GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES IN TEACHER PREPARATION

Abstract

In an era marked by transnational migration, climate crisis, digital connectivity, and rising social polarization, teacher preparation can no longer remain confined to national boundaries or narrow conceptions of citizenship. This chapter examines the integration of Global Citizenship Education (GCE) and international perspectives into teacher education programs, arguing that teachers are pivotal agents in cultivating learners’ capacities for ethical engagement, intercultural understanding, and collective action on shared global challenges. Drawing on UNESCO’s GCE framework, critical pedagogy, and postcolonial critiques, the chapter explores how teacher education can move beyond tokenistic “internationalization” toward transformative curricula that interrogate power, privilege, and pluralism. The analysis begins by establishing the conceptual foundations of GCE, distinguishing it from multicultural and comparative education while highlighting its alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Target 4.7. It then outlines curricular and pedagogical strategies for embedding global issues—human rights, environmental justice, peace, and digital citizenship—into pre-service and in-service teacher training. Special attention is given to experiential approaches such as virtual exchange, collaborative online international learning (COIL), and global projects that link local community concerns to global systems. Institutional strategies for internationalization are examined, including cross-border partnerships, policy mandates, and teacher educator capacity building, alongside persistent structural constraints: overloaded syllabi, standardized testing pressures, and inequitable access to mobility opportunities.