TRANS-CONTEXTUAL LEARNING CYCLES for global competence development.pdf

Trans-contextual learning cycle (TCLC) is a newly theorized approach towards global competence development and is an adapted version of Karplus’s learning cycle (Atkin & Karplus, 1962). TCLC introduces different contexts at different stages of the cycle when investigating a particular global-related issue or a phenomenon. The stages are arranged in the following sequence: (1) another country/countries context (concrete unfamiliar), (2) global context (abstract overarching), (3) home country context (concrete familiar).

To test the value of TCLCs as an approach, a mixed-method small-scale action research was carried out. The research results show that the students made significant progress in all six domains of dispositions and knowledge outlined in “The Globally Competent Teaching Continuum” (Tichnor-Wagner et al., 2017) which suggest that TCLCs’ can be a subtle yet powerful approach to GC development.

TCLCs can be of potential benefit to a wide range of stakeholders, including universities and instructors of various soft disciplines (e.g. Education, Social Science, Political Science, etc.) looking to internationalise their provision and develop global competence among students without implementation of major curriculum changes.

References:

Atkin, J. M., & Karplus, R. (1962). Discovery or invention? The Science Teacher, 29(5), pp. 45-51.

Tichnor-Wagner, A., Glazier, J., Parkhouse, H., & Cain, J. (2017). Identifying the Elements of Globally Competent Teaching: A Systematic Literature Review. Report for the University of North Carolina