The impact of ‘ wider perspectives in education’

1. The impact of ‘wider perspectives in education’ Module in Year 3 BA QTS Primary Teaching at Liverpool Hope University Alison Clark

2. setting up the course Wider Perspectives in Education • Values at Liverpool Hope University • Changes in the delivery of ITE • Partnership • Global learning • Philosophy of Teaching

3. How it all began Development Awareness Fund (2007-2010) • A balance of curricular and extra curricular approaches adopted Curricular • PGCE Primary: Creative Global Citizens conference • PGCE Secondary: Cross curricular planning day • BAQTS Primary (4 year): Introduction of 3rd year Wider Perspectives in Education Extra curricular • Service and Leadership Award

4. Ways of learning Pedagogical approach to education for global citizenship ... enables students to experience the five learning modalities of: • Independent learning: promoting responsibility for learning • Learning as dialogue: encouraging co-operative learning • Learning as partnership: working across institutional and community divides • Learning as public good: developing commitment to social ends • Learning as lifelong: establishing dispositions and habits of mind (Barr, 2005:57)

5. Focus on pedagogical approaches: • Open space for dialogue and enquiry • Service-learning • Philosophy for children • Co-operative Learning Explicit links to educational priorities: • Sustainable Schools • Community Cohesion • Diversity and Equality ~ Global Dimension in Practice Conference (2009)

6. Structure of the course Semester 1 • Introduction to global learning – themes and concepts; what is going on in school, NGOs, Development Centres • Draft Philosophy of Teaching Semester 2 • The Pedagogy of global learning • Projects set up • Assessments: Philosophy of Teaching, Project Presentations

7. Contrasting experience Placement differences (to previous practice) • Local ‘diverse’ placements (contrast to usual teaching placements) • Global themes focus • Work with NGOs • Sustainable Schools, Eco-schools • Short International placements • Comparative Education • Entitlement and Opportunity

8. A negotiated experience ‘Providing students with the opportunity to: • choose needs or issues in the community that connect to the course content • dialogue with stakeholder in framing and defining the problem and action • engage in problem posing education around the social, political and economic issues that arise in the service-learning experience’ (Rosenberger, 2000:40)

9. Local placements

10. Global placements

11. Impact of the course – University view • Ofsted • Rector’s Award • External Examiner

12. Short-term impact Relationships • With schools – impact on partnership, on hierarchy • With the community – a wider network • With international providers Learning • Student learning – philosophy of teaching, reflection • Tutor learning – links between theory and practice • School learning – global themes and awareness

13. Longer-term impact Indications are... • Teacher / Hope Network is being created • More ‘challenging’ projects • Extension of existing projects • CPD focus is developing • ‘Global Teacher’ Award – early stages

14. Greater interest: Change the ‘ecology of learning’ Motivation: rich contextualised learning Learning Community Students Pupils Teachers Tutors Strengthened links with partnership schools; Professional Development Professional development; Support for new ideas

15. Discussion • What do students get out of diverse placements / global learning? • How is a placement in a developing country different to that in a developed country? • Is one more valuable than the other? • What might be arguments for local vs. global placements (of this diverse nature)? • What are the advantages of group over individual placements? • To what extent should the student research the context they are visiting?

16. Global learning inventory • I think it’s really important for young people to know what’s going on in the world • Having a global dimension to my education is totally pointless and would detract from my important learning • Global learning is absolutely essential for the development of myself and those that I teach • Global learning is a low priority issue on the scale of what is important in my life and my work • Whilst creative thinking is important there are things which take a higher priority • Global education adds to pupil learning • I think global learning is significant but honestly don’t know if it is more or less important than Maths or English • Young people should be aware of different perspectives • Global learning is too complex to engage with • Incorporating global learning is beyond the role/scope of being a teacher • I hate the whole idea of teaching about global learning • Whilst global perspectives in learning could be important, the concept may need further clarification to be usefully applied to the curriculum • I am very passionate about global education • Global learning is possibly one way to promote critical thinking

17. references • Barr, I (2005) In the situation of Others. The final evaluation report on the DFID initiative on embedding the Global Dimension in Initial Teacher Education 2001-2005 (Unpublished Report) • Rosenberger, C (2000) Beyond empathy: Developing critical consciousness through service-learning in O’Grady Integrating service learning and multicultural education in colleges and universities, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum pp23-44