Understanding Global Education - A Case Study of the Global High Schools Network in Denmark

Abstract: This is a mixed methods study employing a grounded theory framework with the network organization Global High Schools Denmark as a case. The study aims at understanding how teachers in the network conceptualize global education. Data was collected through in depth semi-structured interviews with teachers as well as through an online self-completion survey. The thesis finds four main conceptualizations among the teachers; global education as specific themes related to globalization, global education as interconnection and dependency between the global and local, global education as the understanding and respect for other peoples and cultures and finally, global education as preparation for studying and working in a global world. The teachers furthermore expressed thoughts in relation to teaching practice, where global education was seen as something that comes easier to some subjects than others and that can be hard to make sense of in practice. These understandings should be understood as aspects that are more or less present in their understanding and are thus not mutually exclusive. When analyzing the statistical data, there was a tendency towards the understanding of global education as respect for other peoples and cultures sparking the least ambivalence among the respondents, indicating a weak but present preference for this understanding of global education. The data also points towards a connection between subject and ambition to be a global educator as well as given level of understanding of global education, suggesting that subject has an influence on your perception of the concept – especially so for science teachers. However, a larger sample would be needed to make definite claims in this direction. The thesis concludes that further research on this topic, by building on the categories developed in this study, should aim towards the translation of global education theory into quality educational practice, especially in terms of developing strategies for cohesive implementation.