Global and Justice Perspectives in the Classroom: A literature Review

Description

The DICE report explores the existing body of Irish and International literature as at 2005, that relates specifically to development and intercultural education. The report focuses on presenting and analysing the literature according to:

• The content of global and justice perspectives
• The approaches used to incorporate global and justice perspectives at both whole school and classroom levels
• The influences on teachers to incorporate global and justice perspectives in their teaching

The report is separated into 5 chapters:

• Chapter 1 looks at the background, context and focus of the report
• Chapters 2 and 3 present a review of the existing literature on the content and methodologies of global and justice perspectives
• Chapter 4 investigates the factors that facilitate or constrain the incorporation of global and justice perspectives by teachers
• Chapter 5 concludes and outlines recommendations arising from the review.

The review found that, reflecting literature on education in general, the content of global and justice perspectives is comprised of three strands: 1) cognitive knowledge, 2) attitudes, values and perceptions and 3) skills and capacities.

In relation to cognitive knowledge, it emerged that although there is diversity in the range of terminology used in the literature, the cognitive knowledge that can be described as being core to global and justice perspectives fall within ten key themes:

1. Development
2. Sustainable development.
3. Interdependence
4. Cultural identity and diversity
5. Human rights and responsibilities
6. Discrimination, racism, prejudice
7. Equality and social justice
8. Peace, conflict and resolution
9. ‘State of the world’ – geographic, economic, political, social, and environmental knowledge
10. Migration.