A Teacher's Guide to the Global Dimension in Education

What is the Global Dimension?

The following text is based on Developing the global dimension in the school curriculum DfID, DfES et al 2005. Copies of the document can be ordered from the DFID public enquiry point on 0845 300 4100 or downloaded here

Education plays a vital role in helping children and young people recognise their contribution and responsibilities as citizens of this global community and equipping them with the skills to make informed decisions and take responsible actions.

Including the global dimension in teaching means that links can be made between local and global issues. It also means that young people are given opportunities to:

Critically examine their own values and attitudes;
Appreciate the similarities between peoples everywhere, and value diversity;
Understand the global context of their daily choices and local actions;
Develop skills to help combat injustice, prejudice and discrimination.

Such knowledge, skills and understanding enable young people to make informed decisions about playing an active role in the global community.

This is becoming increasingly important as television, the Internet, international sport and increased opportunities for travel all bring the wider world into everyone's daily life, and globalisation ties our wellbeing into that of everyone else. The actions of all people impact on others throughout the world. For example, the direct and indirect effects of environmental damage such as land degradation and greenhouse gas emissions do not stop at national boundaries. Equally, economies around the world are more interdependent than ever, reliant on both trade with, and investment from, other countries. What a consumer in one country chooses to buy affects a producer in another country. The solutions to many global problems, whether climate change or inequality, are more likely to be realised through genuine understanding of our mutual interdependence, and of that between humans and the natural world.

The global dimension can be understood through the 8 key concepts: global citizenship, conflict resolution, diversity, human rights, interdependence, social justice, sustainable development and values & perceptions.

The 8 Key Concepts of the Global Dimension in Education

Learning across the curriculum can be an important way of supporting children and young people to understand global issues and to make links between their learning in different subjects. The eight concepts shown below provide a conceptual framework for thinking about the global dimension and building it into the curriculum.

Global Citizenship

Gaining the knowledge, skills and understanding of concepts and institutions necessary to become informed, active, responsible citizens.

Conflict resolution

Understanding the nature of conflicts, their impact on development and why there is a need for their resolution and the promotion of harmony.

Diversity

Understanding and respecting differences and relating these to our common humanity.

Human rights

Knowing about human rights including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Interdependence

Understanding how people, places, economies and environments are all inextricably interrelated, and that choices and events have repercussions on a global scale.

Social justice

Understanding the importance of social justice as an element in both sustainable development and the improved welfare of all people.

Sustainable development

Understanding the need to maintain and improve the quality of life now without damaging the planet for future generations.

Values and perceptions

Developing a critical evaluation of representations of global issues and an appreciation of the effect these have on people's attitudes and values.

Educational Context

The National Curriculum includes a global dimension in both the overarching statement about the values, purposes and aims of the curriculum and within specific subjects.

The values and purposes of the National Curriculum state: “Education influences and reflects the values of society, and the kind of society we want to be… Education is… a route to equality of opportunity for all, a healthy and just democracy, a productive economy, and sustainable development. Education should reflect the enduring values that contribute to these ends. These include valuing ... the wider groups to which we belong, the diversity in our society and the environment in which we live… education must enable us to respond positively to the opportunities and challenges of the rapidly changing world in which we live and work ... we need to be prepared to engage as individuals, parents, workers and citizens with economic, social and cultural change, including the continued globalisation of the economy and society, with new work and leisure patterns and with the rapid expansion of communication technologies.”

To see how the global dimension fits within the England curriculum for all Key Stages and specific subjects see www.globaldimension.org.uk/default.aspx?id=68

Teaching the Global Dimension – Support from Global Teacher

Teach Global (http://www.teachandlearn.net/teachglobal/index.html) has developed courses and resources to support primary and secondary teachers wanting to extend their teaching of the global dimension through all aspects of school life. There are 5 courses each with 6 units. Two of the courses focus on managing the process and two look specifically at curriculum issues. The secondary course focuses on the teaching of geography. A fifth course presents ways of incorporating the global dimension into Science lessons for Key Stage 2-4 (pupil ages 8-16).

Teach Global is located within the Open University's TeachandLearn.net site, offering professional development. Teach Global resources can be used in a variety of ways and follows the principles established for TeachandLearn.net.

You may wish to browse these areas, picking out issues, debates and resources of particular interest. You might want to work consecutively through the courses, trying out ideas and approaches that are set out in the activities. In planning the development of the sites a number of teachers said that they often worked with a colleague or a group of colleagues and that they found this the best form of professional development. A year team or a subject team could try out in parallel some of the activities and then share the evaluation and the experience together.

Course A: Managing the teaching of the global dimension across the primary curriculum http://www.teachandlearn.net/teachglobal/ca/u1/

Course B: Managing the teaching of the global dimension across the secondary curriculum. http://www.teachandlearn.net/teachglobal/cb/u1/

Course C: Teaching and learning about the global dimension in the primary curriculum. www.teachandlearn.net/teachglobal/cc/u3

Course D: Teaching and Learning about the global dimension in Secondary Geography. http://www.teachandlearn.net/teachglobal/cd/u1/

Course E: Teaching and Learning about the global dimension in primary and secondary science. http://www.teachandlearn.net/teachglobal/ce/u1/

Teaching Methods for the Global Dimension

Teaching and learning methodologies developed by Global Education Derby in partnership with other development educators over the past years fit well with the ethos of the global dimension in education.. Of particular interest is the OSDE methodology that can be used to explore global citizenship themes and develop thinking skills. www.osdemethodology.org.uk.

Also of interest is www.throughothereyes.org.uk which uses a similar methodology to explore indigenous knowledge and alternative concepts of development.

Other materials and resources related to teaching and learning methodologies that you might find useful include Philosophy for Children (P4C) www.sapere.net

Teaching Resources

There is a growing range of teaching and other resources available to support the global dimension in education. Global Education Derby makes teaching and general reference resources available to local teachers and youth workers through a resource library based at 12 Bramble Street. Click here to view a sample of the resources available.

Using North-South School Linking

Linking with a partner school from a lesser developed country is often promoted as an easy way to bring a global dimension into the school.

For more information go to www.globalgateway.org

Our experience is that schools should tread carefully – the direct contact with other lives in other places that school linking provides can be rewarding and educational, but it can also reinforce stereotypes. School linking should be undertaken as part of a wider and thought through programme of global citizenship, such as the International School Award, rather than being seen as a lead activity. Global Education Derby can offer support and advice on taking this approach.

Development Issues

We realise that development and human rights issues may be new to many teachers. Many of the issues are interrelated and complex. Although an in-depth knowledge of international development isn’t a prerequisite for teaching the global dimension, many teachers will feel more confident if they have some background familiarity. This section seeks to provide materials to guide anyone wishing to increase their own understanding of development issues. View here.

Case Studies

The global dimension concepts lend themselves easily to being incorporated into existing themes, subjects and educational activities.

Here are some examples of work undertaken by local schools integrating the global dimension into the Eco-School programme and into the Community Cohesion agenda. View Green Flag for Development and the Bolsover Cluster.

Lots of other examples from schools across the country can be found at www.globaldimension.org.uk/default.aspx?id=97.