A study on deriving content elements related to Global Competence Education in middle schools: Based on the PISA 2018 Global Competence Assessment

Ahead of introduction of revised 2022 National Curriculum for middle schools in 2025, research has been actively investigating how to align international academic achievement results with the curriculum. While agreeing on the necessity of implementing the global education agenda, there was a tendency to be passive in dealing with the concepts of global citizenship and global competency at a general level and in systematizing the content based on the results of assessments. The research draws from the PISA 2018 global competence assessment, specifically selecting key elements related to Global Citizenship Education (GCED). To analyze the impact of GCED on global competence, structural equation modeling was applied to student-level data from Republic of Korea(ROK)'s PISA 2018 assessment. The study explored the mediating effect of students’ agency regarding global issues, examining how GCED influences sub-elements of global competence. The analysis revealed three global competences that were most strongly associated with effective GCED practices: cognitive adaptability, interest in learning about other cultures, and awareness of global issues. These competences were selected as major elements for organizing content elements for the integrated curriculum beyond the transformative level.