The Journal of Social Studies Research 44 (2020) 367e381

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The Journal of Social Studies Research

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Using a global competence model in an instructional design

course before social studies methods: A developmental
approach to global teacher education
Elizabeth O. Crawford*, Heidi J. Higgins, Jeremy Hilburn
University of North Carolina, Wilmington, USA

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: This case study describes the design, learning experiences, and student outcomes in one
Received 1 October 2019 Instructional Design course with an explicit focus on globally competent teaching. We
Received in revised form 14 April 2020 make the argument that forefronting global competence in an Instructional Design course,
Accepted 17 April 2020
prior to social studies methods, is a necessary precursor to accelerate students’ progress on
Available online 11 June 2020
a pathway towards teaching for global competence. In support of this argument, we (a)
describe the ways in which an Instructional Design course in one university forefronted
Keywords:
global competence; (b) explain the short- and long-term outcomes of this design; and (c)
Curriculum design
Global competence
highlight four students to illustrate how the Instructional Design course helped to move
Global educator students along a pathway towards global competence. We nest our approach within a
Global perspective globally competent teaching framework.
Immersive storytelling © 2020 The International Society for the Social Studies. Published by Elsevier, Inc.
Instructional design
Pedagogy
Perspective-taking
Teacher
Education

In an increasingly complex, interconnected world, effective teachers of today’s students require intercultural competency
and a global perspective, or knowing how to teach core content in ways that are relevant and transcend borders. Research
suggests, however, that the majority of teachers and teacher candidates perceive the world from an ethnocentric orientation
(Cushner, 2014; Grossman & Yuen, 2006; Mahon, 2006). While international practica may enhance teachers’ cultural
sensitivity, nurture empathy for others, and expand their worldview, few teachers are able to participate in such immersive
cultural experiences (Mahon & Cushner, 2002). Teacher preparation programs are thus charged with designing impactful
experiences to enhance teacher candidates’ global perspectives and cross-cultural understandings so they may, in turn,
transfer these competencies to their future K-12 students. Yet, there is a dearth of research on the effects of teacher training on
teachers’ attitudes toward global learning and how it can be “systematically fostered” (Scheunpflug & Mehren, 2016). Because
teachers’ perspectives on learning and pedagogy can play an influential role in how they design and implement curriculum
and instruction (Hancock & Gallard, 2004), understanding preservice teachers’ views on teaching with a global perspective
provides insight into their development. Building upon Tichnor-Wagner, Parkhouse, Glazier, and Cain’s (2019) globally

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: crawforde@uncw.edu (E.O. Crawford).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jssr.2020.04.002
0885-985X/© 2020 The International Society for the Social Studies. Published by Elsevier, Inc.
368 E.O. Crawford et al. / The Journal of Social Studies Research 44 (2020) 367e381

Table 1
Sample conceptualizations of global competence in the literature.

Source Definitions
Boix Mansilla and Jackson (2011) “Globally competent individuals are aware, curious, and interested in learning about
the world and how it works. They can use the big ideas, tools, methods, and languages
that are central to any discipline (mathematics, literature, history, science, and the arts)
to engage the pressing issues of our time. They deploy and develop this expertise as they
investigate such issues, recognizing multiple perspectives, communicating their views
effectively, and taking action to improve conditions” (p. xiii ).

Hunter, White, and Godbey (2006) “Having an open mind while actively seeking to understand cultural norms and expectations
of others, leveraging this gained knowledge to interact, communicate and work effectively outside
one’s environment” (p. 277).

OECD (2018) “the capacity to examine local, global and intercultural issues, to understand and appreciate the
perspectives and world views of others, to engage in open, appropriate and effective interactions
with people from different cultures, and to act for collective well-being and sustainable development” (p. 7).

Olson and Kroeger (2001) One who “has enough substantive knowledge, perceptual understanding, and intercultural
communication skills to effectively interact in our globally interdependent world” (p. 117).

Reimers (2009) “the knowledge and skills that help people understand the flat world in which they live, the
skills to integrate across disciplinary domains to comprehend global affairs and events, and
the intellect to create possibilities to address them” (p. 25).

competent teaching framework, this study explores the impacts of an Instructional Design course on preservice teachers’
perceptions and abilities to teach for global competence in K-6 classrooms.
In this paper, we make the argument that forefronting global competence in an Instructional Design course, prior to social
studies methods, is a necessary precursor to accelerate students’ progress on a pathway towards globally competent teaching.
In support of this argument, we (a) describe the ways in which an Instructional Design course in one university forefronted
global competence; (b) describe the short- and long-term outcomes of this design; and (c) highlight four student case studies
to illustrate how the Instructional Design course helped move students along the pathway towards global competence. We
nest our approach within a globally competent teaching framework (Tichnor-Wagner, Parkhouse, Glazier, & Cain, 2019).
Our research addresses a gap in the literature in that we highlight a possible role for an Instructional Design course in
teacher candidates’ journeys toward globally competent teaching. Typically, Instructional Design courses focus on the
technical skill development of teachers, but rarely venture into global content. The approaches highlighted present one way
an Instructional Design course could be developed in conjunction with social studies methods courses and reconceptualized
in other teacher education programs that have a commitment to developing globally competent teachers.

Literature review

Global competence as a multidimensional construct

An interrelated set of knowledge, skills, and dispositions that allow one to engage with others respectfully and responsibly
in a multicultural society and globalized world, global competence is multidimensional in nature. As Table 1 illustrates, there
are multiple conceptualizations of global competence in the extant literature. These conceptualizations share an emphasis on
educational reform efforts to prepare students for an increasingly interconnected, globalized world.

Global competence as an imperative

In their 2016 Global and International Education in Social Studies Position Statement, the National Council for the Social
Studies (2016) deems it “imperative” that educators nurture in students the “skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed for
responsible participation in a democratic society and in a global community in the twenty-first century” (para. 4). Despite this
emphasis, some argue that teachers lack requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes in order to infuse global content and
perspectives into their instruction (The Council of Chief State School Officers, 2006). In fact, the Longview Foundation (2008)
asserted that, “few teachers today are well prepared to educate students for this new global context” (p. 3). This call for
teacher education to prepare globally competent graduates is echoed by scholars throughout the world, such as in Pakistan
(Sadruddin, 2017), Russia (Sinagatullin, 2019), and Turkey (Tarman, 2010).
Like K-12 education, higher education is challenged by a lack of shared language and practices that best foster global
perspectives in students (Margine & Foskett, 2010; Scheunpflug & Mehren, 2016). Furthermore, in most schools of education,
teacher candidates’ social studies pedagogical course-taking is limited to one semester of social studies methods. We submit
that the preparation of globally competent teachersdor those able to infuse into their curriculum “globally oriented content
in ways that support diversity and social justice in an interconnected world” (Merryfield, 1997, p. 12)dis critical and best
deployed when teacher education programs expand global content beyond the social studies methods course.
 E.O. Crawford et al. / The Journal of Social Studies Research 44 (2020) 367e381 369

Nurturing global competence in K-12 students necessitates the preparation of educators who demonstrate these same
capacities and dispositions (Zhao, 2010). Global competence is a comprehensive approach that “addresses students’ cognitive,
social-emotional, and behavioral development” (Tichnor-Wagner et al., 2019, p. 3). Like Tichnor-Wagner et al. (2019), we
argue that global competence is best conceptualized as “an ongoing journey, not a one-time destination” (p. 223). Global
competence is not a content area unto itself; it cuts across all disciplines (Boix Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). Likewise, it should
not be treated as an add-on, such as an elective, but integrated into existing courses into which all students are exposed
(Tichnor-Wagner, 2016). Teacher education programs that intentionally integrate global knowledge, skills, and dispositions
into coursework and throughout the program provide an important step for the development of globally competent teachers
(Shaklee & Baily, 2012). Therefore, confining global competence in an elective or relying upon the social studies methods
course to “cover” all global content are not appropriate practices for moving students forward on their “journey.”

Theoretical framework

Considering the possible roles for teacher education programs in developing preservice teachers’ global competence as a
journey, Tichnor-Wagner and colleagues (2019) suggest that teacher education programs be transparent in their mission to
develop global learners and engage in numerous, coordinated efforts. Teacher education programs could integrate global
education content, skills, and dispositions into both content and pedagogical courses. To illustrate an example that could
apply in any teacher education course: instructors in the programs could have preservice teachers reflect on their own
identities and cultures, and how their values and beliefs impact daily behaviors and classroom practices. In the following
sections, we provide a research-based overview of knowledge, skills, and dispositions of globally competent teachers. These
competences are reflected in the Globally Competent Learning Continuum (GCLC) (Tichnor-Wagner et al., 2019), the theoretical
framework used in this study. The GCLC is the result of a two-year research, development, and validation process at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Education. It is now used in a variety of educational contexts as a self-
reflection tool to further one’s globally competent teaching practices (Tichnor-Wagner et al., 2019).

Dispositions of globally competent teachers

Much emphasis on the global competence of teachers pertains to dispositions, or attitudes toward learning and acceptance
of and relationships with diverse persons locally and globally. Globally competent educators demonstrate a commitment to
equity and social justice in their personal lives and professional classroom practice (Agnello, White, & Fryer, 2006). Related
dispositions include empathy, which allows teachers the ability to gain insight into cultures other than their own (Arida,
2007). Globally competent teachers also look inward, engaging in the “ongoing process of examining themselves as cul-
tural, political and social beings situated in local and global contexts” (O’Connor & Zeichner, 2011, pp. 524e525). Importantly,
globally competent teachers highly value reimagining their content curriculum, especially social studies content, through
global, multiple, and post-colonial lenses. As Subedi (2010) articulated, “imagining curriculum in a critical way means
decolonizing mainstream knowledge about global societies” (p. 1).

Knowledge of globally competent teachers

An essential aspect of globally competent teaching is fostering in students a global perspective, or a “blending” of “certain
modes of thought, sensitivities, intellectual skills, and explanatory capacities” as they relate to understanding of ourselves,
diverse peoples, and our shared planet (Hanvey, 1982, p. 162). In doing so, educators guide students to think beyond their own
communities, developing an understanding of the interconnectedness of the Earth’s human and natural systems (Sankey
Rice, Foster, Miller-Foster, & Barrick, 2014). Globally competent educators exhibit an interdisciplinary knowledge base of
global issues and current events, including economic, political, cultural, and environmental interactions. Often coined “the
global dimension” of the curriculum, these may include an understanding of interdependence and globalization; identity and
cultural diversity; social justice and human rights; peace building and conflict resolution; and sustainable futures
(Commonwealth of Australia, 2008). Furthermore, students’ knowledge should move beyond U.S.-centric content. As
Merryfield and Subedi (2006) argued, decolonizing students’ thinking requires “including content from all world regions and
from the perspectives of diverse people in those countries” (p. 291).

Skills of globally competent teachers

The pedagogical practices of globally competent teachers may vary according to relevance to one’s discipline and students.
Regardless of context, globally competent educators demonstrate a specialized skillset that aims to prepare students for life in
an interdependent globalized society. Importantly, global educators know methods and resources for engaging students’
“pedagogy for substantive culture learning,” including: (a) developing skills in perspective consciousness; (b) recognizing
stereotypes, exotica, and cultural universals; (c) using primary sources from cultures/regions under study; (d) understanding
intersections of prejudice and power; and (e) understanding of dynamic change and increasing global interconnectedness
(Merryfield, 2004, p. 271). Each of these skills contributes to teachers’ knowledge construction and how they interpret the
histories and literature they consume.
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Further, globally competent educators know how to use diverse teaching methods, including cooperative learning,
interdisciplinary teaching, and inquiry to examine interrelated global issues and systems (O’Connor & Zeichner, 2011).
Integrating diverse stories can also be used as a pedagogical approach in global learning, fostering social-emotional skills and
engagement (Eades, 2005) while dispelling stereotypes that can sometimes result from the ‘single story’ (Adichie, 2009).
Significantly, storytelling can also enhance sensitivity to others and result in having empathic feelings (Zak, 2015), a key
disposition of global competence.
Fig. 1 depicts the interrelated nature of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that, together, exemplify a teacher’s global
competence.

Methodology

To gain insight into the effective strategies and outcomes of an Instructional Design course with a focus on globally
competent teaching, we sought to answer these research questions:

C How might an instructional design course with a focus on global competence influence preservice teachers’ emerging
identities as global educators?
C What resources and methods move preservice teachers along a path toward global competence in an instructional
design course?

To answer our research questions, we employed a qualitative case study design. Merriam’s (1988) defines qualitative case
study design as the “examination of a specific phenomenon in a bounded system” (p. 9). The bounded system of this study is
an Instructional Design course with a clear and intentional focus on developing globally competent teachers while also
developing their foundational curriculum design skills (e.g., understanding of content standards, lesson planning, unit
planning, and so forth). In this qualitative case study (Merriam, 1988), we draw on classroom surveys, curriculum artifacts,
and interview data from two sections of an Instructional Design course. In particular, we highlight data from four preservice

Fig. 1. The globally competent learning continuum.

 E.O. Crawford et al. / The Journal of Social Studies Research 44 (2020) 367e381 371

teachers who showed the most progress on the path towards globally competent teaching. We also include descriptive
statistics of the pre- and post-survey data.

Context of the instructional design course

The aims of the Instructional Design course are to prepare educators to design relevant and meaningful standards-aligned
learning experiences that foster K-6 students’ content area knowledge and 21st century skills while amplifying their voices
and agency. Taught during the first semester of an intensive, 18-month, cohort-style Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in
Elementary Education program, most students have had neither classroom teaching experience nor familiarity with cur-
riculum design. Therefore, the instructor balanced the dual goals of developing students’ instructional design skills and the
globally competent teaching aims.
Two frameworks guided the instructional design skills that students learned in the course. First, the North Carolina Pro-
fessional Teaching Standards (NCPTS) (NCDPI, 2013) outline the requisite knowledge, skills, and dispositions of teachers in the
21st century, and informed the planned learning experiences and assignments in this foundations course. Specifically, teacher
candidates interpret K-6 content standards, identifying relevant “know’s” (topics and their related facts), “understandings”
(conceptual knowledge), and “do’s” (skills). Second, the instructor drew upon Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction
(CBCI) as the instructional design framework. Through this approach, students learn how to design deeper learning expe-
riences that foster conceptual understanding, synergistic thinking as one investigates the relationships between phenomena,
and problem-solving skills that go beyond rote learning of facts that often characterizes traditional, two-dimensional cur-
riculum and instruction (Erickson, Lanning, & French, 2017).
Likewise, three frameworks guided the globally competent teaching focus of the course: (a) the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) (United Nations, n.d.) provided the global content frame (United Nations, n.d.); (b) Cushner’s
(2014) model of stage appropriate intercultural learning in teacher education provided the scaffolding and staging of
course assignments, and (c) the Globally Competent Learning Continuum (Tichnor-Wagner et al., 2019) guided the selection of
teacher dispositions and skills. This globally competent focus is supported in the NCPTS: specifically the call for K-12 edu-
cators to “recognize the interconnectedness of content areas/disciplines” and to “promote global awareness and its relevance
to the subjects they teach” (NCDPI, 2013, p. 5). As global issues are naturally interconnected, the SDGs afford teaching and
learning about contemporary, relevant concerns that are reflected in the content standards and support the call cited by
NCPTS. Adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, the SDGs outline 17 goals to “achieve a better and more sustainable future
for all” (United Nations, n.d., para. 1). From eliminating hunger and poverty to promoting health and clean energy, these issues
reflect the natural linkages between the core content areas of English Language Arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and
the arts, and provide an opportunity to foster teacher candidates’ (and K-6 students’) conceptual understandings and skills in
critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. Furthermore, the SDGs afford critical examination of social,
political, and economic variables that can either enable or create barriers to sustainable development. In other words, when
studying global issues, context is important. As teachers and children learn about and take action on the SDGs in classrooms
throughout the world, they are ultimately empowered as agents of change in their local communities and beyond, a key goal
of education in the 21st century. This course thus aims to model the power of transformative, global learning experiences for
teachers so they are motivated and able to transfer their learning to their future classrooms.
Throughout the 15-week semester, this course simulates promising practices in global education (or “signature peda-
gogies” as coined by Boix Mansilla & Chua, 2017) that aim to foster teacher candidates’ global competence. Course experi-
ences reflect the developmental nature of acquiring competence, an interrelated combination of knowledge, skills, and
dispositions, and build upon Cushner’s (2014) model of “stage-appropriate intercultural learning” (p. 145). Aligned with the
12 elements outlined in the Globally Competent Learning Continuum (Tichnor-Wagner et al., 2019; see Appendix A), resources
and methods were intentionally selected (a) to develop preservice teachers’ self- and social awareness in order to acquire
empathy and perspective consciousness; (b) to build knowledge and understanding of complex, interconnected human, non-
human animal, and environmental issues; (c) to practice intercultural communication; and, ultimately, (d) to design cur-
riculum and instruction that integrates “real-world and challenging global learning experiences aligned with my students’
interests and content standards” (Tichnor-Wagner et al., 2019, Element 9). For example, students determine how to design an
integrated unit of study aligned with content standards and elementary-appropriate issues of local and global significance
articulated in SDGs (United Nations, n.d.). Students’ original curriculum design is then implemented in partnership schools
during their practicum experience. Table 2 presents the course framework outlining the course design, resources and
methods, and student assessments.

Participant selection

Preservice teachers enrolled in two sections (Spring 2018 and Fall 2018) of an instructional design course in an Elementary
Education program in the Southeastern U.S. were invited to participate and 33 students agreed. For the one-year follow-up,
we identified four participants (Brianna, David, James, and Stephanie1) who demonstrably showed progress on the path

1
Pseudonyms are used for all participants.
Table 2

372
Instructional design framework.

Focus Guiding Questions Sample Methods and Resources Student Assessments

Education for a What are the qualities of an effective North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Pre-course survey using Globally Competent
Changing World: teacher? Learning Continuum
The World’s Largest Lesson: Introduction to the Global Goals
21st Century Teaching What knowledge, skills, and attitudes Learning journal
and Learning (i.e., competencies) Global Teaching and Learning Frameworks (e.g., Asia Society;
are essential for students in the 21st CASEL; GCLC; ISTE; Oxfam; World Savvy) Digital curation of standards-aligned
century? global issues
Readings (e.g., What School Could Be)
How can education be a powerful driver
of the Sustainable
Development Goals?

E.O. Crawford et al. / The Journal of Social Studies Research 44 (2020) 367e381
Planning for Instruction How does the brain create meaning? Readings (e.g., The Yes Brain; Everyday SEL in Elementary Learning journal
and Assessment How do emotions School) and videos on the science of learning (e.g., Born to Learn;
impact learning and how we experience Mindfulness and Neural Integration TED Talk) Features of culture reflection
the world?
Mystery Skype game with Thai children. Share 7-day food journal: Researching the
How do social-emotional competencies cultural mandalas and food journals. How do culture and true cost of food choices on humans, non-human
like empathy drive identity inform food choices? animals, and the environment
human connections and perspective-
taking? Explore the relationship between food production and SDG-aligned thematic source set and
consumption and water use via water and ecological footprint activity. research brief
How may teachers plan instruction with
students’ assets
(everyday experiences, cultural
backgrounds, interests) in mind?
Teaching with a Global How do social-emotional competencies Readings (e.g., Ready for the World: Preparing Elementary Learning journal
Perspective like empathy Students for the Global Age) and videos on empathy and
afford human connections that, in turn,  Brown on Empathy)
perspective-taking (e.g., Brene Curriculum drafting and peer review
affect academic
outcomes? SDG 4 and 5 Resources
Documentary film (e.g., He Named Me Malala and Girl Rising);
What does it mean to teach with a global immersive stories (e.g., Lyfta Storyworld Awra Amba); and guest
perspective? speaker on Ethiopia

What instructional design principles and Circle of viewpoints thinking routine to explore: What are
practices foster barriers and facilitating factors to achieve SDG 4 and 5?
students’ global competence?
Solution-Focused What constitutes authentic assessment? SDG 2, 13, and 14 Primary Source Set Analysis using Photographs (e.g., Whole Foods Learning journal
Assessment campaign, “This is what your grocery store looks like
How might teachers empower children without honeybees”); videos (e.g., BBC Earth Unplugged’s “What would Field experience lesson
to take action happen if bees went extinct?”); and news articles for children (Newsela
on issues of local and global significance? article “Spray meant for Zika mosquitoes kills millions of bees”) Published curriculum unit
How can teachers engage students in
reflecting on Where Do You Stand? On banning neonicotinoids Post-Course Survey using the Globally Competent
their own learning? Learning Continuum
Evidence-based argumentative essay
 E.O. Crawford et al. / The Journal of Social Studies Research 44 (2020) 367e381 373

Table 3
Participants’ backgrounds and SDG-Aligned curricular focus.

Participant Gender/Ethnicity International Experiences Curriculum Focus SDG Alignment

Brianna Female/African Some travel for pleasure Overfishing SDG 12 Responsible Production and
American Consumption
SDG 14 Life Below Water
David Male/White Some travel for pleasure Human health and environmental impacts of SDG 3 Good Health and Well-Being
food choices SDG 12 Responsible Production and
Consumption
SDG 13 Climate Action
SDG 15 Life on Land
James Male/White Extensive global travel, Marine pollution and sustainable tourism SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and
Limited to work Communities
responsibilities SDG 14 Life Below Water
SDG 15 Life on Land
Stephanie Female/White Some travel for pleasure Human rights in the food system SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic
Growth
SDG 15 Life on Land

towards global competence. In addition to their notable progress, we selected these four participants because they were quite
diverse in their personal and professional experiences: exemplifying that multiple pathways towards global competence can
be trod by preservice teachers with vastly different backgrounds. We asked the four focus students to participate; all four
agreed to have their curricular materials analyzed by the research team and to be interviewed.
Table 3 highlights each participant’s racial self-identification, degree of international experience, curricular focus in the
Instructional Design course, and the targeted SDGs. All four participants had some international experience as tourists, such
as visiting a few European or Caribbean countries. Unlike the others, James had worked extensively throughout the world for
much of his career. Despite this experience, he explained, “You didn’t really get immersed into their culture because we stayed
in the Marriott.” All participants indicated it was their personal interests that drove their global learning and development. As
integral to the course design, each participant selected global issues that they cared deeply about for a variety of reasons. For
example, David shared that his mother’s parents owned a farm, so he wished to expose the human element of our food system
to children. “I always thought about the farming life and how hard it can be,” he explained. “I grew up in the Midwest, so I
grew up with farms all around me and saw how hard everyone worked.” Incidentally, all four participants chose to research
the global food system, analyzing different elements in the system that can promote or hinder the creation of healthy, just,
and sustainable communities.

Data collection

We collected data from three sources: (a) whole class pre- and post-surveys; (b) curricular artifacts; and (c) interviews
with four focus students. Participants completed surveys at two stages: the beginning and the end of the course. We based our
survey on the GCLC elements and the survey included closed-ended and open-ended items. Surveys at the beginning and end
of the course allowed us to determine if the students “moved” along the path towards global competence (see Appendices B
and C).
The four focus students were interviewed one year after the completion of the course. These four participants were
individually interviewed, with each audio-recorded interview lasting 45e90 min. All interviews were semi-structured;
participants were asked the same initial questions (see Appendix D), although participant responses led to different
follow-up questions for each participant.

Data analysis

The analytic procedure followed Merriam’s (1988) components of data analysis in which data collection and data analysis
are conducted in parallel. The analysis consisted of four stages. In the first stage, Author 1 developed a code book after
reviewing the literature on global competence. The second stage was to apply the codes to interview data. The following are
two examples from the codebook: (a) experiential learning and (b) personal research and reflection. The next stage consisted
of reducing the number of codes into more highly conceptual categories while analyzing data against the theoretical
framework. At this stage, the research team developed initial hypotheses about the data. Sample initial hypotheses from the
data included “the transformative power of authentic stories” and “growing recognition of systemic interconnectedness.” We
also used descriptive statistics from the surveys to confirm and complicate the qualitative findings. As qualitative method-
ologists (Merriam, 1988; Schreiber, 2012) have argued, textual evidence can be supported with survey data. In the final stage,
we finalized themes and sought to confirm, challenge, or complicate the theoretical framework in light of our findings.
374 E.O. Crawford et al. / The Journal of Social Studies Research 44 (2020) 367e381

Table 4
Preservice teachers’ conceptualizations of global competence.

Sample Pre-Survey Responses Sample Post-Survey Responses

Being knowledgeable about all aspects of the world, its people, and who Yes, I thought being an elementary teacher would focus mostly on teaching
they are all interconnected. math, reading, and the other “normal” courses. I realize now with the
change in today’s world that the need to have students develop a greater
skill set to be ready for the 21st century would be so important at such a
young age.

In my opinion, global competency is having knowledge of the world around My conceptualization of global competency has grown immensely. I now
you, not just your own culture. Being well-versed in the differences that know the importance of promoting global education, as well as how to do
exist between your cultures and others’, and how those differences look so in a classroom. Prior to taking this course, I did not realize the importance
in our society. In order to be globally competent, one must also know of global education, nor did I understand how to promote it.
how to interact with people in different cultures in ways that will not
offend them or their cultural belief system.

To me, it means being aware of diversity and try to explain things that I have learned to incorporate more things globally into my future classroom
pertain to everyone so each student understands what you are talking and more resources for doing so.
about.

Understanding of how the world works, politically and culturally and the My conceptualization of global competency has changed in a positive way.
dynamics. Being aware and respecting cultures that help form us by It’s showed me we have the power to change the cycle - any negative cycle.
becoming educated and knowledgeable. If we become informed and take that knowledge to educate someone else.
We can only fuel ourselves and others with ways to make a difference, hear
a voice and make an actual change.

Limitations

This study has several limitations. First, this study includes a small sample: two sections of one course, with one professor
at one university. While we collected multiple forms of data and collected data longitudinally to mediate this limitation,
future studies on this topic could include a broader participant pool. Second, because we wanted to privilege the voices of
those students who showed the most progress on the path towards globally competent teaching through interviews and
curriculum materials, we did not interview other students as points of comparison. Future studies that compared and con-
trasted the perspectives between those students who showed considerable and limited progress on their path could possibly
identify barriers and pathways. Finally, during one of the semesters of data collection, the university experienced a natural
disaster. Instructors lost four weeks of instruction (out of 15), which may have influenced the globally competent progress
students made during that semester.

Findings

The majority of students in the Instructional Design course demonstrated a shift in their perceptions of their developing
global competence and understanding of how to transfer their learning to the design and implementation of curriculum,
instruction, and assessment for elementary learners. The findings are organized below by research question and category: (a)
preservice teachers’ conceptualizations of global competence; (b) globally competent teacher dispositions; (c) globally
competent teacher knowledge; (d) globally competent teacher skills; and (e) strategies that moved preservice teacher along a
path toward global competence.

Research Question #1: How might an instructional design course with a focus on global competence influence preservice
teachers’ emerging identities as global educators?

Changing conceptualizations of global competence

Across the pre-survey data, preservice teachers demonstrated several common conceptions in their definitions of global
competence. In particular, students on the pre-survey emphasized awareness of global issues; “how the world works” with

Table 5
Means and standard deviations on the participants’ pre- and post-course self-reflections of global dispositions.

Pre-Course Survey Post-Course Survey

Global Dispositions
M SD M SD
Empathy and Valuing Multiple Perspectives 2.33 0.88 2.96 0.71
Commitment to Promoting Equity World Wide 1.85 1.10 2.56 0.89
 E.O. Crawford et al. / The Journal of Social Studies Research 44 (2020) 367e381 375

respect to the interconnectedness of economic and communication systems; respect and value of human diversity; and the
ability to interact and work successfully with diverse peoples.
Post-survey responses in the final week of the course reflected a shift for most students. In particular, students increasingly
focused on civic action, which was an emphasis of the global education frameworks (e.g., Boix Mansilla & Jackson, 2011)
explored during the course. This transition from an emphasis on knowing to an emphasis on doing, is significant, especially as
it relates to their preparation for social studies methods and civic action. Furthermore, preservice teachers identified that they
felt knowledgeable of tools and methods for fostering their future students' global competence. This demonstrates their
changing conception from knowledge to action, as well as the pedagogical tools necessary to impart this understanding with
their future students. Only a few students expressed their thinking did not change at the conclusion of the course. Table 4
provides illustrative examples on the pre- and post-survey open-ended questions. (Note: Responses are matched to show
individual students’ changes in thinking).
Some students, like James, expressed they had not previously considered global competence and how it applies to edu-
cation. He wrote in his final course reflection:
Prior to this class, I can say that I never really thought about global education. I have taught adults throughout the
world, but it was always in a very narrow topic and none of this was about how actions in one place affect others.
Clearly students' broad conceptualizations of global competence changed during the course. In the following space, we
align these changes in terms of their dispositions, knowledge, and skills which are mapped over Tichnor-Wagner and col-
leagues’ (2019) continuum of globally competence.

Perceptions of globally competent teacher dispositions

Preservice teachers' perceptions of their sense of GCLC Element #1 “Empathy and Valuing Multiple Perspectives” was the
highest across both the pre- and post-course surveys (mean ratings of 2.33 and 2.96, respectively), indicating most students
rated themselves as “proficient” by the course's end: “I recognize biases and limitations of my own perspective and those of
others' perspectives. I recognize how my personal beliefs influence my decisions as a teacher. I empathize by seeking to understand
the perspectives of others” (Tichnor-Wagner et al., 2019). The second dispositional element, “Commitment to promoting equity
worldwide,” yielded lower pre- and post-averages (mean ratings of 1.85 and 2.56, respectively), though growth was still
present. Table 5 presents pre- and post-course means and standard deviations for global competency dispositions.
Moving beyond descriptive statistics to the open-ended survey and interview data, we found, perhaps not surprisingly,
how individual students’ upbringings and life experiences have shaped how they view themselves and the world. For
example, in the pre-course survey, Brianna explained, “As a Black woman from a poor rural community, I believe that my
awareness of inequities are heightened because of my experiences.” She also indicated that empathy is “a core value in my
family” and “this is the way I am built.” Still, Brianna shared that some perspectives are “troubling”; consequently, she did not
rate herself “Advanced.” In contrast, James, a career Federal Agent for the U.S. government working around the world, has
traveled extensively to “impoverished areas and [has] seen first-hand the inequality among different regions.” He rated
himself from “Beginning” to “Progressing” in his GCLC Element #2 “Commitment to Promoting Equity Worldwide.”
In the interview, David discussed his previous career as a clinical laboratory technician and how it fostered in him a sense
of empathy, compassion, and concern for others to ensure they receive equal treatment and quality healthcare:
I think working in the healthcare profession kind of broadened our perspectives because [clinicians] would talk about:
‘There's a person behind every specimen, it doesn't really matter what their background is, and we're here to care for
them no matter what.’ And that an indirect way that really opened us to: it doesn't matter what socio-economic
background, whether they come from another country or whether they're a US citizen or not, we're here to care for
them. It was a public hospital. We're here to care for the patient first … That was good training in terms of perspective
to say, “This is a person who needs an education, needs healthcare. They're a human being, first and foremost, not a
social class. It's less about the stratification in society; it's more about basic needs and healthcare.
David was quick to emphasize that he himself has “never been on the receiving end of any action(s) hindering my own
equality.” At the end of the course, he rated himself “Proficient” in both dispositional categories.

Table 6
Means and standard deviations on the participants’ pre- and post-course self-reflections of global knowledge.

Pre-Survey Post Survey

Global Knowledge
M SD M SD
Understanding of Global Conditions and Current Events 1.78 0.97 2.29 0.90
Understanding of the Ways that the World is Interconnected 2.15 0.95 2.78 0.93
Experiential Understanding of Multiple Cultures 2.04 0.94 2.33 0.83
Understanding of Intercultural Communication 1.85 1.06 2.22 0.97
376 E.O. Crawford et al. / The Journal of Social Studies Research 44 (2020) 367e381

Table 7
Means and standard deviations on the participants’ pre- and post-course self-reflections of global skills.

Pre- Post
Survey Survey
Global Skills
M SD M SD
Communicate in Multiple Languages 1.11 0.97 1.41 1.01
Create a Classroom Environment that Values Diversity and Global Engagement 0.93 1.24 2.22 1.10
Integrate Learning Experiences for Students that Promote Content-Aligned Explorations of the World 0.41 0.75 2.15 0.94
Facilitate Intercultural and International Conversations that Promote Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and Perspective 0.78 1.01 2.04 0.99
Recognition
Develop Local, National, or International Partnerships that Provide Real World Contexts for Global Learning Opportunities 0.44 1.05 1.70 0.99
Develop and Use Appropriate Methods of Inquiry to Assess Students’ Global Competence Development 0.25 0.53 1.85 0.91

Perceptions of globally competent teacher knowledge

In comparison to global dispositions, preservice teachers rated themselves significantly lower on their knowledge of global
issues, how the world is interconnected, and understanding of diverse cultures and intercultural communication. Among
knowledge elements, the lowest pre-course rating was GCLC #3 “Understanding of Global Conditions and Current Events”
with a mean score of 1.78 (on the higher end of “Beginning”). Sample illustrative comments included, “I have access to the
internet, cable news, and other media outlets that allow me to seek information” and “I know about current events and can
access resources about them.” Important to note is that this pre-course survey response item had a SD of 0.97, or nearly one
level on the continuum. Some preservice teachers rated themselves higher at the beginning of the course due to their pursuit
of knowledge about world events as expressed by this student who rated herself Proficient:
I take time every day to read the top news articles about current events and issues from different news sources. I also
listen to multiple news podcasts, daily. I try my best to know about global issues and current events our world is facing.
Another student who rated herself “Beginning” explained she only researches issues she is passionate about and wants to
further her growth in this area. Table 6 presents pre- and post-course means and standard deviations for global knowledge
elements.
As shown in Table 4, students rated themselves higher across the knowledge elements by the course's end. Signature
course experiencesdsuch as a global collaboration with a classroom in Thailand and students' research on their chosen SDGs
needed to design curriculum for childrendserved to enhance students' global knowledge and were recognized as significant
in the post-course reflections. David, for example, focused on interdependence in the food system throughout the semester.
Early on, he recognized that “there is a story behind” our food: who grew and harvested the food, who transported it,
processed and packaged it, and eventually sold it in the marketplace. This awareness was enhanced via his research and
writing throughout the semester. On the post-course survey, he wrote:
Understanding everything comes from somewhere, and everything then has to go somewhere does keep one in the
frame of mind just how we are all connected. We no longer receive or benefit in any way without the involvement of
someone, if not many ‘someones,’ around the world.
Unlike most students, James rated himself lower at the conclusion of the course. He expressed feeling “Proficient” at the
beginning and “Progressing” 15 weeks later. Although this may seem counter-intuitive, the more he learned, the more James
recognized how much he still had to learn. For instance, in the following quote, James made connections to his life experi-
ences as he conducted research on plastic pollution for his curriculum unit assignment. This research and curriculum unit
resulted in a profound awareness of the role he plays as a consumer contributing to this issue locally and globally:
Prior to this unit, I knew very little of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. As we were preparing what we were going to
teach, each of us had to research the others topic [sic], to better understand the lesson as a whole. I was amazed at the
“Trash Isles” and devastation it is causing. I have fished the ocean waters off [the local beach] all my life. There were
many times we would see something floating in the water, but what that meant to us was that there was probably a fish
below that item … I think about those days, the amount of plastic I use on a daily basis, the times I just threw stuff away,
and how I paid little attention.

Perceptions of globally competent teacher skills

Teacher skills demonstrating global competence relate to those needed to “promote students' growing interest in and
knowledge about the world through the classroom environment and instructional experiences” (Tichnor-Wagner et al., 2019,
p. 121). Because most students enrolled in the Instructional Design course had had no prior teaching experience, it is not
surprising this was the lowest rated domain of students’ perception of their global competence for both pre- and post-course
 E.O. Crawford et al. / The Journal of Social Studies Research 44 (2020) 367e381 377

Table 8
Participants’ perceptions of strategies and resources deemed useful for fostering preservice teachers’ global competence in an instructional design course.

Strategies and Resources % of Illustrative Comments

Responses
1. Creating unit plans 53% I think that our unit plan was the best opportunity that we had to put the knowledge that you had
given us about global competence was the best way to put that into practice, and with that, really
understand what we are trying to do when giving students global competencies.

2. Intercultural learning experiences 37% Skyping with and making connections with the students in Thailand was a great way to help develop
my global competency. Through interacting with them, we learned about their culture and we were
able to explore our own culture more.
Thai partnership (I wish we had more opportunities to Skype them!)

3. Immersive storytelling 27% LYFTA- I can’t say enough how of an impact this resource can be in a classroom. Being able to see
villages and schools in 3D. Being able to navigate and listen to stories. Compare and contrast or See-
Think-Wonder on the people who live a different life than we do.

4. Documentary film 23% I thought watching the Girl Rising video helped to develop global competency. I was able to see and
hear their stories, understanding and empathizing with those young girls as they told their stories
from all around the world.
The various films we had an opportunity to view and then reflect (He Named Me Malala, Albatross
Paraguay’s landfill orchestra) continued to deepen my understanding of only some of the issues within
our world and ways people face those issues and seek solutions. Using these tools to inspire students
can be very powerful.

5. In-class learning experiences (e.g., 20% I believe that the activities that we did in class, not outside of class, made me the most globally aware
modeling methods) and competent.

6. Other 20% Every single activity in this class had a connection to global competency. All of the modules contained
multiple examples and a plethora of invaluable resources.
hundredEd.org

7. Practicum and mentoring 13% The most valuable thing that I did outside of class was my field experience.

8. Personal research and reflection 10% I also really enjoyed doing our group projects. We were able to do a lot of research about other cultures
and understand that, for example, migrant workers here in North Carolina are experiencing the same
injustices as migrant workers in South Korea. I also enjoyed the learning journals and reflecting on
those questions.
The food diary was very powerful for me. It made me slow down and actually think about the impacts
my food choice has on more than just me. The impacts on others and the environment. It made me
aware that something I choose for myself not only affects me, it affects others. Also, before the class I
recycled but not to the extent that I do now. You opened my eyes to the world, learning that I can
make a difference.

Note: N ¼ 30 written responses.

survey responses. Note: Some skills were not emphasized or modeled in this course, such as GCLC #7 “Communicating in
Multiple Languages.”
The two lowest rated elements, GCLC #12 “Develop and Use Appropriate Methods of Inquiry to Assess Students' Global
Competence Development” and GCLC #9 “Integrate Learning Experiences for Students that Promote Content-Aligned Ex-
plorations of the World” yielded mean scores of 0.25 and 0.41, respectively, at the start of the course (see Table 7). Most
students rated themselves as “Nascent,” including students who had current or prior classroom experience. For example,
Stephanie, a teacher's assistant, wrote on her pre-course survey, “I am not quite sure what experiences would promote
content aligned explorations” and “I am not sure how to assess how students' global competence is developing.”
By the end of the course, students’ self-ratings increased by more than one level for each element. Stephanie felt she
progressed from “Nascent'' to “Progressing” in both areas, for example, emphasizing that being a globally competent educator
is a combination of dispositions like passion and desire to make a difference coupled with knowledge and skillsets, or tools
one can use with children. She wrote:
I now feel like I have a voice and a platform and that I can pass those skills along to the students I teach. I feel like I will
be a better parent and a better teacher because I can make my children culturally and globally aware. My 6-year old
wants to take a day out of every month and dedicate it to cleaning up the beach and the ocean to reduce plastic waste.
My 3-year old is passionate about preserving the bee population. I can teach them to care. I can give them a voice. I can
show them that it only takes one person to make a difference. Just one. I now have the tools and the passion and the
desire. I will take action in my life. I will include my family. I will include my students. The globe is counting on us.
People are counting on us. The planet is counting on us.
378 E.O. Crawford et al. / The Journal of Social Studies Research 44 (2020) 367e381

While students expressed marked growth in their teacher skills, they were quick to note they have much more to learn.
David, for example, wrote in his post-course survey that he is “learning how to ask the right questions, which prompt further
inquiry or critical thinking regarding the world surrounding students.” James also recognized that his life experiences serve as
a resource for teaching his future students about the world. “Because I have had the opportunity to travel and I have been able
to learn about different cultures, he wrote, “[I can] show those experiences to a class.”

Research question #2: What are strategies that move preservice teachers along a path toward global competence in an
instructional design course?
In the post-course survey, students were asked to identify via an open-ended question, “What activities this semester have
helped you to develop global competence?” Table 8 highlights the most commonly cited strategies and resources as well as
illustrative comments.
Responses indicated that students valued the authentic learning experience of designing units plan to foster K-6 children's
global competence, the summative assessment of this course. In addition to acquiring skills in instructional design, the
experience appeared to have an emotional impact on students. James, for example, shared that designing his lesson on
sustainable tourism gave him “a new perspective on our footprint on the earth.” He explained:
This unit made me remember [a marine camp I once attended] and how true that biologist was when he showed the
last patch of a sea grass that was in southeast North Carolina and said it would be gone soon. I still can take someone to
that exact location, but now there is just sand and on weekends hundreds of boats, all of which did their part in
destroying this area. I am to blame also because, even as a child, I didn't try to stop the destruction.
Stephanie had a similar epiphany when designing her unit on migrant workers who harvest food crops. She explained, “I
have always considered myself to be a globally conscious and compassionate person. I believed in equality, wanted everyone
to have enough food and shelter, and wanted us to take care of the environment. Then I took this class.” In the post-course
interview, Stephanie indicated she no longer supports grocers known to violate workers' rights after conducting research for
her food diary assignment. She applied this new conceptual understanding in one of the lessons she taught in the instruc-
tional design field experience. In a lesson titled, “Food You Choose and the People Who Lose,” she asked her students, How are
human rights connected to our food system? Using diverse past- and present-day case studies, her lower elementary students
examined Dorothea Lange photographs from the 1930s and compared to contemporary videos of migrant workers in Cali-
fornia. Stephanie also presented solutions to address the issue to ensure that workers’ rights globally are protected. The
formative assessment engaged children in writing a letter home from the perspective of a migrant worker. Reflecting upon
this lesson, Stephanie explained:
I taught them about a very serious subject matter – inhumane treatment of migrant workers and the Great Depression.
I tried to broaden their horizons and deepen their understanding of social issues by showing them that the food choices
we make can negatively impact other people, namely the migrant workers who farm the food we eat.
Thirty-seven percent of participants expressed that firsthand interactions with diverse cultures had an impact on their
developing global competence. A partnership with a Thai school was established and our collaboration launched using the
Mystery Skype method where both parties are unaware of the other's location and generate yes/no questions to determine
geographic location, such as “Do you live near mountains?” or “Is it nighttime now where you live?” This initial contact
piqued students' interests in learning about their partner class. Afterwards, we engaged in a 4-week asynchronous collab-
oration. Students explored the features of their own culture, creating digital cultural mandalas to share via VoiceThread and
created a weekly food diary using photographs and text to share via Google Slides, exploring the question, “What are the
impacts of our food system on people, animals, and the environment?” Though the collaboration was short-lived, it was
identified as a key learning experience for students.
Finally, the third and fourth most frequently cited valuable learning experiences were documentary films and immersive
stories. A focus early in the course centered on the role emotion plays in learning; students then explored how authentic
human stories have the potential to dispel stereotypes and provide insight into our common humanity. The introduction of
virtual realities allows us to transform the traditional community practice of gathering to tell or listen to a story to witnessing
this story through a mixed reality platform. During this course, students are introduced to innovations in education like Lyfta,
an online, interactive platform using “immersive storyworlds,” a revolutionary pedagogical approach to teach 21st century
skills and global citizenship. This platform combines virtual reality and augmented reality with emotional storytelling with
the intention of creating rich, engaging learning experiences. Through this platform, the viewer explores authentic stories,
documentary film, 360 photography, and related content about diverse cultures and countries, such as Awra Amba, Ethiopia
and Helsinki, Finland.
Following exposure to immersive storytelling as an extension of documentary film, students expressed feeling deeply
moved and engaged in learning. Students also saw great potential for application to the elementary classroom. As one student
explained:
Immersive storytelling is a great resource in education. It allows us to provide students with experiences that are new
and exciting and lets us explore things that we might not be able to do otherwise. It brings a different perspective to the
 E.O. Crawford et al. / The Journal of Social Studies Research 44 (2020) 367e381 379

classroom, creating an opportunity for students to practice empathy. As an adult, I know how much I enjoy learning
through immersive storytelling, so I can only imagine how a child would feel.
Another student believed that such experiences would spark curiosity and questions in children. She added: “I believe that
humans learn best through stories, and this resource utilizes that technique!”
James had the experience of implementing a lesson to peers using a Lyfta ‘storyworld’ to explore its potential for
elementary classrooms. He noted possible constraints of time in the classroom as students would be “immersed” in the
experience, as well as ensuring the appropriateness of content for a specific group of learners. One video referencing religion
and showing weapons caused him to pause but ultimately decide that:
I don't believe the video was inappropriate because it is not a fictional account; it is what is happening in the world. We
need to get children involved in global issues, early in their life. Children can't be shielded from the world around them;
they need to understand what is happening outside of their small community.
In short, there were several signature assignments in the course that, coupled with readings and classroom activities,
helped move students along the path towards global competence. From the perspective of the students, those key assign-
ments were (a) developing and teaching unit plans aligned to SGDs; (b) intercultural experiences; (c) immersive storytelling;
and (d) documentary films.

Discussion

Developing a global perspective is a lifelong endeavor (OECD, 2018). Teacher education programs are thus charged with
designing “stage-appropriate” learning experiences that aim to build upon teacher candidates’ prior experiences, skills, and
worldviews (Cushner, 2014). Foundations courses, such as instructional design, can lay requisite groundwork upon which
future social studies methods courses (and others) can build. The course design highlighted in this study illustrates the
potential of a developmental pathway for fostering preservice teachers’ global competence by exposing students to
standards-aligned global issues and solutions underscored in the Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, n.d.) and
modeling effective methods for engaging students in exploring them prior to the social studies methods course.
The Globally Competent Learning Continuum (Tichnor-Wagner et al., 2019) affords self-reflection that is critical to devel-
oping teacher competence. Using this tool as a framework to structure course experiences, beginning with fostering empathy
and perspective-taking and ending with candidates designing integrated learning experiences for children that “promote
content-aligned explorations of the world,” resulted in marked impacts on teacher candidates’ understanding of global issues,
interdependence, identity and cultural diversity, human rights, and more. Findings suggest that engaging preservice teachers
in building content knowledge about “global issues and current events” (GCLC Element #3) using empathy-provoking (GCLC
Element #1) resources and inquiry methods (GCLC Element #12) helped them to connect prior knowledge and experiences
with new learning, ultimately resulting in transferring their knowledge and skills to their original curriculum design.
This study also speaks to the potential synergistic relationship between foundations courses and social studies methods
courses. The majority of the content addressed in this course is typically associated with social studies. Additionally, the units
that the preservice teachers designed were closely affiliated with social studies. For instance, David’s unit on the intercon-
nectedness of food production drew upon economics, civics, activism, geography and history. Perhaps most importantly, this
course in many ways primed students for civic action that is a key feature of social studies methods. This study presents one
possible vision of teacher education in which the Instructional Design course and the social studies methods course are
mutually reinforcing. In this sense, our approach supports Tichnor-Wagner and colleagues’ (2019) efforts to engage teachers
in their “ongoing journey” (p. 223) towards becoming a globally competent teacher by bridging global values, knowledge, and
skills between instructional design and social studies methods course content.
Perhaps the most powerful implication from this study is our potential contribution to signature pedagogies to promote
global learning. The critical assignments in our course were essential in modeling effective global education, especially in how
they “organize learners’ experience to inculcate in them hallmark global competence habits of mind” (Boix Mansilla & Chua,
2017, p. 93). Based on this case study, we deem a promising signature pedagogy for fostering teachers’ global competencies is
the sharing and analysis of authentic storytelling via intercultural conversations, documentary film, and immersive experiences
(e.g., VR and 360 technologies).
Research suggests that storytelling has educational and social-emotional benefits as people learn better, identify with, and
remember more through the use of stories while also supporting critical thinking, creativity, self-exploration, and inter-
personal skills (Agosto, 2013). Advancements in communication technology afford teachers and teacher educators the ability
to hear stories in ways that are multi-sensory, immersive, and participatory. Skouge and Rao (2009) describe how the use of
digital storytelling in their assistive technology course allowed their students to solve problems, explore cultural and artistic
forms of expressions, and fostered ways to create a human connection. The introduction of virtual realities allows us to
transform the traditional community practice of gathering to tell or listen to a story to witnessing this story through a mixed
reality platform.
In Mistry’s (2017) exploration of different ways to teach history she discovered that the students enjoyed the storytelling
learning experience and that they experienced historical empathy as they made personal connections to the stories. Student
responses to follow up activities indicated that the students changed their perspectives as students were forced to negotiate a
380 E.O. Crawford et al. / The Journal of Social Studies Research 44 (2020) 367e381

particular dilemma or crisis that altered their meaning. The emotions that can occur in a well-told meaningful story can
motivate students to react to a situation. This can also provide a context for making sense of a particular experience which can
then aid in making informed decisions about issues related to economics, politics or the environment.
Authentic storytelling via intercultural conversations, documentary film, and immersive experiences as a signature
pedagogy confirms elements of our theoretical framework, the Globally Competent Learning Continuum. In particular,
authentic storytelling, as we operationalized it in this study, is well-aligned with the following three elements: Element 4:
“Experiential understanding of diverse cultures,” Element 9: “Integrating global learning experiences,” and Element 10:
“Facilitating intercultural conversations.”
In conclusion, we agree with Reimers’ (2009) suggestion that “an organized, bottom-up, teacher-led movement” where
teachers and students “discover together how best to prepare the next generation for global civility and international un-
derstanding” has the best potential to advance global education (paras. 38e40). Our work as teacher educators serves to
cultivate future teacher leaders who act as advocates for students and schools and seek opportunities to improve teaching and
learning (NCDPI, 2013). Among these is designing learning experiences that connect to the reality of students’ lived expe-
riences and passions: selecting globally significant topics and resources that provoke curiosity, foster engagement and deep
learning, and, ultimately, result in changes in thinking and behaviorda call to action (Boix Mansilla & Jackson, 2011).

Appendix A-D Supplementary data

Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jssr.2020.04.002.

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