Global Awareness in High Schools ii
IMPLEMENTING GLOBAL AWARENESS CURRICULUM IN HIGH SCHOOLS: THE USE OF GLOBAL AWARENESS INSTRUCTION TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Except where reference is made to the work of others, the work described in this thesis is my own or was done in collaboration with my Advisor. This thesis does not include propriety or classified information
Keita Lloyd Placide
Certificate of Approval:
______
Dr. Donald Livingston, Ed. D Dr. Sharon Livingston, Ph. D
Associate Professor Project Advisor Assistant Professor Project Advisor Education Department Education Department
IMPLEMENTING GLOBAL AWARENESS CURRICULUM IN HIGH SCHOOLS: THE USE OF GLOBAL AWARENESS INSTRUCTION TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
A project submitted
By
Keita Lloyd Placide
to
LaGrange College
In partial fulfillment of
the requirement for the
degree of
SPECIALIST IN EDUCATION
in
Curriculum and Instruction
LaGrange, Georgia
July 14, 2011
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to assess the effectiveness of global awareness instruction in social studies. This method of instruction was designed not only to improve high school students’ global literacy but aid students in the mastery of the social studies content. The current Georgia Professional Standards do not emphasize the importance of a global education. This study employed action research which used both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. This study showed that global awareness instruction increases students global literacy and was an effective teaching strategy for mastery of the social studies content.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Approval Page i
Abstract iii
Table of Contents iv
List of Tables v
Chapter 1: Introduction 1
Statement of the Problem 1
Significance of the Problem 2
Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks 4
Focus Questions 6
Overview of Methodology 6
Human Researcher 7
Chapter 2: Review of the Literature 9
Definition of Global Awareness 9
Global Education’s affect on students’ grades 10
Teachers’ and students attitudes towards global Awareness 12
Organizational Change 14
Chapter 3: Methodology 20
Research Design 20
Setting 20
Subjects and Participants 22
Procedures and Data Collection Methods 22
Validity and Reliability Measures 25
Analysis of Data 29
Chapter 4: Results 34
Chapter 5: Analysis and Discussion of Results 44
Analysis 44
Discussion 51
Implications 52
Impact on School Improvement 53
Recommendations for Future Research 54
References 55
Appendices 61
LIST OF TABLES
Tables
Table 3.1 Data Shell 23
Table 4.1 ANOVA: Single Factor Pre test 36
Table 4.2 ANOVA: Single Factor Post test ...36
Table 4.3 Dependent t-test Results for Post tests 37
Table 4.4 Independent t-test on gender 38
Table 4.5 Independent t-test Results of African Americans tests 38
Table 4.6 Independent t-test on African America and non African students’ tests …39
Table 4.7 Chi Square student survey 40
Global Awareness in High Schools ii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Statement of the Problem
American students do not exhibit a global perspective; they lack an appreciation, awareness, and acceptance of different cultures and people in our ever changing world (Demovsky & Niemuth, 1999). Georgia high school students are not being prepared at the secondary level of education to meet the criteria of successful twenty-first century student. The criteria for global awareness can be broken down in three vital content areas: geography, culture and economics. The Committee of Economic Development (2000) wrote “state high school graduate requirements include only minimal course work in international studies, such as world history, geography political and science area studies, and some states require none at all” (p 1).
To graduate from high school in Georgia, most students must take and pass the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) which assesses five core academic content areas. The social studies portion has a shortage of global and international questions placed on the test. The majority of the questions on the GHSGT in this section are based on knowledge of American history. Proponents of Global Education argue that American students tend to focus on the United States’ role in other nations as a whole, but lack awareness, understanding, and acceptance of diversity (Demovsky & Niemuth, 1999). Demovsky and Niemuth (1999) also wrote that the lack of awareness has a negative impact on students’ acceptance of other nations and their cultures. In the twenty-first century, nations can no longer concentrate on only national business or trade. More emphasis has to be placed on global trade if countries want to remain economically viable in the twenty-first century.
In an era of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and standardized testing, the limited numbers of world history questions have left teachers to exclusively focus most of their instruction and teaching on United States history in order to best prepare their students. The test is made up of thirty-five United States history questions, thirteen United States government questions, thirteen world history questions, and nine geography questions that may concentrate on the United States (Georgia Department of Education [GADOE], 2010). Georgia students are taught according to the Georgia Professional Standards [GPS] which only introduces students to world history in the sixth and seventh grades. At the secondary level, students in the ninth grade have only two semesters of world history. In the last three years, LaGrange High School students have not surpassed 68% on the world history domain portion of the GHSGT (GADOE, 2010).
Unfortunately, the extreme focus of United States history has confined students to model their learning and cognitive styles. Social studies teachers should incorporate more world history content with a social constructivist method to improve students’ understanding. Constructivists maintain that learning is, fundamentally, a socially mediated activity (Cleborne, Johnson, & Willis, 1997). The purpose of this study was to examine social constructive teaching strategies in social studies (world history) and formulate an answer to the research question; does a global awareness curriculum increase the Georgia students’ level of achievement?
Significance of the Problem
There are endless disadvantages and repercussions for students not being globally aware. Some of the disadvantages and repercussions of not being a globally apt student are lack of job opportunities, cultural sensitivity and environmental problems. The first disadvantage to being globally illiterate is economic. In the economic arena, the world is seen as a “potential market” and in order for American students to compete effectively and efficiently, global knowledge must be attained. There is a serious educational gap between high school students’ curriculum and the business community in America. In a report, the Committee for Economic Development [CED] (2006) reported, “it may come as a surprise then, that a 2002 survey of large U.S. corporations found that nearly 30 percent of the companies believed they had failed to exploit fully their international business opportunities due to personnel with international skills” (CED, 2006, p. 6). The United States economy in its present condition cannot afford to lose international markets especially due to a lack of global education in the high school curriculum. The CED contends that United States corporations lack of global education exists in international business miscalculations when it reported that “Microsoft Corporation developed a time zone gap for Windows 95 operating system; it inadvertently showed the region of Kashmir lying outside the boundaries of India. India banned the software, and Microsoft was forced to recall 200,000 copies of the offending software” (CED, p. 7). The second repercussion is cultural sensitivity. Many American students are regimented in their ways of thought and problem-solving skills. Most teachers would agree that students’ attitudes and perspectives towards the introduction of topics dealing with different societies, customs, and rituals (outside the U.S.) are mostly negative. In order for America to lead the world in education into the next decade, students must become culturally sensitive and responsive to other nations. Another disadvantage of American students not being globally aware is a weaker national security. To understand the threats of terrorism in the world and solutions to prevent them from reaching the shores of America is of national importance, educators should keep students current with today’s world events. Furthermore, educators themselves should not fall prey to the old habits and teaching strategies such as over use of text books and lecturing. By educators taking a closer look at world history, they will be challenged to find new ways of engaging their students. Social constructivists believe educators should be an active participant and guide for students (Cleborne et al., 1997).
The goal of this study was to improve the student’s global awareness by helping them look at other countries’ current events and to help their thinking process by communicating solutions to their problems. Advocates of social constructivist teaching maintain, “Social Studies incorporates rich opportunities to involve students in active investigation of issues, problems, consequences, and successes people encounter in the social world” (Sunal & Haas, 2007, p. XIV). Creating an environment that helps students to be more globally aware will, in turn, help students to not only understand global events that affect global relationships to the United States, but also help them to develop cultural sensitivity.
Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks
This research is directly linked to social constructivism. Beck and Kosnik (2006) cite Dewey in 1916 as saying, “education is not an affair of ‘telling’ and being told, but an active and constructive process” (p. 9). This constructive perspective is directly linked to the theory that students must have involved critical thinking skills, thus essentially reinforcing the notion of learning by experience. Using the social cognitive theory in social studies, Sunal and Hass (2007) would support the idea of each student having interactive experiences which will play a part in an improved learner’s understanding of and perspectives on global awareness.
The introduction of more global studies into social studies curriculum relates strongly to the second tenet of the LaGrange College Education Department’s [LCED] (2010) Conceptual Framework exemplary professional teaching practices. Tenet Two emphasizes the professional development of the teacher in order to be competent in the classroom. The LCED Conceptual Framework, has three tenets with nine corresponding competency clusters, but this research examines only Competency Cluster 2.2, which focuses on the instructional skills such as “use of effective verbal, nonverbal, media communication techniques to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem-solving and performance skills” (p.7). Competency Cluster 2.2 also examines effective and appropriate management. The main idea of a student-centered classroom is supported by the theoretical concepts of Sunal and Hass (2007) in which they contend that the teacher creates an environment where the student is faced with a problem with four conditions: concepts, generalizations, higher level thinking skills and attitudes and disposition about the social world (p. 31).
This research was directly linked to the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards [NBTS] Proposition Two. Proposition Two states that the teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students. This proposition encourages teachers to excel in their content area and interrelate it with other subjects. The NBTS is a strong proponent of teachers having a comprehension of the history, structure, and real-world applications of the content (LCED, 2010). The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education Standard 1C and 1D are also aligned with this research. Standard 1C states “Teacher candidates can apply the professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills delineated in professional, state, and institutional standards to facilitate learning” (LCED, 2010,). NCATE’s Standard 1D emphasizes that teachers access and analyze students and make adjustments. This research also aligned with Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Consortium’s (INTASC) domain 4 and 7. Domain 4 advocates multiple instructional strategies and domain 7 focuses on instructional planning. When teachers become facilitators and allow students to socially construct their perspectives to their problems, higher order thinking skills come to the forefront.
In this study, lessons were student-centered and students were to ask to find solutions on four different global problems. Teachers must create an environment where there is classroom interaction, concepts, generalizations, higher level thinking skills, and attitudes and disposition are core-teaching methods that are encouraged by the Conceptual Framework.
Focus Questions
The over-arching research question was, does teaching from a global education perspective enhance student achievement and promote global awareness? This essential research question will be unpacked with three focus questions. The three focus questions analyzed student achievement, teachers’ attitude, and organizational changes.
The following questions were used to guide the research of this study:
1. How does the introduction of global awareness curriculum in social studies (world history) increase 9th graders test scores?
2. What are students’ attitudes towards the introduction of global issues to social studies and constructive teaching strategies used to improve their global knowledge?
3. Is there evidence from teachers and administrators that supports the implementation of global awareness strategies into social studies?”
Overview of Methodology
The research was both qualitative and quantitative. The location of this research was a south-eastern high school in the United States. The African American and Caucasian demography of this school was proportionate. There were less than 2% percent of Latino and Korean students. The number of participants in the research was 70 to 80 ninth grade world history students.
A pre and post test on global education was used to unpack focus question one. The students took a pre test on three units in world history. After three and half weeks of global awareness instruction students were given a post test. The pre and post test assessments were quantitative data that were compared and analyzed by using two ANOVAs, dependent and independent t tests and effect size calculator tests. Focus question two, a student survey and a teacher questionnaire was used to collect data reflecting their attitudes and concerns about global education. A focus group was used to analyze the qualitative data. The Chi Square test was used to analyze the quantitative survey data. These qualitative data were analyzed and coded for themes. To address focus question three, evidence of department and administrators’ endorsement of the global education was collected in the form of an interview with the principal and a survey to social studies department faculty members. These qualitative data were analyzed and coded for themes.