Specific terminology and explicit linkages needed for educators to succeed with global education frameworks

Over the last few decades, the environment has rapidly changed while the world has become more interconnected with advances in technology. These conditions prompted various educational pedagogies that can be used in schools around the world, and have been endorsed by The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Some of these pedagogies include Environmental Education (EE), Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), and Global Citizenship Education (GCE). These theories come with frameworks to help educators implement lessons in a uniform manner while respecting the limitations that may arise in different national and regional contexts. Yet educators perceive and implement these pedagogies and their associated frameworks in different ways. Though extensive research has been produced about the principles, best practices, and outcomes of each of educational theory, less is known about the relationship of how discourse shapes theory over time. In this literature review, the researchers explored the conceptual intersection of Environment-Related Education (ERE) and Global Citizenship Education (GCE) research in relation to educators and how ERE evolved within GCE using Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Social Network Analysis (SNA).

UNESCO has defined and promoted Global Citizenship Education (GCE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). GCE aims to equip students with the ability to understand and solve global issues with empathy for all humanity. For this study, Environment-Related Education (ERE) included Environmental Education (EE), ESD, and other related topics. ERE aims to teach students how to understand complex environmental and social problems at local, national, and global scales, prepare students with the tools they need to succeed in solving those problems, and act in an environmentally-friendly and equitable way. Therefore, GCE and ERE have complementary goals. However, many teachers are unclear on how to teach ERE and GCE effectively in tangible ways because the academic literature can be vague or does not explicitly link the two pedagogies. This study intended to identify trends in the conceptual link between ERE and GCE based on how each is discussed in academic research for educators to understand the various influences on global educational norms.

The researchers approached the literature review by first creating a list of search terms that included “global citizen/citizenship” paired with a keyword that related to educators. These terms were searched in three reputable databases. The researchers limited the scope of the data to include peer-reviewed articles and books published in English between 2006 and 2017. There were 90 publications that matched the criteria for inclusion in the study. Then, the researchers used Natural Language Processing (NLP) to identify social tags (related topics) for each of the publications. This data was used in Social Network Analysis (SNA) to develop a map of connections among the social tags to show relationships between the articles. The visualization showed four major clusters (education concepts, global civics, ERE, and intercultural issues) which were categorized into three time periods: 2006 to 2009 (21 publications), 2010 to 2013 (30 publications), and 2014 to 2017 (38 publications). Only the three time periods for the ERE cluster were analyzed in this study.

In the first time period (2006-2009), the data revealed that both ERE and GCE research during those years included broad educational terms like “experimental learning” and “educational reform.” There was no specific mention of UNESCO in any paper. In 2010-2013, the literature used more specific terms regarding ERE, but they tended to only be directly related to the environment, such as “environmental social science” and “sustainable development.” For 2014-2017, research on ERE and GCE made more frequent mention of ESD and UNESCO, relating GCE more closely to environmental education than in prior years. The researchers interpreted this data as showing ERE transitioning from an abstract pedagogy to specific, subject-related material over time. This sharpening of ERE helped distinguish GCE, which remained rather abstract, from ERE and ultimately helped link the pedagogies in the research. Further, the data showed that UNESCO defined ERE and GCE over the decade of research reviewed and developed a common language for the narrative of each pedagogy, helping the global adoption of both ERE and GCE. This literature review proved the importance of narrative and specific discourse in global education frameworks for teachers to succeed.

The review had its limitations. First, the literature reviewed was written from the perspective of researchers on educators and was not directly from educators themselves. Therefore, specific challenges and interpretations may be missed as there is a high likelihood of a disconnect between what happens in the classroom and what can be gleaned from research. Second, the review only included publications written in English, which may contribute to a biased critique and understanding of global educational norms. Third, NLP has some shortcomings. For example, NLP is not sensitive enough to recognize misspelled words or social tags and can exclude some connections.

The researchers suggested that specific terminology and explicit linkages between abstract concepts and objective knowledge are most useful in resources and materials for teachers to implement the ERE and GCE frameworks set forth by global entities. By doing this, EE in general could be taught more frequently in the curricula in formal settings. Similarly, global educational norms should include specific examples on best practices while remaining abstract enough to be adaptable in diverse settings.