitoring and tracking can help to maximize the impact of PF4C efforts.Looking forward, more systematic management of good practices and knowledge around PF4C is a pre-requisite for taking results to scale. While many country offices have positioned their PF4C work well, the current lack of articulation of PF4C innovations and lessons learned limits their potential application in other contexts. To synergize and systemize the equity focus of engagement in PF4C, UNICEF Headquarters and regional offices are developing a Strategic Guidance on PF4C, complemented by ongoing capacity development activities, which include a Community of Practice, a webinar series, ‘how to’ manuals and a new global learning programme. These products will strengthen UNICEF’s ability to identify the most appropriate approaches for specific country contexts and further channel the existing momentum around PF4C into greater results for children.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Technology as a Global Learning Tool: Information Systems Success and Control Belief Perspectives

Voice over Internet Protocol- (VoIP) enabled online learning service providers struggling with high attrition rates and low customer loyalty issues despite VoIP’s high degree of system fit for online global learning applications. Effective solutions to this prevalent problem rely on the understanding of system quality, information quality, and individual beliefs about the usefulness of this technology. This research aims to provide insights into increasing the loyalty of users to VoIP-enabled global learning programs from the perspectives of information systems (IS) success and control belief. A theoretical model is proposed to integrate seven major constructs of IS success and planned behavior theory. We tested our model using the path analysis of data collected from an experiment where 66 undergraduate students from the USA and Taiwan worked in pairs using Skype to improve their English and intercultural communication skills. Data analysis results showed that information quality and perceived behavioral control are much more important than system quality in increasing satisfaction with the use of Skype. An increase in user satisfaction can lead to an improvement in intercultural communication competence and to increased user loyalty. Theoretical and practical implications are drawn from the findings to conclude this study.