Investigating Inquiry-Based, Technology-Rich Global Education Through Action Research

Introduction

During the 2020-2021 school year, educators faced unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As schools closed, teachers were called upon to radically alter their instructional practices by adopting digital and on-line approaches. Many found it difficult to provide students with engaging and effective learning environments in the new digital format due to a variety of factors, including a lack of high-quality digital resources, little time to plan, and logistical difficulties.

At the same time, the enormous challenges posed by the pandemic led to new innovations in teaching and learning. Educators were eager to develop new strategies for integrating digital technologies for learning and sought out the professional knowledge of teachers. The pandemic also demonstrated the importance of understanding our increasingly interdependent world.

In this chapter, we describe a collaborative action research project conducted in an elementary classroom prior to the pandemic. Since the study focused on developing effective strategies for the integration of inquiry and digital tools to teach global education, findings from this study provide educators today with insights about adapting global education for virtual classrooms. Much like Shulman’s (1999) “visions of the possible” (p. 13) this case contributes to the “scholarship of teaching” and provides a “source for specific [teaching] ideas and as a heuristic to stimulate new thinking” (1986, p. 12).

We describe our study here to also spur conversation about the extent to which action research may be an effective framework for bringing about change in teaching while engaging the “insider knowledge” of teachers. As Dervin et al. (2020) remark, it is necessary to equip teachers to dig into reconstructing alternative ways of thinking about “interculturality [and global education], in times of crisis and beyond” (p. 94). In our study, the classroom teacher participated actively in the design and implementation of a re-designed global education curriculum. The university-based researcher was involved face-to-face with the global education teacher during the initial process of re-designing the curriculum to the observation and implementation of the curriculum.

As a result, the need to help foster more global knowledge, understanding, and building bridges between individuals and the world has been increasing through the years. In schools, global education classes are a way for educators to empower students to think globally and bring about change in society and the world. There is much that can be explored within global education, however when planning a global education curriculum, teachers should select topics in an informed way that will honor children’s interest and needs.

Overall, the school in which this curriculum was developed follows a four key design element model that provides students with authentic learning, a nurturing environment, collaboration, and technology skills. The school’s mission is to provide authentic learning to improve the lives of students through a collaborative, nurturing environment, and its aim is to build a foundation for students’ success in school, career, and life. One of the unique aspects of this school is that it offers global education as a course for kindergarten through sixth grade students.

The university-based researcher in this study was actively involved in the school as a parent, volunteer, room-parent, substitute, and a co-developer of the curriculum with the global education teacher. observed the global education students thinking creatively, critically, purposefully, as well as problem-solving real word situations to take further action. The global education class offered at the school is student-centered and revolves around discussions, hands-on projects, inquiry-based learning, and technology integration. Students expand their knowledge and understanding of the world around them, which helps them become more globally competent, informed, and active global citizens.

The primary goal and core process of this action research is to learn how does global education classes and teachers prepare students for the diversified world we live in and the ways in which this global education teacher is able to foster global knowledge and understanding among a group of first grade students. Both the methodology of our study as well as the content of the curriculum provide practical strategies for improving elementary global education.