CONFERENCE PAPER No. 46
Internationalisation of the
curriculum in secondary schools:
A futures-oriented learning
imperative
Presented by
Libby Tudball
Internationalisation of the curriculum in
secondary schools:
A futures-oriented learning imperative
Libby Tudball,
Faculty of Education, Monash University
Abstract:
In any consideration of futures-oriented learning imperatives,
educators need to think critically about why and how school
curricula should be internationalised, and how students’ intercultural and trans-cultural understanding can be developed, to
enable them to be active participants in thinking, planning and
acting for their own futures. Increasing global flows of
students, information and ideas, the realities of globalisation,
and an increasingly interdependent world, has meant that many
educators at the secondary school level are currently
considering how to internationalise the curriculum. In
addition, complex and troubling issues in the world have added
urgency to the need for consideration of what knowledge, skills,
and pedagogies schools should focus on in the curriculum into
the future. This paper discusses views in the literature and
research on how educators might consider and respond to the idea
of internationalisation of the curriculum in secondary schools.
Introduction:
Internationalisation of education is both a reality and a
challenge for key stakeholders, policy makers, teachers and
students at all levels of education. At the school level,
conversations about internationalisation are also taking place,
and strategies to encourage international understanding are
being developed through whole school programs, in classrooms,
through school and teacher exchanges, and in a range of programs
including innovative technological links between schools and the
wider community. This paper discusses the fact that in any
consideration of futures-oriented learning imperatives,
educators need to think critically about why and how school
curricula should be internationalised, and how students’ intercultural and trans-cultural understanding can be developed, to
enable them to be active participants in thinking, planning and
acting for their own futures. These three critical questions are
explored: why should schools develop an internationalised
curriculum, what should an internationalised curriculum include,
and how can schools develop teaching and learning strategies, to
engage young people actively in developing the understandings
and skills they need now and in their future lives? These
questions must be debated, since as (Kemmis, 1990) argued,
Curricula reveal how nations and states interpret
themselves and how they want to be interpreted. Equally,
debates about curriculum reveal the fundamental concerns,
uncertainties and tensions which preoccupy nations and
states as they struggle to adapt to changing
circumstances’.
There is evidence that schools have sometimes been reluctant to
re-appraise and re-consider whether the curriculum does meet
the needs of all students and face the realities of new times
(Edwards & Tudball, 2002).
Regardless of their backgrounds,
all students are affected by the realities of an increasingly
interdependent world. The process of internationalisation must
be a ‘two-way street’, meeting the needs of both local and
international students (Edwards & Tudball, 2001; Fleming,
2003).
It is core work for schools to prepare students to
function effectively in their personal and vocational lives in
local and national settings, as well as in the wider global
context.
Why should the curriculum be internationalised?
The following quotes present scenarios and arguments from major
international studies and policy makers both in Australia and
internationally, that necessitate the internationalisation of
the curriculum. They argue the case with a sense of urgency and
mission, that young people must be empowered with greater
understandings about the interdependency of the world. They
stress the need for students to develop values encompassing
social awareness and a commitment to our common humanity, in
their local settings and the wider world.
The times we are in raise both new challenges and new
opportunities for countries seeking to nourish and
preserve democratic values and institutions. New global
realities call for a major reconsideration by educators
and policy makers of how young people are being prepared
to participate in democratic societies in the early 21st
century.
Torney-Purta, J., Lehmann, R., Oswald, H. and Schulz, W.
IEA Civic Education study, (2001):
…the planet and the human family are facing an
unprecedented set of challenges, issues and problems …
the globalisation of the economy and growing economic
disparities; a rapid deterioration in the quality of the
global environment; inequities regarding access to and use
of information technologies; increased regulation and
control by governments over the lives of people;
increasing levels of consumerism; regional and national
conflicts based upon race, religion, and ethnicity;
migrations of massive numbers of peoples due to these
conflicts; the loss of political efficacy; a decline in
moral and political leadership; and a multitude of other
ethical and social issues.
(Cogan, 2001)
…In Australia and worldwide, it … (is) ever more widely
accepted that issues of global poverty and development,
human rights and social justice, environmental challenges,
peace and conflict, and thinking about and creating better
futures, are inextricably linked. A future-focused
curriculum demands approaches which see these
interconnections, and fosters knowledge, skills and values
that equip young people to involve themselves in building
solutions.
(Curriculum Corporation, 2002)
Education is the key to the new global economy, from
primary school on up to life-long learning. It is
central to development, social progress and human
freedom.
(From the Millennium Report, UNESCO, 2000)
As members of the world community, educators have a
responsibility to ensure that education contributes to
the promotion of equity, peace, social justice and the
universal realization of human rights. … curricular and
instructional programs … should aim to develop in every
person self-respect, social awareness, and the capacity
to participate at all levels of world society, from
local to global.
(World Council for Curriculum and Instruction, 2003)
In this section, these arguments, and other educators’ views on
the need for curriculum renewal are discussed.
The forces of globalisation
The enormity of global challenges, the rapid expansion of
knowledge, and the complexity of issues in the contemporary
world, can appear daunting or even insurmountable for teachers
and students attempting to respond to these curriculum
challenges in our schools. But the imperative for schools to
create opportunities for young people to engage with global
issues, and the need to take action to internationalise the
curriculum, is now unavoidable.
The flows of multi-ethnic and multi-lingual students and the
rapid
transfer
of
information
and
communication
that
characterize globalisation are inevitably increasing these
challenges (Rizvi & Walsh, 2000).
‘Globalisation’, ‘the
intricate web of relationships between local, national and
international communities’ (Rawlings-Sanaei, 2003, p.2) has
intensified ‘the levels of interaction, interconnectedness or
interdependence
between
the
states
and
societies
which
constitute the world community’ (McGrew, 1992, p.3). RawlingsSanaei (2003) noted that,
…Dual
processes of integration and disintegration are
apparent. On the one hand positive signs of a new global
order are emerging: the rapid expansion of knowledge,
increasing
international
interdependence
and
the
electronic unification of the world. Also of significance
are inter alia, the promotion of universal education, the
growing acceptance of both racial equality of men and
women; the unabated though encumbered efforts of the UN
to establish world peace; the wider recognition of the
importance of human rights; the marked increase in
international gatherings to
foster co-operation in
matters of mutual interest; and broadening participation
of NGO’s on the world stage (p.4).
It is vital for young people to learn about these positive
elements of increasing globalisation. However in the school
curriculum, there must also be recognition and discussion of
negative forces including,
…the absence of a common ethic; cultural domination;
knowledge asymmetries;
and civil strife; a general
disdain for religion; the weakening of the family as a
social institution; environmental degradation; poverty;
terrorism and drug trafficking…(these) world problems
cannot be dealt with in isolation – they demand
unprecedented
levels of co-operation and action for
their effective resolution.
(Rawlings-Sanaei,
2003,
p.5).
The need for student identity formulation
The rationale for internationalising the curriculum in response
to globalisation is convincing, and Singh (2003) has added the
view that through an internationalised curriculum, young people
can be assisted to develop a more critical understanding of
their own identity, who they are and how they might position
themselves and their views in relation to dominant views. For
instance, Singh commented that,
… many people around the world, including Australians,
experience contemporary globalisation as
US/Americanisation, or at least the global diffusion of
US/American (southern) neo-conservative politics and
economic ideology (p.4).
Through classroom teaching and learning, teachers can make
students aware of the dominating identity formation that is
occurring through US/American movies, technology and other
consumerist forces. Singh (2003) argued that teachers have an
opportunity to,
…confront the emptiness of dominating identities and offer
alternatives including; …constructing the family on an
egalitarian basis; the de-gendering of public
institutions; the use of science and technology for
sustaining ecological and culturally diverse forms of life
…(p.5).
Students must have the opportunity to study content that
empowers them to consider diverse and conflicting points of view
and encourages them to think critically about their own identity
and its social construction. Cogan (2001) saw that citizens of
the future will see themselves as members of several overlapping
communities: local, regional, national and multinational. The
challenges of the next century will transcend national
boundaries and require multinational solutions. However,
people’s sense of identity is and is likely to remain rooted in
the local and the personal in terms of nation and culture.
Connecting students with their world
Clearly, students need to clarify their views on what it means
to be Australian, but in addition, Singh (2003) suggests that
students need to be able to answer these questions:
o
o
o
o
o
How do I relate
How do I relate
relationships?
How do I relate
organizations?
How do I relate
How do I relate
to other people in the world?
to the nation-state in a changing world of
to trans-national and supranational
to humanity?
to the global/local ecology? (p.5).
There will be multiple answers to these kinds of questions
depending on factors including students’ own ethnicity and sense
of connectedness with the world. Many educators have recognized
that for students to be motivated in their learning, they must
be engaged in critical thinking and discussion of issues that
concern them and their world (Beane, 1999; Curriculum
Corporation, 2002; MYRAD, 2001; Rawlings, 1999; WCCI, 2003).
Triolo (2000) argued that,
Few of our students consciously think of themselves
living in an interdependent world despite visual evidence
or reports of connections such as communications links,
patterns of migration and global vulnerability to
environmental phenomena, such as ozone depletion. It is
vital, however, that students become aware of global
interdependence, and devise approaches to overcome the
challenges and maximise the opportunities that confront
them
every
day.
Through
incorporating
a
global
perspective,
teachers
are
able
to
help
students
understand these challenges and opportunities, develop
positive values, attitudes and behaviours, and feel
confident about their roles in creating a 'better world
for all’. (p.1)
Singh (2003) commends Castells’ (1997) view that young people
deserve the opportunity to,
…understand the type of human civilization needed to
sustain the Earth and its ecological support system. This
means drawing from both the diversity of existing
traditional
(Indigenous)
cultural
practices
for
sustaining eco-cultural systems, s well as efforts to
create
new
identities
committed
to
eco-cultural
sustainability’ (p.8.).
Multicultural education
Students in Australian schools today are now more likely than
ever before to be a mix of ‘global nomads’; young people who
move across borders and nations, and other students whose
lifestyles and views are the product of rich diversities of
cultures and experiences. The multi-cultural nature of many
Australian school populations has increased the need for
schools to embrace international understanding.
In addition,
larger cohorts of full-fee paying overseas students add impetus
to the need to ‘internationalise’. These global flows increase
the need for the internationalisation of education to include
multicultural education.
Australian education policies
The educational goals formalised by the Australian government
in the nationally agreed Adelaide Declaration on National
Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-First Century also make the
need for international and intercultural understanding in
schools essential,
Schooling should fully develop the talents and capacities
of all students. In particular, when students leave
schools they should… understand and acknowledge the value
of cultural and linguistic diversity, and possess the
knowledge, skills and understanding to contribute to, and
benefit from, such diversity in the Australian community
and internationally (MCEETYA, 2000).
According to the Declaration, all students, international and
local, should experience an internationalised curriculum,
otherwise we run the risk of accepting an inadequate curriculum
that is inconsistent with the realities students will face in
their day-to-day lives.
Internationalisation and Civics and Citizenship Education
There are clear links between the challenge to internationalise
the curriculum and the current renewed emphasis on Civics and
Citizenship Education (CCE). Australian teachers in the IEA
Civic education study showed that
… the values they affirmed as the key learning outcomes of
civic education, in descending importance, are: to develop
consciousness about the needs of the whole world (98%), to
develop honesty (97%), to fight against injustice (96%),
to stand up for ones own opinion (96%), and to ensure
opportunities for minorities to express their own cultures
(91%). What is more, ninety per cent of teachers thought
that what is important in civic education could be taught
in schools (Mellor, 2002).
The teachers demonstrated that they see active global
citizenship as a key part of CCE, and they interpret the concept
of CCE far more broadly than as a study of civic knowledge of
students’ own society. Rawlings- Sanaei (2003) agreed that CCE
should include a,
…global ethic (which) would have significant implications
for human development. …when individuals see themselves as
world citizens – that is, their loyalties extend and they
regard themselves as trustees of the planet…prejudices
disappear and a new sense of responsibility emerges…it
dispels feelings of selfishness and imbues a sense of self
worth (p.10).
What should an internationalised curriculum include?
Possible answers to this question will be contested, since the
potential scope of an internationalized curriculum in schools is
so broad. Add to this the issues of the crowded curriculum, the
desire amongst many practitioners to protect the existing
curriculum, and the challenges for individual schools to
negotiate and decide what their internationalised curriculum
should include becomes even more problematic.
However, one
core question for schools to consider in determining the content
of their curriculum is; what knowledge, skills and
understandings do young people need now and in the coming
decades of their lives?
The Citizenship Education Policy Study project (CEPS, 2000), a
four year, cross-national, cross-cultural study, solicited
trends and opinions from policy shapers in nine nations about
what kinds of professional and social skills and understandings
students internationally will need as citizens in the future?
They concluded that students require these skills and
understandings:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
The ability to look at problems globally;
The ability to work co-operatively and take
responsibilities for roles /duties in society;
The ability to understand, accept and tolerate cultural
differences;
The capacity to think in a critical and systemic way;
The willingness to resolve conflict in a non-violent
manner;
The willingness to change one’s lifestyle and consumption
habits to protect the environment;
Be able to think, reflect, discuss, and act in ways that
are rational, reasonable and ethically defensible;
Ability to be sensitive towards and to defend human
rights; and,
Willingness and ability to participate in politics at
local, national and international levels.
Young people need to have a sense of their own identity,
but this will increasingly encompass multi-dimensional
citizenship
(Cogan, 2001, p. 9).
In Australia, materials have been developed by the Curriculum
Corporation to assist educators in the internationalisation of
the curriculum. The Asia Education Foundation (AEF) has produced
a Curriculum Development Program with a nationally-agreed
approach to learning about Asia supported by high quality print
and electronic materials for students and teachers. This
includes Studies of Asia: A Statement for Australian Schools
(Curriculum Corporation, 2001), the Access Asia publications
series and Access Asia website. These materials provide valuable
guidelines for educators developing curriculum approaches about
Asia, and the wider world. Global Perspectives: A Statement on
Global Education for Australian Schools (Curriculum Corporation,
2002), provides an educational rationale and ideas for teaching
and learning strategies.
Denis Lawton (2001) proposed the development of a
‘reconstructionsist curriculum’ aimed at individual and societal
improvement (p.10) and suggested these questions as important in
guiding the development of curriculum:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What kind of society already exists?
In what ways is it developing?
How do its members appear to want it to develop?
What kinds of values and principles will be involved in
deciding on (3) and on the educational means of achieving
(3) (p.28).
At the most basic level, a school can be said to have an
internationalised curriculum, if there is inclusion of specific
subjects such as international studies or global education. But
this can mean that only the students who choose these subjects
will develop international understandings. Where schools
actively develop an approach whereby subjects studied by all
students, across the curriculum, are broadened by international
content and ideas, then the enrichment has the potential to be
more pervasive and deep. This could include studies with diverse
perspectives on scientific, economic, political, environmental
and social issues of international importance and
internationalisation of the curriculum in these subject areas:
o
o
o
o
o
o
ENGLISH: choice of international texts, study of film from
around the world, and exploration of international issues
through speaking, listening, reading and writing.
ARTS and CRAFTS:
study of art and design in other
cultures and periods, cross-cultural influences and
analysis of varied art technologies
HOME ECONOMICS: study of food an nutrition
internationally
MATHEMATICS: investigation of the origins of mathematics,
algebra and geometry, or the use of international
statistics in authentic application of mathematic
solutions
PHYSICAL EDUCATION: study of international sporting
achievements or sport played in other parts of the world
MUSIC: A study of world music or the international popular
music scene.
In the selection of themes, topics or inquiry based
investigations that might be studied at the middle school level
through integrated approaches, there is also wide potential for
the inclusion of international perspectives with a past, present
and futures focus, for instance:
o
o
o
o
CHILDRENS’ LIFESTYLES: What factors influence children’s
lives in other parts of the world?
COMMUNICATION IN OUR WORLD: How has communication changed
and developed in our world?
URBAN LIFESTYLES: case studies of city living in many
parts of the world.
POPULAR CULTURE: What do the students in each class see as
the key elements of popular culture? How do their views
compare with trends in popular culture in other parts of
the world.
There is also potential for the curriculum to be
internationalised through a focus on contemporary issues that
could include any of the following:
Cultural/social issues
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
issues for Indigenous Australians, eg., land rights,
health, unemployment, cultural revival and breakdown,
education, housing
indigenous peoples in other parts of the world
refugees
population issues: over population, the ageing population,
etc.
immigration
cultural and lifestyle change and diversity
youth culture
multi-culturalism
homelessness
racism and discrimination
welfare
social justice
childhood and children’s' rights
identity
family life and community life
belief systems
the mass media
gender issues
Political and legal issues
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
peace and security issues
human rights
self-determination
economic
the role of local, state, national and global political
systems
rights and responsibilities of citizens, democratic rights
how government decisions are made
Australia's role in our region and the world
crime
legal systems
Development issues
o poverty
o sustainable agriculture and development
o
o
o
o
population issues: over population, the aging population,
etc
food and hunger
women in developing countries
the impact of technology.
Economic issues
o privatisation
o globalisation
o trade: free trade and protection
o debt issues
o issues of distribution of resources e.g., of wealth,
technology and information, food resources
o poverty and wealth
o urbanisation
o unemployment
o taxes and government spending
o work
o technology and change
Environmental issues
o ecological sustainability
o pollution
o use of natural resources
o land use
o extinction of species
o disposal of toxic waste
o energy issues, e.g. renewable versus non-renewable energy
o conservation.
In exploring these issues and others with students, teachers
could ask these questions as a guide in the selection of
content:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
does the issue interest the students?
does the issue have an impact on the students lives and
can they see the links?
are there local issues which students can investigate
'close up' and in a real context?
are there current events attracting student interest?
is the issue relevant in some way or does it have
connections with and value beyond the classroom?
will the issue lead to some kind of action and/or student
participation?
are resources available to investigate the issue?
Whalley (1997) argued that the curriculum must encourage
students to develop intercultural competence with an awareness
of other cultures and perspectives, as well as their own. To
achieve this, learning should draw on the ideas of local and
international students and diverse resources and case studies
should be explored with reference to many international
viewpoints.
Schools need to engage local and overseas
students
in
the
mutual
construction
of
international
knowledge, so that they can empathise with other world-views.
As Tsolidis (2001) argued,
… we need to engage with reciprocal and egalitarian crosscultural curriculum and pedagogy. …It is no longer a
matter of ‘us’ providing ‘them’ with something they need.
Instead, the consumer cooperative classroom requires a
mutually beneficial relationship for all involved.
Where there are cohorts of international students, their
particular needs, for instance in English language development
and social support, must be met. Edwards & Tudball’s (2001)
research suggested that some schools need to work harder to
achieve what has been described as ‘cultural mediation’; the
pairing of students with a friend or mentor who can assist them
to develop their repertoire of understandings of the host
culture, but at the same time become inter-culturally literate
through interaction with their peers (Heyward, 2002). The need
for local students to develop international perspectives is
vital, since without intercultural literacy, students lack
insights into their own primary culture, and can become
‘characteristically ethnocentric’ (Heyward, 2002.)
Clearly, schools need to develop policies on
internationalisation to inform curriculum planning. Existing
curricula needs to be audited and analysed for international
perspectives. A systematic whole school approach to integrating
international perspectives across the curricula is required.
There is a need to ensure that staff develop the knowledge,
understandings and skills to confidently engage in the
internationalisation process. It is vitally important that all
stakeholders participate, including both staff and students.
Triolo (1999) recognised that an internationalized curriculum
can take many forms, and in the past has often been part of
‘global education’ in schools. She noted that Calder & Smith
(1993) questioned whether education for a global perspective is
one education approach, or five - development education, human
rights education, environmental education, peace education and
multicultural education. They argued that the five approaches
offer 'distinctive starting points, emphases and organising
ideas', but each 'share common goals and concepts, which
complement and enhance one another' and lead to consideration of
the common global concerns' - the global perspective. (Calder &
Smith, 1993, p. 16.).
Global education has often been framed with these objectives:
Knowledge and Understanding:
o Awareness of self
Students should have an understanding of their place in a
family, local community, region, nation and the world.
o Awareness of other cultures
Students should be aware of both the diversity and similarity
of ideas and practices found in societies around the world, and
how the ideas and ways of their own society might be viewed by
others.
o Awareness of perspectives
Students should understand that particular viewpoints which are
not universally shared, do indeed affect decision-making and
behaviour. They should be aware of how perspectives are shaped,
and realise that it often happens unconsciously.
o Knowledge of inequalities within and between regions
Students should know about the major inequalities of wealth and
power in the world, both between and within countries. They
should be aware of the efforts being made to reduce them
through aid, trade, technology, disarmament and development,
etc.
o Understanding of interdependence
Students should understand that things are connected in the
ecological, economic, political and social environments.
Individuals and communities are linked with, influenced by, and
dependent upon others.
o Awareness of change and development
Students should be aware of the causes of change. They should
have an understanding of how values and attitudes determine
alternative approaches to development and shape possible
futures.
Feelings and Values:
o Positive self image
Students should have a sense of their own worth as individuals
and of the worth of their own family, social and cultural
background.
o Acceptance of and respect for others
Students should develop an appreciation of the worth of all
people, and have a willingness to seek out and learn from
others whether from similar or different backgrounds.
o Open-mindedness
Students should have a desire to find out more about issues
related to living in an interdependent world, a willingness to
approach all issues with a critical, reflective and open mind,
and a readiness to change their ideas as their understanding
grows.
o Empathy
Students should be willing to understand the feelings,
viewpoints and actions of others, particularly those in
situations different from their own.
o Concern for justice
Students should develop a love of justice and a willingness to
support the victims of injustice in their own and other
societies.
o
Respect for human rights
Students should be committed to defending their own rights and
the rights of others. They should be aware of the
responsibilities such rights entail.
o Commitment to democracy
Students should value the principles of equity as the basis
upon which relationships between individuals, groups and
societies should be organised.
Skills and Processes:
o Inquiry
Students should know how to find and record information about
world issues from publications of various kinds, from audiovisual materials and from interviewing people with special
experience.
o Critical thinking
Students should be able to evaluate the quality, relevance and
priority of information, to distinguish between fact and
opinion, and to recognise perspectives, bias and the validity of
sources.
o Communication
Students should be able to explain their ideas in a variety of
ways - in writing, discussion, in art and media forms - with
many people, including those of other cultures.
o Decision-making and problem solving
Students should be able to weigh up the relevance, validity and
implications of alternative solutions. Their decisions should be
clear and reasonable.
o Social skills
Students should develop the social skills necessary to work
cooperatively and express their views and feelings showing
consideration of others.
o Political skills
Students should develop the ability to participate in formal and
informal political decision-making at local, national and
international level in both formal and informal ways.
Involvement and Action:
o Willingness to be involved
Students should be motivated to act upon their insights to
redress challenges to human rights, justice and democracy.
o Identifying alternative courses of action
Students should know how to investigate actions already taken by
others, listening, discussing and reporting upon them, as well
as drawing on their own ideas to identify possible alternatives.
o
Evaluating likely consequences
Students should be able to reflect upon actions to
anticipate consequences and weigh up likely outcomes.
o Personal commitment
Students should have the desire to choose to take a particular
course of action as an individual or member of a group or class.
o Taking appropriate action
Students should know how to undertake action, from informative
action such as presenting findings to a wider audience, to
cooperative action which includes joining with community groups,
petitioning and fund-raising.
o Evaluating the process and effects of action
Students should develop the ability to reflect upon actions that
evolve from a school-based program. They should be able to
evaluate their success and map future alternatives that can be
taken by students or concerned community members.
(Calder & Smith, 1993, pp. 19-21.).
In many schools the internationalisation of education has
occurred primarily in the Studies of Society and Environment
(SOSE) key learning area. The national Statement on Studies of
Society and Environment for Australian Schools (Curriculum
Corporation, 1994) informed much of the development of SOSE
curriculum in all states over the past decade and stated that,
In SOSE, students learn about societies and environments from
the local to the global. This develops an understanding of the
diversity of natural and cultural environments and their
interactions. Studying global issues gives students a grasp of
the roles of societies and nations in the world and an
understanding of ecological, economic, social and political
interdependence. Understanding the interaction of global natural
systems and the interdependence of all living things is central
to dealing with the concept of ecologically sustainable
development. Students also develop an appreciation of
Australia's place in the global community and its role in
helping to achieve international cooperation. This perspective
highlights the effects of cultural interaction and global
economic exchange and students come to understand the impact of
some cultures on others, the global marketplace, and the efforts
to increase their competitiveness.
(p. 7.)
More than twenty-five years ago, Pike & Selby (1988) argued the
case for the internationalisation of education. They believed
that students should learn about global ecological, social,
technological, economic and political issues, and their
interdependence through a model that included learning for,
through and about global perspectives in order to understand the
world and their connections with it. They suggested that
students should undertake a broad range of activities that
include:
o
experiential learning in which students learn from their
own and other people's experiences and feelings
o
o
inquiry learning in which students form hypotheses, devise
questions, determine how and where to obtain information,
critically analyse their findings, take action and reflect
upon outcomes
collaborative learning in which students work in pairs,
small groups or larger groups, cooperating and negotiating
to solve problems or achieve intended outcomes. (pp. 4950.)
Further, they suggested that students could experience what they
are learning through the very nature of the classroom
environment, for example, through students' and teachers' clear
respect of each other's rights and awareness of
responsibilities, and teachers' modelling of appropriate values,
attitudes and behaviours. As students move beyond the classroom,
they learn through active and positive participation in, and
interaction with, the natural or social environment.
Just like the education for the sustainability of ecological and
cultural diversity, global/local education is not the preserve
of any one discipline or one part of the school program , it
must draw on the knowledges available across the curriculum
(Singh, 2003).
For instance, the development of
through the learning of language
priority for more that a decade.
recognition that students do not
also about the cultures of other
language.
international understanding
has been a national government
There is well-documented
only learn language skills, but
nations when they study another
In the past, curriculum has often been constructed without
reference to big global questions, but in these times, such a
response is not possible. The nature of school populations
necessitates an internationalised curriculum. Confronting issues
such as the events of September 11, the war in Iraq and its
aftermath, and terrorism in Bali were all brought vividly to
students of all ages on television screens and through all
facets of the media. These events should not be ignored in
school classrooms. Young people should not be expected to bury
their heads in the sand and carry on with the study of less
relevant curriculum issue when events of such magnitude occur.
There are sensitive ways that teachers can allow students to ask
and explore questions which concern them. Young people deserve
the opportunity to engage in civic realities and the chance to
inquire, question, debate opinions, develop futures
orientations, and decide on actions they might take for their
world.
How can the curriculum be internationalized?
Cope & Kalantsis (1997) suggested that in a progressive view of
curriculum development, the substantive essence of the
curriculum is not pre-determined, but arises from an open
inquiry process and the key content is based on contemporary
issues. In this approach, students are far more engaged in the
process of negotiating what they learn and how. Beane &
Broadhagen (1993) argued that this approach to curriculum
development can lead to worthwhile student learning outcomes,
when students work through this model:
Stage 1.
PERSONAL CONCERNS
Students brainstorm a list of questions they have about
themselves.
Stage 2.
FINDING COMMON PERSONAL CONCERNS
Students in small groups share their questions about themselves
and decide which of these are ‘common’ questions, of interest to
a number of members of the group.
Stage 3.
WORLD CONCERNS
Students brainstorm a list of questions they have about their
world.
Stage 4.
FINDING COMMON GLOBAL QUESTIONS
Students in small groups share their questions about their
world, and decide which of these are ‘common’ questions.
Stage 5.
FINDING THEMES
Small groups (with adult support if possible), consider ways in
which some of their personal and social questions may be
connected and developed into themes.
Stage 6.
SHARING THEMES
Small groups share their ideas for themes.
Stage 7.
SELECTING THEMES
Students vote on themes to identify the most popular themes and
the curriculum is negotiated for working on the themes.
Stage 8
CONNECTING QUESTIONS TO THEMES
A group of students decides on the questions
Stage 9.
SELECTING ACTIVITIES
Each question relating to the current themes is written on the
top of a separate piece of butchers’ paper. Students in pairs or
groups of three walk around the room adding ideas to the sheets.
Stage 10. UNIT PLANNING
Students’ suggested activities (and teacher chosen ones) are
used as the basis for unit planning around the themes chosen by
the students.
Broad topics that arise out of the intersection of these
personal and social concerns and the associated skills and
knowledge base form the basis of curriculum. Some examples of
commonly negotiated themes in classrooms are: interdependence
among peoples, problems in the environment, political processes
and structures, the place and future of current technologies,
and self-destructive behaviours such as abuse and crime.
Beane (1993) argued that,
‘Regardless of what we may want them to be, early
adolescents are young people trying to work through the
issues that face them at this time of their lives. …The
success of a middle school curriculum clearly depends in
part on the degree to which it (addresses)…problems like
poverty, homelessness, pollution and racism .... Many
young people experience these problems every day of their
lives. Moreover, these issues are ‘marginalised’ by the
typical academic-centred subject-area curriculum both in
terms of the narrow view of what it presents and by what
it leaves out. An adequately framed general education
must thus address these issues or risk collapsing under
the weight of its own irrelevancy.’ (p.14).
In the following section, two examples are presented of schools
where internationalisation has been an explicit goal of the
schools; Atlantic World College (Wales), one of the ten United
World College campuses located world wide, and Caulfield Grammar
school, (Melbourne).
The United World College (UWC) of the Atlantic
In Rawlings (1999) study of the United World College (UWC), she
noted that the mission statement made explicit the core cultural
values of the school and articulated a belief in the possibility
of a progressive, peaceful global society. The UWC’s mission
and code of conduct states that:
Through international education, shared experience and
community service, UWC’s enable young people to become
responsible citizens, politically and environmentally
aware, committed to the ideals of peace, justice,
understanding and cooperation, and to the implementation
of these ideals through action and personal example.
Code of conduct:
o Promotion of international understanding and tolerance
o Respect for others regardless of sex, religion, race,
culture, or social status, coupled with positive action to
remove intolerance wherever it is found.
o Active participation in a program of Service to others and
the environment
o The demonstration of leadership and responsibility in
college affairs
o The proper pursuit of academic study
(UWC, 1996, cited in Rawlings,
p.155).
Most UWC's have approximately two hundred students, all of whom
study for the International Baccalaureate exams at the end of
their two-year stay. The concept of ‘Service’ is central to the
UWC life, and this may involve social services such as,
… visiting elderly persons, tutoring disadvantaged youths,
helping to clean up local parks, or perhaps building a
boardwalk through a rainforest to protect the delicate
ecosystem. The goal of serving both the local and global
communities may be enhanced using skills learned by
participating in other activities that range from scuba
diving, to ocean patrol and rescue, to forestry
protection, to library and information services.
…The life of a student is further filled with learning
national dances from other lands, cultural cooking, music,
theatre productions, and plenty of time spent in lively
discussions about everything from religion to politics, to
the best way to brew tea or cook rice! Somehow, students
also seem to find time to fit in homework and recreation,
as well!
(UWC, 2003)
Rawlings (1999) found that,
Curricular and pedagogical interventions which aim to
transmit a vision of a global society (her emphasis) are
effective tools for the development of globally oriented,
participatory student communities (p.176).
This vision is operationalized through purposeful activities of
the student community and through teacher initiated activities
in classrooms, the residential life, services and activities
program, and the ‘hidden curriculum’.
From her study of UWC,
Rawlings conluded that that there needs to be key interventions
to build a globally oriented and participatory student community
summarised in the following table:
Global orientation and participation
Interventions which transmit an Ability to imagine alternatives
idealistic vision, lead to -
in a global context,
abandonment of fear and
pessimism, and a will to act.
Interventions which transmit a
Recognition of global
vision of the current world
interdependence, an informed
situation, lead to –
critical perspective, and
commitment to action.
Student initiated projects that
develop individual
responsibility and motivation.
Interventions which transmit a
Promotion of tolerance, and
vision of the school community,
collective participation.
lead to –
Interventions which transmit a
Increased sense of individual
vision of human potential, lead
responsibility- a pre-condition
to -
for global responsibility
Service learning leads to –
Personal encounter with human
diversity, a more acute
observation of common humanity,
and the knowledge that
prejudicial barriers can be
dismantled and people of
diverse backgrounds can work
together.
Also, a sense of fulfilment and
participation in civic life
Pedagogical interventions which
Interest in the world’s
foster inquisitiveness and
cultural heritage and
curiosity, lead to -
cosmopolitan attitudes and the
will to act.
Residential activities (amongst
peers from diverse
backgrounds), lead to -
Improved understanding of
social relationships, and
consciousness of world
citizenship through social
encounters and a service ethic.
Rawlings (1999) noted that the UWC students genuinely want to be
agents of change in their world and have these views of the UW
college’s explicit international education vision,
…(It) makes me realize that there is a world out there and
if I want to succeed in life, it’s me who is to make the
effort. If I don’t, failure is looking straight into my
eyes.
…The future is not necessarily good, but we have the
opportunity to do something with it.
…Now I see I am a citizen of the world…
…When I look back, I was living in a little bubble. Now I
have the tools to participate in society
(Rawlings, p.109).
Students in the school are actively engaged in programs to
generate social, political and environmental concern through
groups such as Amnesty International, Crisis Response and World
Affairs which meet weekly and special programs such as a visit
to Israel and the west bank for ‘project week’ and a Peace and
conflict resolution Program. The UWC Principal argued that,
Students need to share in the concept that they are and
certainly will be building the world of the future. They
need to be part of that construction and delivery of this
educational experience (Jenkins, 1998,b. p.97, cited in
Rawlings, 1999).
Internationalisation at Caulfield Grammar School
At Caulfield Grammar School (CGS) the internationalisation of
the curriculum occurs in a variety of ways, but special programs
to develop international understandings are offered for year
nine level students either through the five-week elective
overseas campus experience in Nanjing in China, or a through a
specially designed ‘International’ course based in Australia.
Malcolm Pritchard, Deputy-Principal at CGS, commented that the
underlying principles and structure of the Nanjing campus course
aim to:
…prepare students to meet the challenges of contributing
to an evolving and interdependent global community…(and to
encourage the)…education and nurturing of forward thinking
and internationally minded citizens. This unit is designed
as a student-centred, and largely student-negotiated
learning experience, with a focus on exposure to Chinese
culture and language. The campus embodies CGS’s commitment
to preparing students for a future with a global focus. In
establishing its first international campus in China, the
school has chosen a target country that will have a most
profound influence on the evolution of the global
community in the coming century, politically, culturally,
and particularly economically.
Participants learn a great deal about themselves –
cultural awareness (is) to enhance self-awareness…(and)
students are encouraged to question and modify their
existing cultural paradigm through objective observation,
critical examination, active participation, accurate
reflection, and finally, a personal reconceptualisation of
the participants’ world view. The programme promotes
personal independence through active learning in a less
structured, and less teacher-dependent, setting.
Participants will acquire many practical skills associated
with coping and operating in a foreign linguistic and
cultural environment. These skills and experiences form an
important part of each student’s preparation for a future
in a truly internationalised global economy.
(Pritchard, 2003).
In the early stages of the development of the program, the
Principal, Stephen Newton, commented that a commitment to
internationalism is:
…a recognition that our students are not only citizens of
Australia, but citizens of the world ...they will be faced
with many opportunities to live and to work in countries
other than our own, and they will be members of the
competitive international workforce of the future.
(Caulfield Grammar School, 1998, p.3)
Caulfield Grammar’s Melbourne based program also provides year
nine students with opportunities to understand Australia’s
global connections and patterns of cultural, economic, social
and environmental activities. Interestingly, the Caulfield
Grammar School approach to Internationalism is also consistent
with Kell’s definition of Internationalisation as a:
...means (of) establishing long term linkages in which
Australian students and teachers can learn about Asian
communities and connect with developments in those
communities…it means educational organisations will have
to develop networks and links which span traditional
disciplines; industries and corporations; and integrate
with other multi-national organisations (Kell, 1997).
The CEPS program (2000) concluded that there are particular
educational strategies and approaches to teaching and learning
that will be important in an internationalised curriculum:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Teach subject matter in a manner that encourages children
to think critically.
Emphasize students’ ability to critically assess
information in an increasingly media-based society.
Establish a curriculum which uses the potential of
information-based technologies.
Establish extensive international links among educational
institutions at all levels to support international
studies, and research and curriculum development focusing
on citizenship education.
Cultivate a population of teachers with international
experience and cross-cultural sensitivity.
Implement programs of international student exchange in
order to promote mutual understandings among different
cultures.
Increase attention to global issues and international
studies.
Require that opportunities for community action and
involvement be an important feature of the school
curriculum.
Promote schools as active centers of community life and as
agents for community development.
Increase opportunities for students to be involved in
cooperative learning activities.
o
o
Establish extensive liaisons and joint projects among
schools and other social institutions (e.g., industry,
NGOs, churches, community groups) to support education.
(Cogan, 1997, 10-11)
Once again, this list demonstrates the importance of
local/global studies and practical and authentic learning
experiences to develop students knowledge and understanding. The
United Nations Cyberschoolbus suggests examples of these kinds
of strategies for schools:
(http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/briefing/education/index.htm)
Suggested activities for students
o Do you know which article in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights refers to the rights to education? Get a copy
of the declaration and find out the different aspects of
education that are covered by this particular human right.
http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/index.htm Is this right being
respected in your community/country? If not, what are
some of the impediments that are preventing it from being
respected? Conduct research on this topic as a class
project.
o
Launch an "Education for All" campaign by mobilizing your
friends, members of your family, community and elected
officials.
o
Commemorate International Literacy Day (September 8)
through various activities such as exhibitions, seminars,
round tables, etc. Invite representatives of local
organizations working with street children, marginalized
youth, adult literacy, refugees and other disadvantaged
groups to your school and organize a discussion day with
them. http://www.unesco.org/education.
o
Get involved with a local association or civic
organization working on literacy or informal educational
projects and share your skills and knowledge. Organize
evening literacy classes for adults in your school and, in
return, invite them to share their oral history and
traditions with the students for a mutual learning
experience.
o
Support and learn more about world concerns through the
UNESCO Co-Action Programme which helps fund many different
small scale educational projects, proposed and implemented
by non-governmental organizations, community groups and
individuals. You could raise funds for children with
special needs in Samoa; a village school in Burkina Faso;
a library for marginalized youths in Guatemala; or any
other similar projects. Ask for a project brochure from
the UNESCO Co-Action Programme, based at the agency’s
headquarters in Paris, tel. n°: (+33-1) 45 68 15 66 or fax
n°: (33-145 68 55 07.
Conclusion
Twenty-five years ago, The Standing Conference on Education for
International Understanding was formed in the UK, to ‘promote
the spirit and practice of internationalism in education in the
UK. They argued that,
We must enable (young people) to understand and respect
the languages, customs, needs, and aspirations of other
peoples. Above all we must develop in them a perception of
the common humanity which binds all people together, and
an acceptance of the responsibilty that we all have for
the survival of the human race and the just development of
the planet.
(1985 information pamphlet, cited in Rawlings, 1999)
In Tasmania, the new Essential Learnings Statement (2003)
developed in consultation with teachers, parents, students and
other members of the community emphasised the need to prepare
learners to live full and healthy lives and to equip them the
help shape a future they want to live in. Curriculum for the
future is to be organized around these ideas, Thinking,
Communicating, Personal futures, Social Responsibility and World
Futures. It is crucial that we remember that our main goal as
educators is to develop curriculum that engages young people in
issues of critical importance in understanding their world and
their future. An internationalised curriculum is a vital
element in that process. This challenges us to be courageous
about auditing and cleaning out the curriculum, to take away
some content and strategies that don’t have the same pressing
relevance in today’s world, and to develop strategies that
empower young people to be active participants in an
increasingly interdependent world. This is a futures-oriented
learning imperative for educators.
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