Abstract:

The global reality of the 21st century emphasizes the link between people and groups affiliated with different countries and nationalities. The COVID-19 pandemic that broke out in early 2020 further underscored the mutual dependence among people and countries throughout the world, especially in the context of health, economy, and politics. This state of affairs suggests that there is an immediate need to integrate aspects of Global education (hereafter, GE) into the teacher education process, and into the education system as a whole, as the latter is entrusted with the role of preparing citizens to have the skills and competencies needed to live well in this complex global reality (Ben-Peretz, 2011; Darling-Hammond & Bransford, 2005).

To promote such skills, researchers in the field of education have suggested the need to integrate the notion of GE into the school system and teacher education programs (Ferguson-Patrick, Macqueen & Reynolds, 2014). However, to date, most studies on this topic tend to focus on the theoretical aspect to conceptualize this notion, rather than on its empirical exploration and the practical ways to implement it. In relation to this deficiency, the aim of the current study was to examine factors that could affect the motivation of preservice teachers to study in a GE-oriented study program. In particular, the study examined the extent to which age, international experience, disciplinary expertise, and the perceived level of global knowledge were demographic factors that affected the motivation of preservice teachers to pursue a GE-oriented study program.

A total of 105 preservice teachers in their freshman year completed a survey pertaining to their:
(1) age;
(2) international experience;
(3) perceived knowledge of global issues;
(4) disciplinary expertise (e.g., mathematics, science); and
(5) motivation to be trained in a global education perspective.

Analysis of hierarchical regressions revealed that neither participants’ age nor their international experience predicted their motivation to study in a GE program. However, the preservice teachers' disciplinary expertise and their perceived level of global knowledge were statistically significant in predicting the motivation to study in a GE-oriented program.

Consequently, teacher education programs intended to train preservice teachers according to the global education perspective should focus on enhancing the prior knowledge of preservice teachers about global issues and relate the GE perspective to their disciplinary expertise and identity.

References:
[1] Ben-Peretz, M. (2011). Teacher knowledge: What is it? How do we uncover it? What are its implications for schooling?. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27, 3-9.
[2] Darling-Hammond, L., & Bransford, J. (2005). (Eds.). Preparing teachers for a changing world. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
[3] Ferguson-Patrick, K., Macqueen, S., & Reynolds, R. (2014). Pre-service teacher perspectives on the importance of global education: World and classroom views. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice. 20(4), 470-482.

Keywords:

Global Education, Teacher Education, Pre-service Teachers.