Leadership for global learning

DEA is an education charity that promotes global learning. In this article Helen Young from DEA looks at the implications for vision, context and culture in our schools if global learning is to become a reality.

What is global learning?

DEA’s own vision is for all citizens to understand the global challenges we face and to develop the capabilities to create a more just and sustainable world. For this, we believe that learning needs to be put in a global context, fostering:

·      critical and creative thinking;

·      self-awareness and open-mindedness towards difference;

·      understanding of global issues and power relationships; and

·      optimism and action for a better world.

DEA calls this global learning.

 Why global learning?

Global learning can offer a source of inspiration for teachers and students alike. DEA research shows that 80% of teachers feel that thinking about how teaching contributes to making the world a better place motivates them to stay in teaching. Younger teachers (under 35) are even more likely to hold this view (85%). Therefore, global learning may offer school leaders real opportunities to boost satisfaction and retention.

The same research also showed that 94% of teachers feel that “schools should prepare pupils to deal with a fast-changing and globalised world” yet a third of teachers disagree that the current school system does this.

Responding to this challenge has implications for three elements of leadership: vision, context and culture. This article looks at each of these in turn then provides pointers for further support for school leaders.

Vision

It can be difficult to develop a vision in  this fast-changing and globalised world where we cannot know what challenges today’s young people will face when they grow up. One suggestion is to  use  DEA's vision of global learning (see above) as a starting point for discussion.

Developing a strong global learning vision for your school can  help bring coherence to the plethora of   government policies and initiatives many of which can in fact support global learning, for example, around sustainable schools, community cohesion, citizenship and pupil participation. What is crucial is that schools  make these relevant to their own specific context.

Context

Putting learning in a global context involves supporting young people to make sense of their lives by understanding the global interconnections we all have. It helps pupils understand how they are affected by events around the world and to recognise that what they do affects people and the environment in other countries. This learning can help counter a sense of helplessness in the face of ‘global forces’.

It can be challenging for schools to ensure the global dimension is not seen as somehow ‘out-there’ but that teachers and pupils are able to make the connections between their local lives and the wider world. This takes time and ongoing discussion amongst the whole school community. It can be enhanced by the support of outside organisations and teacher networks such as TIDE~Global Learning (www. tidegloballearning.net).

In 2008, DEA’s research found that only 42% of 11-16 year olds believed that what they did in their daily life affected people in other countries suggesting that they were not making the connections about issues such as climate change. This is an area in which we can bring about real change. There are a range of excellent resources now available to help ensure that pupils are able to make these connections even from the very start of their school years.

Culture

Just as every aspect of our lives is affected by globalisation, every curriculum subject and every learning experience has the power to help prepare young people to respond confidently, thoughtfully and responsibly to the challenges and opportunities it presents. At its best, global learning infuses every element of school life, so for example, Clanfield CE Primary School have a plan to ‘embed a global connection in everything we do’.

An essential consideration for a school’s culture is that globalisation challenges our ideas about knowledge and about the role of the teacher. With support, teachers can become comfortable with the fact that there are things which they cannot know; things which are contested and which people have a range of valid views on; and things which nobody has definite answers to, such as the best way to address poverty. This means that teachers play the role of facilitator rather than imparter of knowledge in certain contexts. Structured spaces assist teachers to creatively and openly explore what and how they are teaching.

Good global learning includes the whole school community and offers opportunities to reflect on attitudes and values that are held. For example, a number of schools are engaged in fundraising for projects in other countries which, if done well, might be positive. However, consideration should also be given to the hidden curriculum within these projects. There are a number of potential pitfalls which need to be avoided such as promoting feelings of superiority amongst those raising money, failing to understand global interdependence and the root causes of poverty and reinforcing negative stereotypes of poor countries.

It is often useful to use an external organisation, such as a DEC (see Support below) to act as a critical friend, helping teachers to reflect on what pupils are learning, teach about complex and controversial issues and avoid pitfalls.

Impact

Global learning has an impact on pupils’ learning and attitudes. Our 2008 Ipsos MORI research with 11-16 year olds found that “global learning has an impact: those who have experienced global learning in school are keen to understand more about the problems in the world, as well as being more likely than average to believe that what they do in their daily lives can affect those in other countries and that people like them have the ability to make a difference. These more informed pupils also appear to be more open to people of different backgrounds than those who have not experienced global learning in school, and more likely than average to say that they try to do things to make the world a better place.”

Support

www. globaldimension.org.uk

From climate change to poverty, water to fair trade, this website is a guide to resources for all age groups and subjects. You can search for a wide range of global dimension teaching resources; find local organisations to support you, including Development Education Centres (DECs); and sign up to the termly Global Dimension newsletter.

dea@dea.org.uk

References:

For details of the 2008 Ipsos MORI research around young people’s and teachers’ attitudes to and experiences of global learning referred to in this article, see www. dea.org.uk/research