Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Understanding and Lesson Design of Global Citizenship Education: An Analysis of Collaboratively Developed Lesson Plans

Abstract

This study examined how preservice elementary teachers translated their understanding of global citizenship education (GCED), developed through a GCED course, into lesson designs. To this end, 37 group-developed lesson plans produced in a general education course at a university of education in South Korea were analyzed. The analytical framework focused on the structural characteristics of the lesson plans, the application and adaptation of the national curriculum, GCED thematic areas, UNESCO’s(2015) cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral learning domains, and Andreotti’s (2006) distinction between soft and critical approaches to GCED. The findings showed that the GCED lessons designed by the preservice elementary teachers primarily targeted upper elementary grades and were most frequently situated within social studies. The participants either directly aligned their lesson plans with national curriculum achievement standards or adapted the standards to suit their instructional purposes. Sustainable development, cultural diversity, peace, and human rights were the most frequently addressed topics, whereas gender equality and global citizenship received comparatively limited attention. Most lesson plans integrated two or more of the cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral learning domains. Soft approaches to GCED were more prevalent than critical approaches. These findings underscore the need to expand opportunities for preservice teachers to design GCED lessons across diverse subjects and curricular contexts. They also highlight the importance of developing the pedagogical capacity to address sensitive issues and connect classroom learning with critical reflection and social action.