RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Professional development perspectives on Global Citizenship Education in Ghana
A1 Parejo Llanos, José Luis
A1 Lomotey, Benedicta A.
A1 Reynés-Ramon, Miquel
A1 Cortón de las Heras, María de la O
K1 Citizenship education
K1 Global Citizenship Education (GCE)
K1 Higher education
K1 21st century skills
K1 Teacher education
K1 African studies
AB BackgroundIncreasingly incorporated into curricula worldwide, Global Citizenship Education (GCE) is a complex and evolving area of education. As the significance of GCE in the classroom grows, so does the need for insight into professional development for GCE educators. Given that many approaches to GCE have typically stemmed from ‘global North’ contexts, it is particularly important to research this area from ‘global South’ perspectives. This paper contributes by reporting on a study conducted in an initial teacher education setting in Ghana.PurposeThe study aimed to investigate prospective teachers’ viewpoints on GCE. It sought to explore aspects including how pre-service teachers understood the orientation, meaning and relevance of GCE teaching and their views on the debates surrounding GCE’s underlying approaches and values.MethodsParticipants were 16 pre-service teachers who had taken GCE courses during their degree programmes at a university in Ghana. Data were collected through three focus group discussions and analysed qualitatively.FindingsIn-depth analysis of the rich data suggested that participants had generally positive perceptions about GCE, whilst observing challenges and tension in the relationships between local, national and global issues. Whereas some were of the opinion that GCE had a neocolonial orientation, focusing on Western elements over other cultures, others expressed the view that GCE content could be reoriented to address local issues as well. Although participants felt that greater practical experience could strengthen their learning, they believed they had obtained adequate skills in terms of content and theory for the teaching of GCE.ConclusionThe study draws attention to the need for educators to be supported from an early stage and throughout their career journeys with professional development in GCE that invites exploration, critical thinking and challenge.
PB Taylor & Francis Online
SN 0013-1881
YR 2022
FD 2022
LK https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/64748
UL https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/64748
LA eng
NO Educational Research, oct. 2022, Volume 64, Issue 4, Pages 407-423
DS UVaDOC
RD 11-jul-2024