An investigation of integrating global citizenship education (GCED) elements into geography pedagogy

This study investigates the integration of Global Citizenship Education (GCED) elements into the geography pedagogy of preservice teachers. With the increasing emphasis on cultivating global perspectives, the research examines how preservice teachers incorporate GCED elements, including sustainability, social justice, and global interdependence, into their geography lessons during teaching simulations. The study involves the analysis of 39 lesson plans and teaching simulations, focusing on the presence and application methods of GCED elements. Findings indicate that most groups included 2-3 GCED elements, predominantly using indirect methods to integrate these themes. However, some groups struggled to align their lesson plans with their teaching simulations, with GCED elements often superficially mentioned or not fully connected to the content. Key challenges identified were a lack of training, insufficient resources, and difficulty in applying global themes to specific geography topics. Despite these challenges, improvements were noted over time, as teachers developed better strategies for integrating GCED through feedback and practice. The study underscores the need for comprehensive teacher training, the development of GCED-supportive curriculum materials, and the promotion of collaborative and experiential learning approaches. These efforts are essential to equipping future educators with the skills and confidence to integrate global citizenship themes effectively, preparing students to engage with global issues critically and responsibly.