“Think Global, Teach Local”: How Pre-Service Teachers Glocalise Citizenship Culture and Curriculum in Initial Teacher Education in Punjab

Abstract

In Punjab, pre-service teachers often experience tension between global educational demands and local cultural needs as they prepare to do their jobs. The study uses Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis as a qualitative approach to explore the conceptions and negotiations of the concept of globalisation of citizenship education, cultural identity, and curriculum implementation by 16 pre-service teachers from two public sector universities in Punjab, Pakistan where they are pursuing bachelor's education. Semi-structured interviews uncovered three superordinate themes: balancing global competence and local rootedness within firmly established universal frameworks, translating universal frameworks into culturally responsive practices, and perceiving education as a site of cultural conflict. The findings reveal that pre-service teachers actively develop hybrid professional identities that respect Islamic and Pakistani values but adopt cosmopolitan viewpoints. This study contributes theoretical insights into the globalisation processes within the post-colonial teacher education setting and provides practical implications for curriculum designers interested in developing culturally sustaining strategies for international citizenship education.