Determinants of teachers' global citizenship education practices in the classroom

We are currently faced with some renewed global challenges and tensions, including the increase in migration, the climate emergency and the digital and technology-based era. Scholars argue that these challenges have brought new complexities into the field and efforts should be made to think about the conceptualisation of (youth) political attitudes, behaviours and participation (Pickard, 2019; Trevion & Carrasco, 2021). In line with this trend, the global challenges requires new shifts in education and learning systems. Global Citizenship Education is UNESCO’s response to the challenges and is formulated in target 4.7 in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implemented by the United Nations: “by 2030, all learners should acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development” (United Nations, 2018). Global citizenship is generally used as an umbrella term for social, political, environmental and economic actions of globally minded individuals and communities on a worldwide scale (United Nations, 2014) and is seen as one of the key components of the 21st century competencies young people should adopt (Russell, 2016). Schools are seen as one of the most efficient ways to foster citizenship education competences such as democratic values and skills and tolerant attitudes (Maurissen et al., 2020; Parker, 2003; Sivenbring, 2019). Accordingly, citizenship education has often been implemented in the curriculum and schools are expected to contribute actively to students’ citizenship competences (Eurydice, 2017). Given the widespread importance of citizenship education and its changing rapidly over time (Veugelers, 2020), it is important to understand how teachers currently think and act in the classroom regarding the diversifying global issues. In contrast to the extended research of citizenship attitudes among pupils (Agirdag et al., 2011; Van Houtte & Stevens, 2009; Verkuyten & Thijs, 2002), less attention has been given to teachers and there is little agreement about how teachers aim at dealing with the aspects of a globalised world challenged by diverse political and social changes, such as ethnic and cultural diversity in classroom practices (Pullinx, 2017; Thijs & Verkuyten, 2014; Vedder et al., 2006). This study will focus on various teachers’ education efforts (practices) within the context of a diversifying global world. Data from a representative teacher survey in Belgium (Flanders) including a sample of 830 secondary school teachers will be used to answer this question. The survey developed for the study comprised questions on teachers’ attitudes and behaviours with regard to radicalisation and polarisation in the classroom, social media and fake news, and classroom dialogues on sensitive topics. Regression analysis models will be used to determine the variables (i.e. on the individual, class-and school-level) that affect teachers’ attitudes and behaviours. Our study contributes to the future perspective within citizenship education and implications important for research, policy and practice will be discussed.