Exploring the Experiences and Outcomes of Adults with Developmental Disabilities in Global Citizenship Education Programs

The purpose of this study is to qualitatively analyze and explore the experiences and outcomes of adults with developmental disabilities who participated in global citizenship education programs (GCED) and to explore future directions for global citizenship education (GCE) for people with developmental disabilities. For this purpose, class outcomes were collected from participants with developmental disabilities who previously participated in a GCED study, individual interviews were conducted with all participants immediately after the end of the intervention and two months later, after the intervention was completed. The data was then analyzed using basic qualitative research methods, and three major themes and seven sub-themes (Becoming a Global Citizen, Practicing as a Global Citizen, and Global Citizen with a Warm Heart) were identified. The first theme was “Becoming a Global Citizen”. In the first theme, the research participants reported that they acquired the knowledge necessary to be a global citizen by participating in the program. Furthermore, participants said the topics they would like to learn through GCE would enable them to become better global citizens. The second theme was “global citizens in action”, in which participants became interested in international social issues through GCE and wanted to participate in actions to help them. The last theme was “global citizens with a warm heart”, in which the participants showed empathy for international social issues and realized that the word global village extends beyond humans to the environment. Based on the results of this study, directions for future GCE for people with developmental disabilities were made.