Changing Conceptions of Global Citizenship: Revisiting Teacher Study Abroad Participants 10 Years Later

• In Event: Post-Pandemic Teaching Preparation With a Global Focus: Reimagining Educational Inequalities to Embrace Equity and Justice

Abstract

Objectives: We explore the stories of a cohort of 14 preservice teachers who studied abroad in the UConn Education in London Program during fall 2011. While abroad they did coursework with an intercultural focus, school-based teaching internships, and a masters research project exploring British teacher and student perspectives on global citizenship. They developed their own definitions of global citizenship. We examine their life trajectories and how the impact of recent social unrest impacted their notions of global citizenship developed 10 years ago as study abroad participants.
Theoretical Frame: Drawing on narrative identity analysis and McAdams’s (2008) life story theory, this presentation examines how participants reflect upon their experience(s) abroad and how their time abroad has influenced their personal and professional trajectories, classroom practices, and worldviews. This frame offers insight into how participants conceptualize significant moments across the last decade with an emphasis on moments of growth.
Methods: Narrative identity is the evolving story of self and narrative method is primarily concerned with meaning-making (Adler et al., 2017). Through exploring the stories told by participants we uncover how one event led to other events in life and what meaning participants ascribe to their experiences.
Data Sources: Each participant completed a 90-minute Individual semi-structured interview and participants participated in a 60-minute focus group. Questions included: What is most important to you about your London experience? Share a peak experience or high point in the chapter of your life that is the London experience. This may be a moment of strong positive emotion and should stand out as one of the best scenes of the chapter. How, in any ways, did the London experience challenge the way in which you saw the world? Interviews were transcribed and analyzed for themes. Questions for the focus group were derived from significant themes revealed during the individual interviews and explored more in-depth changes in thinking related to social justice.
Results: We outline the cohort life pathways and examine how the international experience and accompanying research project positioned them to enact intercultural and antiracist educational practices in their professional and personal life. We offer stories of how the COVID-19 pandemic and racial injustice challenged and expanded their notions of what it means to live and teach as a global citizen.
Scholarly Significance: Preservice teacher study abroad offers possibilities for the development of intercultural competence, and increased confidence and flexibility. Yet questions persist about the long-term impact of these programs. This paper offers insight into the lasting impact of international experiences for preservice teachers and how their life trajectories have grown out of their time abroad. The COVID-19 pandemic and racial inequality set the stage for this cohort to re-examine their definitions of global citizenship through new lenses. Building on the foundation set by their intercultural experience, this cohort considers antiracist education practices. This presentation offers insight into how program elements foster enduring impressions on participants and how to leverage program design features for positive effects on both the professional development and cultural competencies of pre-service teachers.

Authors

• Jon Simmons, University of Connecticut

• David M. Moss, University of Connecticut

• Helen Marx, Southern Connecticut State University