Global citizenship education starts with teacher training and professional development

Abstract

In recent years, the idea of global citizenship has grown in scholarly circles and developed into a nascent discipline known as global citizenship education. As a general matter, global citizenship education strives to deepen cross-cultural understanding through the study of current transnational issues. This qualitative, interpretivist case study examined the roles and responsibilities of global studies teachers at an urban New Jersey public high school. The study included interviews with an administrator, two global studies teachers, and six students enrolled in the second sequence of a two-year course in the global studies curriculum; as well as observations and analysis of the course curriculum, syllabus, and student assignments. This study highlights the continuing need for increased pre-service and in-service training opportunities for teachers of global studies related courses, including teacher education and professional development programs. This study also underscores the need for more research on global citizenship education, and global studies training and certification programs in the United States.