Examining Jamaican Teachers’ Global
Perspectives – Part I
By Sarah Mathews, Ph.D.,
Flavia Iuspa, Ed.D.,
and
George Dawkins, Ed.D.
COE Brownbag Research Seminar
December 10, 2014
Phase One Overview
Vision 2030 Jamaica calls for globalizing Jamaica
 FIU offers globally-focused Masters in Curriculum and Instruction
degree program in Kingston, Jamaica
 This study seeks to examine two questions:
1) What is the global perspective profile of the selected inservice Jamaican teachers?
2) Is there a statistically significant difference in teachers’ global
perspectives GPI subscales by demographic* characteristics and
experiences abroad?
 Utilizing the Global Perspective Inventory (GPI) survey

Background
 The world is becoming increasingly more globally-connected (Castles, 2007;
Friedman, 2000; Suarez-Orozco, 2004)
 Globalization processes create a need to adjust the education goals of each country
to prepare globally competent citizens
 Global competency is defined as “the capacity and disposition to understand
and act on issues of global significance (Boix-Mansilla & Jackson, 2011, p. xiii).
 Vision 2030 Jamaica:
 “To contribute national development and compete effectively in the global
economy” (Government of Jamaica, 2012).
 “Well resourced, internationally recognized, values based system that develops
critical thinking, lifelong learners who are productive, successful, and effectively
contribute to an improved quality of life at the personal, national, and global
levels” (Government of Jamaica, 2012).
Background and Research Purpose
 Global education should be infused in all levels of the curriculum (Abdullahi,
2010; Bruce, Podemski, & Anderson, 1991; Zhao, 2009)
 Educators must have a well developed global perspective in order to
incorporate global education (Merryfield & Wilson, 2005)
 Hanvey’s (1976) 5 dimensions of global perspective: 1) Perspective
Consciousness, 2) Cross-Cultural Awareness, 3) State of the Planet Awareness, 4)
Knowledge of Global Dynamics, 5) Awareness of Human Choices
 Substantive domain – Mastery of information
 Perceptual domain – Disposition or perceptual frameworks impacting how one views
the world*
 This study explores Jamaican in-service teachers’ global perspectives.
Research Questions
Two research questions:
 Q1: What is the global perspective profile of the selected in-service
Jamaican teachers?
 Q2: Is there a statistically significant difference in teachers’ global
perspectives GPI subscales by demographic* characteristics and
experiences abroad?
*Demographics= gender, highest level of teaching preparation
Conceptual Framework:
Global Perspective Inventory
• Kegan (1994) outlined three domains of holistic human
development: Cognitive, Intrapersonal, and Interpersonal.
•Braskamp, Braskamp, Merril, and Engberg (2013) suggest a holistic
approach to global perspective development based on three
domains:
GPI
Cognitive
Dimension,
Intrapersonal
Dimension,
Interpersonal
Dimension,
Knowledge
Intrapersonal
Affect
Social
Responsibility
Knowing
Intrapersonal
Identity
Social
Interaction
How do I
know?
Who am I?
How do I relate
to others?
Methodology
# of question
◦ Quantitative Study
◦ Instrument: GPI, consist of 76
items, of which 40 close
ended questions based on a
five-point Likert scale.
Cognitive Domain
Knowledge
5
Knowing
8
Intrapersonal Domain
Intrapersonal Affect
9
Intrapersonal identity
7
Interpersonal Domain
Social Responsibility
5
Social Interaction
7
Curriculum, Co-Curriculum, and
Community
23
Methodology Continued


Data Collection
 GPI was administered by hand in 2 high schools and 1 college located in
Kingston,* Jamaica.
 Convenience sample, N=280, n=176, response rate of 63%, Spring 2013
 Pilot Study**
 Keyed into Qualtrics to facilitate analysis in SPSS.
Data Analysis
 Descriptive Statistics – Qualtrics and SPSS – (to answer Q1 of the study)
 Statistical Analysis – T-tests and Anova – (to answer Q2 of the study)
Question 1 -Results
What is the global perspective profile of the selected inservice Jamaican teachers?
Demographics:
 89% were females,
 59% full-time teachers,
 42% hold a bachelors degree in education
 Field of study: 24% reported Education and Social Education, 18% Arts and
Humanities
 91% of the participants reported not having participated in study abroad.
Cognitive Dimension Descriptive Statistics
Knowing Items (recognizing
the importance of cultural
context/impact)
Percentages
I take into account different
perspectives before drawing
conclusions about the world
around me.
• 82 % SA o A
• 12% Neutral
• 5% D
In different settings what is right
and wrong is simple to
determine.*
• 59 % SA or A
• 17% Neutral
• 24% SD or D
When I noticed cultural
differences, my culture tends to
have a better approach.*
• 52% SA or A
• 35% Neutral
• 13% SD or D
Cultural Differences makes me
question what is really true
• 45% SA or A
• 25% Neutral
• 30% SD or D
I rarely question what I have
been taught about the world
around me.*
• 45% SA or D
• 25% Neutral
• 31% SD or D
Knowledge Items
(understanding/awareness
of cultures and current
issues)
Percentage
I can discuss cultural
differences from an
informed perspective
• 64% SA or A
• 27% Neutral
• 9 % SD or D
I know how to analyze the
basic characteristics of a
culture
• 60% SA or A
• 29% Neutral
• 11% SD or D
I am informed of a current
issues that impact
international relations.
• 60% SA or A
• 32% Neutral
• 8% SD or D
Intrapersonal Descriptive Statistics
Intrapersonal identity
(awareness of how
gender, ethnicity, and
race impact one’s
identity)
Percentages
I have definite goals
for my life
99% SA or A
I know who I am as a
person
92% SA or A
I put my beliefs into
action by standing up
for my principles
91% SA or A
I am willing to defend
my own views when
they differ from others
86% SA or A
Intrapersonal Affect
(Respect and Acceptance
of other culture)
Percentages
I am sensitive to those
who are discriminated
against
82% SA or A
I am accepting people
with different religious
and spiritual traditions
72% SA or A
I constantly need
affirmative confirmation
about myself from
others*
• 71% SD or D
• 18% Neutral
• 11% SA or A
I feel threatened around
people from
backgrounds different
from my own*
• 69% SD or D
• 22% Neutral
• 9% SA or A
I get offended often by
people who do not
understand my point-ofview.*
• 43% SD or D
• 33% SA or A
• 25% Neutral
Interpersonal Descriptive Statistic
Interpersonal Social
Interaction (interaction
with other cultures and
cultural sensitivity)
Percentages
Most of my friends are from
my own ethnic
background.*
• 82% SA or A
• 8% Neutral
• 10% SD o D
Interpersonal Social
Responsibility (social
concern for others
and
interdependencies)
Percentages
I consciously behave
in terms of making a
difference
• 89% SA or A
• 9% Neutral
• 1% D
I enjoy when my friends
from other cultures teach
me about our cultural
differences.
• 68% SA or A
• 24%Neutral
• 8% SD or D
I think of my life in
terms of giving back
to society
• 84% SA or A
• 10% Neutral
• 6% SD or D
• 61% SA or A
• 26% Neutral
• 13% SD or D
Volunteering is not an
important priority in
my life.*
• 79% SD or D
• 12% Neutral
• 8% SA or A
I am open to people who
strive to live lives very
different from my own life
style.
• 48% SA or A
• 40% Neutral
• 12% SD or D
I work for the rights of
others
• 55% SA or A
• 35% Neutral
• 10% SA or A
I am able to take on
various roles as
appropriate in different
cultures and ethnic
settings
I intentionally involve
people from many cultural
backgrounds in my life.
• 38% SA or A
• 31% Neutral
• 31% SD or D
Curricular Scores
Curricular Items
Multicultural course
addressing issues of
race, ethnicity,
gender, class,
religion, or sexual
orientation.
Foreign language
course
World history course
Course focused on
significant
global/international
issues and problems
Course that includes
opportunities for
intensive dialogue
among students with
different
backgrounds and
beliefs
0
1
Numbers of Courses
2
3
4
5+
Mean
12%
43%
25%
6%
5%
8%
3
44%
41%
6%
3%
1%
5%
2
45%
26%
17%
6%
2%
4%
2
44%
29%
12%
11%
2%
4%
2
30%
35%
11%
9%
4%
12%
3
Co-Curricular and Community Scores
Co- Curricular
Items
Attended a
lecture/workshop/c
ampus discussion
on
international/globa
l issues
Followed an
international
event/crisis (e.g.,
through
newspaper, social
media, or other
media source)
Interacted with
people from a
country different
from your own.
Interacted with
people from a
race/ethnic group
different than your
own
Participated in
events or activities
sponsored groups
reflecting your
own cultural
heritage
Participated in
leadership
programs that
stress
collaboration and
team work
N (0)
29%
2%
Percent of Respondents
R (1)
S (2)
O (3)
31%
10%
26%
37%
11%
22%
Mean
VO (4)
2%
29%
2.28
3.65
4%
25%
38%
22%
10%
3.09
2%
31%
42%
20%
4%
2.93
15%
23%
43%
11%
5%
2.68
3%
11%
36%
40%
18%
3.47
Community
Items
SA (5)
Percent of Respondents
A (4) N (3) D (2) SD (1)
Mean
I have a
strong sense
of affiliation
with the
school I work
in.
43%
40%
11%
4%
2%
1.83
I feel that my
school
community
honors
diversity and
internationali
sm.
17%
47%
28%
6%
2%
2.28
I feel I am a
part of a
close
community
of colleagues
and friends.
26%
46%
21%
5%
2%
2.10
Question 2- Is there a statistically
significant difference in teachers’ global
perspectives sub-scales by …?
(a) Gender
 An independent-samples t-test
 There was a statistically significant difference Cognitive Knowledge Scale
 Men: (M=10.52, SD=1.93)
(c) Teachers’ Education Level
 Female: (M=11.79, SD=2.83)
 An Anova test
 Conditions; t(172)=-1.899, p=0.0295*
 Overall, there was no statistically significant effect on
teachers’ education level and the GPI subscales
 There was no statistical significance on any other GPI subscale
 Statistically significant difference
 Intrapersonal Identity subscale
(b) Experiences Abroad
 Conditions [F(6,142)=1.960, p=0.0375*)
 An independent-samples t-test
 Intrapersonal Affect
 There was a statistically significant difference Cognitive Knowing Scale
 Conditions [F(6,142)=2.068, p=0.045*)
 Ex. Abroad: (M=25.13, SD=3.46), No. Ex. Abroad: (M=21.55.
SD=4.54),
 Conditions; t(171)=2.97, p=0.003*
 There was a statistically significant difference in the Interpersonal
Social Interaction Scale
 Ex. Abroad: (M=14.50, SD=21.63), No. Ex. Abroad: (M=17.66,
SD=3.68),
 Conditions; t(171)=2.97, p=0.1014*
*p<0.05
Summary of the Findings – GPI Results
 How do I know?
 Knowing Dimension – Participants report a neutral scores toward the importance of cultural
content.
 Knowledge Dimension - Participants report a high level of awareness of cultures and current
issues.
 Who am I?
 Intrapersonal Identity – Participants report a high level of awareness of who they are (identity).
 Intrapersonal Affect – Participants report a high affect towards respect and acceptance of other
culture.
 How do I relate to others?
 Interpersonal Social Responsibility – Participants report a high level of concern for others (attribute
for global citizenship).
 Interpersonal Social Interaction – Participants report a mix tendency toward interaction with other
cultures and cultural sensitivity.
Summary of the Findings Continued
 Curricular Results
 Overall participants reported taken 1 or less courses in areas such as foreign language, world
history, global education, and conflict resolution.
 Co-Curricular Results
 Overall participants reported the lack access to workshop and/ campus discussion on
international/global issues.
 Respondents reported a slightly higher level of engagement in activities that promote professional
development than global development.
 Community Results
 Participants reported a positive perceptions of their communities on their own professional
development.
 GPI subscales and gender: females scored higher in the cognitive knowledge score.
 GPI subscales: experience abroad demonstrated significantly higher cognitive knowing
and social responsibility subscale scores.
Limitations
• Convenient sampling (non-probability)
• Lack of generalization
• Larger number of participants were women than men
Implications
 Include more courses that promote self-reflection
 Create cross-cultural and intercultural opportunities within the community setting
 Developing a global perspective course in our program and other professional development
opportunities
 Facilitate study abroad opportunities
 Explicitly embed three domains of global perspective into the curriculum
Significance of the Study
Limited research on Jamaican teachers’ levels of global perspective
Inform our program as well as any teacher education program
interested in aligning curricula to prepare for Vision 2030
Pose recommendations for global education in Jamaica
Further Research – Phase Two
Coming Spring 2015
 Mixed Methods (Phase Two Began Fall 2014)
 Distributed GPI in every parish on the island
 Semi-structured Interviews with 20 teachers (representative of the 14 parishes)
 Objectives
 Examine nuances of some questions based on socio-cultural context
 Examine statistical significance of different demographic characteristics
 Examine teachers perspectives of additional aspects of global education (e.g.
global awareness, global engagement, teacher efficacy)
Questions/Comments