Global Citizenship Competencies in Africana Studies: A Quantitative Ethnographic Study

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Global lenses in curriculum studies

Abstract

This study examines the extent to which Africana Studies course descriptions at the University of Pennsylvania reflect the cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral dimensions of Global Citizenship Education (GCE) as defined by UNESCO. Using a quantitative ethnographic approach and Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA), this research analyzes a dataset of 49 course descriptions to identify how patterns of meaning in course language connect to global citizenship competencies. The results reveal strong integration of the cognitive dimension, particularly in critical thinking and global knowledge. The socio-emotional dimension shows moderate representation, emphasizing respect for diversity. In contrast, the behavioral dimension, especially national and global civic responsibility, is minimally present. These findings suggest opportunities for further aligning the program with action-oriented GCE frameworks.

Author

• Tiffany Dupree Osei, University of Pennsylvania