Can Higher Education Really Produce Global Citizens?

Globalization profoundly impacts our economics, societies, and educational systems yet doubt exists in higher education as to an appropriate response. Some colleges have embarked on a process of comprehensive internationalization; others are considering how to graduates global citizens, even although global citizenship remains a deeply contested issue. Considering teaching and learning perspectives, particularly perspectives informed by acquisition and participation metaphors, the chapter critiques higher education efforts to develop global citizenship. It examines inbound international student programs, outbound study abroad initiatives, and changes in learner identification and self-categorization. It argues that while student mobility initiatives have great potential, that potential goes unrealized unless learners have been comprehensibly prepared to engage actively with their new environments and experiences, and to consciously reconsider their identities and self-categorizations.

Enhancing Global Competency of Future Construction Professionals

A globalized world requires future professionals to be global citizens; to perceive their market as a global market. Globalization challenges future professionals due to its potential impacts on the labour profile. Labour markets' skills and talents as well as their adaptation to the global trends can contribute to the sustainability of the labour market and to the competitiveness of the companies globally. This chapter focuses on the future construction professionals' global competency as the construction industry is labour intensive and site based. Site based nature of the construction industry requires construction professionals to work in different countries within multidisciplinary and multicultural teams. This chapter covers the following topics: construction industry's contribution to the economy and employment rate of the countries; globalization in the construction industry; globalization as a challenge for future construction professionals; impacts of the globalization on the future construction professionals' profile; education of future construction professionals.

Academic ESP Oral Production

Current higher education students are frequently engaged to 24/7 interconnectedness, which should contribute towards their careful awareness of other languages and cultures at the time of receiving or communicating information. English remains the international language higher education learners and professional citizens in general need to perform to access the most competent job vacancies. This chapter is based on assessing oral production tasks that pursue to enhance speaking skills, team-work competences, and problem-solving in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses in the Degrees of History and Social Work. The results compare not only the oral outcomes of these two ESP groups but what evaluation procedures and assessment criteria have been considered to promote successful communication in English. Equally, this ESP content would be analysed to observe if teams succeeded in building not only local needs but also a conscious global education that is responsibly engaged with other cultures, as promoted by the global competence.

The Implementation and Analysis of an International Student Teaching Program

This chapter provides an account of an international student teaching exchange program between the University of North Texas (UNT) and the University of Seville (UdeS) from inception to implementation. The first section of the chapter offers a rationale for the program including a review of research related to international exchanges specific to educator preparation. Section two includes a discussion of program establishment, a description of initial contacts between the universities and steps taken to form legal agreements binding the institutions to the program. Logistical aspects of the program are detailed, including agreements with local school districts. The final section synthesizes the research conducted at UNT using Mezirow's (1991) transformative learning theory to study the effects of the program on its students. Three years of data have shown a clear pattern in regard to the personal and professional growth student teachers experience as a result of their participation in the program.

Civic Responsibility Development Among College Students

Using a statewide college student dataset, this chapter examines how the patterns in and predictors of civic responsibility development differ by students' racial background. Findings reveal that the level of civic responsibility does vary by student race. Results showed that Asian American students reported the lowest self-assessment of civic responsibility both at the point of college entry and in their junior or senior years, whereas African American students indicated the highest levels of civic responsibility both points of time. Findings also identify unique predictors of civic responsibility development for each racial group.

Multicultural Counseling Competencies

Given the diversity related curriculum requirements of many accrediting bodies in education and the human services to improve service delivery for those who are part of underrepresented groups in the United States, the curriculum requirements efficacy is debatable. Evidence suggest there is a disconnect between the principles of social justice and multicultural counseling competencies and the lack of application of these two principles. This chapter will emphasize these concerns and the reasons why there is such a gap with the application of these two principles using both empirical and anecdotal evidence from past research. Because the terms behavior/action and application seems to be used as synonyms, we will explore the explicit differences in these and other terms. This chapter will also highlight scenarios and give examples of what application looks like and end with recommendations to improve the application of both the multicultural counseling and social justice principles.

The Need for Promoting and Developing Cultural Competency in Future Teachers

This chapter discusses the importance of promoting and developing cultural competency in future teachers. As many countries face changing demographics and student populations in schools it is essential that future teachers understand and respect different cultures, especially the role of equity and inclusion in supporting student success. The chapter provides a review of cultural competency, why teachers today need to have cultural competency, and ways in which this competency can be developed for beginning teachers. Methods of promoting and developing cultural competency for pre-service teachers are highlighted based on the experiences from a four-semester pre-service teacher program in Ontario, Canada. The ways in which cultural competency is addressed in different courses such as Digital Literacies, Human development, Mental health in Schools, and the “Foundations” series of courses (fundamentals of teaching, learning, planning and assessment) are presented. Recommendations for teacher preparation and professional development are provided.

Developing Social Justice and Inclusion Competencies Through Semi-Structured Reflection Papers

As higher education institutions strive to foster cultural inclusion, it is imperative that university employees develop relevant competencies. This chapter offers insight into one “best practice” for fostering social justice and inclusion competencies (ACPA/NASPA, 2015). A professor and former students discuss the benefits of using self-reflection papers for competency development. The chapter begins with an overview of social justice and inclusion competencies for higher education and student affairs professionals. That section is followed by a description of graduate-level courses and reflection paper assignments aimed at developing social justice and inclusion competencies. The majority of the chapter focuses on the educational process (e.g., meaning-making, critical reflection) and products (e.g., awareness, knowledge, skills, action) of semi-structured reflection papers. Recommendations for future practice and research are included.

Reframing White Privilege

Three undergraduate social work faculty began discussions about diversity education and experiences in the classroom. Being from diverse races—African American, indigenous, and white, brought a uniqueness of perspectives about teaching primarily white students about human diversity. One stumbling block, white privilege, appeared to be a concept where open discussion was stilted or absent, students began to disengage, and the authors, as instructors, became frustrated. Research on diversity education revealed these reactions to be a common barrier in teaching cultural competency. This chapter addresses the challenges of defining, creating awareness, reframing, and calling for social action to work toward equality. The experiences, teaching techniques, and the cultural lenses of the authors are shared.

Engaging Inclusive Excellence

It is the role of community college leaders to guide their campuses in assessing outcomes for students. Additionally, the diversity of our students requires institutions to significantly improve their effectiveness in educating students who have been underrepresented in higher education. Community colleges must more systematically examine their practice in terms of how students experience the campus and how we can intervene to improve student outcomes. Campus initiatives promoting cultural competence, equity, and social justice cannot be delivered to students in isolation. Faculty and staff diversity must increase, and employees must engage in self-reflection to examine their own assumptions and have courageous conversations about race and ethnicity in higher education. The impetus for these initiatives must come from leadership and be articulated at all levels of the organization. This chapter describes the process used to raise cultural awareness, increase cultural competence, and create an equity mindset at a community college.