Teacher education and international practice programmes: Reflections on transformative learning and global citizenship

From Caterpillars to Butterflies: Exploring Pre-service Teachers’ Transformations While Navigating Global Citizenship Education

“…The link between GCE and values-based education is understandable, as both provide learners with a sense of direction that might help them make informed choices and decisions (see, for instance, Scoffham, 2020). Research has also underlined the link between GCE and international experiences, such as volunteering and study abroad (see, for instance, Killick, 2012;Klein and Wikan, 2019), as these have the potential to develop global awareness and a set of skills and attitudes that allow individuals to engage with global issues and to live in multicultural societies. For Irina, volunteering is regarded as an opportunity to "grow as a teacher" (IR2, p. 1) and to "learn from others" (ibid.…”

The receiving end: Namibian educators’ perceptions of international student exchange from the Global North

“…This resonated most strongly in the Namibian partners' critique of the Norwegian students' lack of authority and handling of discipline in the classroom. When comparing the findings from this study with those from the previous study of Norwegian pre-service teachers in Namibia (Klein and Wikan, 2019), we find that the very things the Norwegian students identified as difficult for them were the same issues that the Namibian partners critiqued from the other side. The pre-service teachers reported especially that authoritarian teachers and their use of psychological and corporal punishment were problematic, as well as teacher-centred education and the focus on repetition and rote learning.…”

“…Here they are ascribed a role as positive agents of change between the races in post-apartheid Namibia. It is interesting to note that although the Norwegian pre-service teachers are critical of some societal and cultural features of Namibian society and the educational system, as reported in Klein and Wikan (2019), this is not perceived as neo-colonial attitudes by the Namibian partners.…”

“…The author of this article has been involved in student exchange programmes as a supervisor for many years and has conducted research based on interviews with Norwegian pre-service teachers in Namibia previously, the findings of which are reported in Klein and Wikan (2019). The quality of the data in this study might be affected by power relations between the researcher and the local Namibian partners.…”

“…Several authors highlight that students who participated in them were empowered by the experience and developed global and intercultural competence, along with a deeper understanding and appreciation of cultural differences (Smolcic and Katunich, 2017;Cushner and Mahon, 2002;Pence and Macgillivray, 2008;Cushner, 2007;Masel Walters et al, 2009;Willard-Holt, 2001). However, some scholars have also raised concerns about the outcomes of international teaching practice programmes (for example, Klein and Wikan, 2019;Major and Santoro, 2016;Parr and Chan, 2015;Vande Berg et al, 2012). These studies indicate that such programmes can foster neocolonial attitudes and strengthen stereotypes, and, further, might be seen as part of a new form of imperialism.…”