Preparing Teachers to Educate for 21st Century Global Citizenship: Envisioning and Enacting

Abstract

The changing educational landscape in global context and the increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of the world place unprecedented demands on teacher education programs to prepare teachers to educate for 21st century global citizenship in K-12 schools. To chart the course of preparing global educators for an interconnected world, the Faculty of Education at University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) Canada and UNICEF Canada have collaboratively developed an undergraduate course entitled Educating for Global Citizenship, which focuses on preparing teachers to teach for 21st century global citizenship and has been integrated as a compulsory course to UPEI's teacher preparation program. This paper is based on a three-year study examining teacher candidates' experiences in learning to educate for global citizenship, the changes of their perceptions on global citizenship education, and the challenges and achievements they experienced in educational practices. Findings from this study indicate the unique opportunities and challenges teachers face in learning to educate for global citizenship and suggest the necessity of integrating global citizenship education in teacher education program through a holistic approach