Reflections on Building 'Glocal' Competence among Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to critically reflect on two graduate international comparative education courses I taught at a mid-sized public university. Using a variety of readings and multimedia focusing on voices of international educators telling their own stories of struggle for a democratic education, these courses represent my effort to raise a 'glocal' consciousness among pre-service and in-service educators. In this paper, I describe how my educational and life experiences, which include living in parts of the 'global south' and 'global north,' influenced the global issues selected for discussion in these classes. Although there is clear evidence that the experiences I describe in these courses helped to develop a more "glocal" and critical consciousness among students, I conclude that there are always more questions to ask, stories to tell, and complexities to explore when comparing different educational approaches.

Advancing Students’ Global Competency through English Language Learning in Romania: An Exploratory Qualitative Case Study of Four English Language Teachers

“…In such contexts, where local knowledge cannot be fully comprehended without the global context, "glocalization" is meant to engage teachers and teacher educators with a critical stance, where they are often examining their own practice, and are reshaping their knowledge and skills, along with their students'. "Thinking globally, acting locally" has become a powerful term through the growing literature on globalization and globally competent teaching (Apple, 2010;Gichiru, 2016;Zhao, 2010) and teachers all over the world may have (or not) the necessary preparation and resources to develop globally competent teaching.…”