Abstract:

It is likely for those disposed to an innovative and idealistic worldview to envision places of learning as profound spaces of transformation. They are also likely to engage in collaborative educational communities of whom membership includes learners, teacher-practitioners, and academics. Their contributions to robust discursive cultures position educational and pedagogical theories and practices in such a way as to open learning places in spaces that give way to transformative experiences. In doing so, they set forth upon trajectories that aim to perpetuate societal successes and gains in an ever-changing global, transcultural, and cosmopolitan world. An example of efforts to meet the challenges and problematic realities of our world and create ethical and sustainable solutions is the work of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). The OECD is working on a new assessment for inclusion in the 2018 PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment). The publication titled, Global Competencies for an Inclusive World presents the “dimensions of proposed assessment of Global Competence” (OECD, 2016, p. 6) that offer a metric of GC (Global Competence). Components will assess student skills for respectful, appropriate, and effective interaction, and empathy, as well as knowledge and understanding of global issues and intercultural realities. A student questionnaire will measure student openness towards people from other cultures, respect for cultural otherness, global mindedness, and responsibility (OECD, 2016). In summation, PISA 2018 offers a metric of values of human dignity and cultural diversity that leads to GC (OECD 2016) and represent ideals embodied within the transformative spaces for and of teaching and learning and spur associated forms of action.

The OECD (2016) document shares ideas for implementations for and of GC and notes “[i]n Manitoba, Canada, a consultative process with teachers, university professors, and curriculum development consultants established a new optional Grade 12 course on ‘Global Issues, Citizenship and Sustainability’ (UNESCO, 2014). Students in this course develop community-based action- research projects that match learners’ interests to current social, political, environmental and economic affairs (OECD, 2016, p. 18). The GICS (Grade 12 Global Issues, Citizenship and Sustainability) course is “the only inquiry-guided, project-based course in the Manitoba Kindergarten to Grade 12 social studies curriculum to date” (Kornelson, 2016). It is also informally known as the capstone of social studies courses in the province of Manitoba.

This paper presents a narrative inquiry (Schnee, 2009) of the author’s experiences as a teacher from Manitoba, Canada. The paper recounts his experiences as a teacher of the GICS course, a member of GTIP (Global Issues Teachers Inquiry Project) a collaborative educational community coordinated by MERN (Manitoba Education Research Network), and graduate student at the (UM) University of Manitoba. The paper shares the results of interrogations of the author’s narratives to unveil educational and pedagogical connections between ideas of GC and the contexts of the transformative learning done within the learning places of the GICS course and the GTIP community. Ultimately, the paper draws firm connections between the skills, knowledge, and understandings of GC in relation to transformational spaces for and of learning.

Keywords:

Global issues, global competencies, narrative inquiry, transformative, space.