(2022). Analyzing Social Studies National Curriculum and Textbooks for the Concept of Global Citizenship: A Content Analysis. Journal of Education and Educational Development, v9 n1 p68-88 Jun. This qualitative research study was an attempt to analyze the National Social Studies curriculum and textbooks of Grades IV-V in the context of Global Citizenship Education after reviewing the National Education Policies of Pakistan developed in 2009 and 2017. These two policies emphasize developing individuals who are critical thinkers, intellectuals, independent, and responsible global citizens. Data were collected with the help of a checklist for the relational content analysis of student learning outcomes, teaching and learning process, assessment, and evaluation process within the scope of 8 global citizenship dimensions given in the UNICEF global citizenship framework (2013). Major findings of the thematic analysis include the integration of global citizenship elements in the National Curriculum and textbooks of Social Studies to a great extent. Learning objectives as well as teaching and learning process designed for Grades IV and V emphasize the knowledge and understanding of… [PDF]
(2019). Does Education Lead to Pacification? A Systematic Review of Statistical Studies on Education and Political Violence. Review of Educational Research, v89 n1 p46-92 Feb. Does more education lead to less political violence, and may education thus be a tool for peace? This article provides the first systematic review of the existing quantitative literature on education and political violence. Looking at arguments pertaining to levels, expansion, inequality, and content of education, we identify 42 quantitative studies from the time period 1996 to 2016 that test the relationship between various measures of education and political violence. An emerging scholarly consensus seems to be that education has a general pacifying effect. However, this general conclusion is challenged by recent evidence showing above-average levels of education among terrorists and genocide perpetrators. This, as well as other findings, underscore that the relationship between education and political violence is complex and multidimensional, depending on type of political violence, mediating factors, and level of analysis. We conclude with policy implications from our findings… [Direct]
(2019). From National Cultural Paradigms to European/Global Cultural Paradigms: A Copernican Revolution. Journal of Social Science Education, v18 n3 p29-40 Fall. Purpose: To stress the existential crisis of European integration and the need to shape the European citizen, who forms the foundations of unification, which can no longer be based only on economic conditions. Methods: Analyse the contradictions in the integration method adopted so far by member states and the fallacious solutions proposed by national-populist movements. Findings: An education system is needed that is aimed at shaping, alongside the citizens of its own nation-state, the cosmopolitan citizens of a united Europe, who are convinced that to preserve peace, democracy and well-being the continent must be unified…. [PDF]
(2013). Education for a Culture of Peace: The Culture of Peace News Network as a Case Study. Journal of Peace Education, v10 n3 p230-241. The Culture of Peace News Network, an internet news service, is analyzed in the framework of a general approach to education for a culture of peace. Its format reflects the eight program areas for a culture of peace as adopted by the UN General Assembly. Among its other operating principles are universality of news with all cultures and regions of the world given equal priority, requirement that reflection be accompanied by action and that news should be positive and open to debate, that "slow news" is as important as "fast news," and that readers should participate by writing as well as reading. The Network has yet to achieve its goal of forcing commercial media to consider actions for a culture of peace as newsworthy, but it is suggested that this will depend on the growth of the global movement for a culture of peace which remains rather small at the present time…. [Direct]
(2009). Promoting Peace Education via Voluntary Encounters. Cambridge Journal of Education, v39 n4 p505-521 Dec. As current study of contact between groups is somehow limited and self-referential, the present study joins other studies that suggest a deeper examination of intergroup contact in wider social processes which recognize the complex nature of intergroup relationships. A qualitative multiple-methods approach, supported by quantitative measures, was used to study a voluntary dialogue group of religious and secular students in Israel, to reveal its underlying force-driving processes and study its contribution to the enhancement of positive relationships between the groups. The findings reveal the strengths and weaknesses of such voluntary encounters and point to four fundamental factors for the formation and enhancement of this new venue for intergroup contact intervention programs: motivation, cooperation, meeting coordinator and group facilitator, and enjoying the meetings. Possible implications for school pedagogy and for the enhancement of positive intergroup relations are discussed…. [Direct]
(2022). Sustainable Development in Higher Education in Nordic Countries: Exploring E-Learning Mechanisms and SDG Coverage in MOOCs. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, v23 n1 p196-211. Purpose: This study aims to explore the extent and types of E-Learning used, as method and tool, to support education for sustainable development (ESD); and to understand the coverage of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in massive open online courses (MOOCs). Design/methodology/approach: The study extends the morphological box of ESD in higher education by nonformal and informal education, exploring the types of blended and online learning and adding the SDGs as a new criterion. The study subjects are Nordic UN Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) members. Through content analysis and thematic coding of reports by higher education institutions (HEIs), different E-Learning methods are identified; furthermore, 30 MOOCs are analyzed. Findings: HEIs apply a variety of blended and online learning to advance ESD for formal and nonformal education. The MOOCs offered by Nordic HEIs predominantly cover four SDGs (9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; 13: Climate… [Direct]
(1973). How Can We Achieve World Peace?. Social Education, 37, 7, 614, Nov 73. The political and value structures involved in the change process for achieving peace are discussed. Suggestions for achieving the social change needed for peace which are related to education involve an emphasis on conflict resolution techniques and the capacity to analyze a culture in terms of its values. (KM)…
(2021). Activism, Art, and Design: Bringing Social Justice to Life in the Higher Education Curriculum. Art Education, v74 n1 p31-39. Because she has seen students increasingly advocating for social justice and for their intersectional identities, Rachel Epp Buller hoped that developing a new course called Activism, Art, and Design might offer students models of how to leverage art for social change, while also connecting to their institution's values. She is an associate professor at Bethel College, a Mennonite-affiliated institution, where all students take coursework in peace, justice, and conflict studies (PJCS) as a general education (GE) requirement. By creating a new course–Activism, Art, and Design–in 2016-2017, she aimed to center art in this values-based discussion which would offer an unique opportunity to teach social justice through a different disciplinary lens. This article describes how she structured the course around historical and contemporary examples of artists and designers who became activists, seeking societal change through nonviolent protest. She also reflects on what takeaways and… [Direct]
(1991). International Understanding at School. Bulletin No. 59-60 1991. International understanding and peace through school education is a basic aim of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Associated Schools Project. The feature articles in this bulletin issue discuss declarations and statements relevant to the promotion of peace and projects for international education. The Seville Statement proposes a clarification of major scientific misconceptions to provide a solid base for education towards international understanding. The Yamoussokro Declaration defines the positive content of peace, identifies promising fields for peace, and outlines a program for peace. The Montevideo Declaration reaffirms the importance of democracy and recommends states and relevant organizations commit to promoting democracy. The Paris Statement discusses international assistance in the fields of education and training in non-racial, democratic, post-apartheid South Africa. The four other articles discuss international… [PDF]
(2020). Controversy in the Classroom: How History Teachers in the Western Balkans Approach Difficult Topics?. Journal of Curriculum Studies, v52 n5 p636-653. In the context of legacies of mass violence and political oppression during the recent past in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia), history teaching is seen as an important factor in building sustainable peace and democracy. Caught between various national and international policy actors, history teaching has been subject to frequently overlapping and inconsistent reforms. Despite prolific research on history education in the Western Balkans teachers' experiences of history education and its transformation have largely remained unexamined. This paper explores history teachers' perceptions of and approaches to the topics they find difficult to teach. The paper draws on data gathered through an online survey that yielded 793 responses from history teachers and 14 regional history education expert interviews. The results show which topics teachers consider difficult to teach in six Western Balkan countries, and how… [Direct]
(2022). Impact of Mediator Mentors Service-Learning on College Student Social-Emotional Expertise and Cultural Competence. Journal of Practical Studies in Education, v3 n1 p3-13. Mentorship in the field of service-learning has many variations. The utilization of peace circles has been on the rise as a way of bringing inclusion and cultural awareness when interacting with diverse perspectives in a group setting. Research on the impact of service-learning experiences on college students reflects that participation in these high-impact practices in higher education lead to positive outcomes through engagement in active learning practices that will impact their future careers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential factors that impact college students' own growth and development within mentorship service learning experiences in virtual settings with school-aged students. Using Likert-style retrospective survey questions with open-ended responses, this mixed-methods research explored the impact of participating in mentorship service learning on college students' development of social-emotional and cultural competence. The findings of the study… [PDF]
(2022). 21st Century Community Learning Centers: Inspiring Learning. Supporting Families. Earning Results. Afterschool Alliance Afterschool programs inspire kids to learn, help them make better decisions, and give parents peace of mind. Throughout the pandemic, 21st Century Community Learning Centers have kept kids engaged and learning and met the needs of families nationwide. But the demand for these programs far exceeds the supply. 21st Century Community Learning Centers provide afterschool and summer learning opportunities in every state. Programs are selected for funding based on their ability to meet the needs of students and families and their connection to education priorities in the state. Although many states reported disruptions in data collection during the pandemic, promising findings illustrate positive academic and behavioral gains among participants. Additionally, surveys of program providers found that through the pandemic, 21st CCLC programs were more likely to adapt to the needs of the children and families they served, from connecting with youth remotely during school closures and state… [PDF]
(2020). American and British Efforts to Democratize Schoolbooks in Occupied Italy and Germany from 1943 to 1949. Journal of Educational Media, Memory and Society, v12 n1 p121-145 Mar. During the Allied occupation of the Axis countries, education and the revision of educational materials were seen as a means of ensuring future peace in Europe. Most scholarly literature on this topic has focused on the German case or has engaged in a German-Japanese comparison, neglecting the country in which the textbook revision process was first pioneered: Italy. Drawing primarily on the papers of the Allied occupying military governments, this article explores the parallels between the textbook revision processes in Allied-occupied Italy and Germany. It argues that, for the Allied occupiers involved in reeducation in Italy and Germany, the reeducation processes in these countries were inextricably linked. Furthermore, the institutional learning process that occurred in occupied Italy enabled the more thorough approach later applied in Germany…. [Direct]
(2022). Transforming Learning Environments in Early Childhood Contexts through the Arts: Responding to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. International Journal of Early Childhood, v54 n1 p33-50 Apr. UNESCO's Education for Sustainable Development Roadmap highlights the need to transform learning environments by integrating the 17 Sustainable Development Goals from United Nations Agenda 2030. This presents challenges for early childhood education in establishing a trajectory to transform the way young children see the world and themselves. These challenges include: reviewing adults' views of children's capabilities, developing strategies to support children's resilience and ensuring that children have their say, and pushing back against narrow views of children's learning. ECE supporting sustainability, global citizenship, human rights, and peace (see goals 4.2 and 4.7) can be underpinned by arts experiences that allow young children to engage with others' lived experiences. This paper supports the notion that the arts can play a crucial role in supporting transformative education and addressing the challenges facing ECE for sustainability. Through an Arts Immersion approach to… [Direct]
(2022). Experimenting with a Global Panacea: UNESCO's Fundamental Education Programme in China, 1945-1950. International Review of Education, v68 n3 p345-368 Jun. The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was set up in the aftermath of World War II with the mandate of safeguarding global peace by promoting international intellectual cooperation across national boundaries. UNESCO's first flagship educational initiative, launched in 1946, was the Fundamental Education programme, which ran until 1958. This article traces the role of China in the history of this UNESCO project, both in terms of inspiring the initial concept and in terms of piloting it. The author maps out a transnational network of concepts, ideas, people, institutions, funds, etc. that shaped the programme. Informed by scientific experimental methodology, the design of UNESCO's ambitious Fundamental Education initiative was to implement long-term, systematic and comprehensive schemes addressing illiteracy, public health, civil education and livelihood, etc. While the actors collaborating in this project shared some beliefs, their group as a… [Direct]