Research in Global Learning : Methodologies for global citizenship and sustainable development education

Abstract

Young people around the world are calling ever more urgently on policymakers to address today’s global challenges of sustainability, structural inequality and social justice. So it is little surprise that learning in a global society, understanding sustainable development and being active global citizens are increasingly popular themes for education at all levels. Educational research makes a crucial contribution to knowledge that can address the great questions of our time, with evidence from diverse studies vital if we are to build a clear picture. Research in Global Learning showcases methods and findings from early career researchers who conducted illuminating studies around the globe, specifically in Brazil, China, Ghana, Greece, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Poland, South Korea, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The studies in this volume investigate four important themes: the relationship between policy and practice; opportunities and constraints in the education system and for the role of teachers; challenges for higher education; and the perspectives of young people and students. Flexibility of approach is crucial for successful educational research in varied environments, and is on show throughout this book. Depending on context, authors used case study, quantitative and qualitative research, participatory action research, longitudinal studies and analysis of textbooks through critical discourse analysis to demonstrate how learning about global learning and sustainability can inspire learners and contribute to quality education.

Praise for Research in Global Learning '...Research in Global Learning manages to achieve its stated aims. For me, its greatest asset was the wide variety of contexts in which research was undertaken; the differing environments, outlooks and settings of each of the fifteen countries included in the text bring enormous richness to the perspectives offered, and provide an illuminating glimpse into places and systems that may well be unfamiliar to readers.' Development Education Review