The contribution of empathy-based pedagogy in global citizenship education: Kazakhstani context

This article is based on a research study that implemented an empathy-based pedagogy (EBP) in three schools in Kazakhstan with the aim of understanding how secondary school students can learn about global issues and what challenges the teachers faced. It reflects on findings which provide strong evidence that walking in the shoes of other people encouraged the students to participate in critical discussion, deepen their knowledge and become emotionally engaged with global issues. It also explores some of the challenges created by conceptual confusions related to the cultural features within Kazakhstani societ

How do international student returnees contribute to the development of their home countries? A systematic mapping and thematic synthesis

© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This study investigates the significant yet under-examined role of international student returnees in catalysing societal development in their home countries. Through systematic mapping and thematic synthesis of 53 articles selected from an initial pool of 1515, this review delineates the literature’s portrayal of returnees’ impacts across various domains, including firm growth, industrial innovation, higher education, research, social diversity, equity, inclusion, democracy, and civic engagement. While highlighting the skills, knowledge, and resilience students garner abroad—facilitating innovative problem-solving and engagement in their countries—the study concurrently points out the emerging nature and methodological limitations of the extant literature. This review identifies critical gaps in the literature on international student returnees. It notes a lack of global evidence and an overemphasis on certain geographical contexts which questions the generalisability of the findings. Furthermore, there is a narrow focus on economic and political impacts, overlooking crucial areas like poverty reduction and environmental sustainability. Equally important is the absence of comparative studies between returnees and local counterparts. This lack of comparative studies highlights the need to distinguish the unique effects of international versus domestic higher education. This review not only advances academic understanding by systematically mapping the underexplored nexus between international student mobility and societal development but also offers implications for policy. By delineating the transformative potential of returnees and highlighting the importance of conducive environments, it underscores the necessity of informed, strategic interventions to maximise returnees’ societal contributions. In doing so, the study acknowledges existing gaps and methodological limitations within the literature, advocating for a more nuanced and evidence-based approach to leveraging international education for sustainable development.Peer reviewe

Empathy-Based Pedagogical Approach to Global Citizenship Education: Kazakhstani Secondary Schools Context

The fast-growing interest in Global Citizenship (GC) and Global Citizenship Education (GCE) has brought changes, challenges and opportunities to the area of education, particularly within secondary schools. It has created the tension to encourage young people to become more engaged with global issues and challenge them with practical implementations and actions in their local communities. Many Global Citizenship Education approaches and models have been offered over the last decade, however, in the pedagogical area, there is a need to address which approaches should be used in the learning process. One potential route for this is through an Empathy-Based Pedagogical Approach (EBPA) which can be a valuable mechanism for transforming a learner’s view about themselves and their roles in the global and local community. The purpose of this research study is to investigate the relevance of the discourse in Global Citizenship Education to how secondary school students in Kazakhstan can learn about global issues through ‘walking a mile in the shoes of other people’. Based on the work of different scholars and the initiatives of various non-profit organisations, the study develops an Empathy-Based Pedagogical Approach within Global Citizenship Education. The research was conducted in three secondary schools in Kazakhstan which use three different educational systems (National Curriculum, Nazarbayev Intellectual School (NIS) and International Baccalaureate (IBKAZ)). The outcomes provided very strong evidence that ‘walking in the shoes of other people’ helped the students to deepen their knowledge, become emotionally engaged with global issues and participate in critical discussion. The analysis was able to identify a number of challenges which were highlighted during the current study. The study provides a discussion on how the found challenges could be addressed and implemented in the area of policy, curriculum and practice within the secondary schools in Kazakhstan