Date of Award

Spring 2019

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

Educational Studies

First Advisor

James Kirylo

Abstract

Over the past few years of teaching at a school district in a southeastern state, the researcher noticed that her students had become increasingly interested in various global topics. Students wanted to talk about world events and cultures around the world, but they had a limited understanding of their own roles as world citizens. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of global education program on the critical global awareness levels of eighth grade students at East Bridge Middle School. This researcher analyzed the effects of global education program on the critical global awareness level of eighth grade students using action research. This researcher studied the impact of the program on eight participants. Five female and three male participants enrolled in a global education elective class at East Bridge Middle School and met every other day for 90 minutes. The data analysis showed three major themes: the lack of student exposure to global education topics at school, the need for students to make more cross-cultural connections, and the student enthusiasm for sharing their knowledge with others. These developed from student interviews, journal writings, and researcher‘s field note observations. There was a significant impact; however, further research was needed to analyze the major effects of global education curriculum and the long-term influence on students. Through learning about citizenship, students became more aware of diverse cultures, the need to accept such diversity, and the ways to promote it within their communities.

Rights

© 2019, Marina Mosneaguta

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