Elementary School 4th Grade Students and Teachers’ Perceptions of Global Citizenship

Abstract

The aim of the study is to investigate pupils’ perceptions for global citizenship, and their teachers’ utilization of teaching and learning applications and activities that are supposed to have an effect on pupils’ perceptions. The study is a qualitative study. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews from 30 pupils and 15 teachers. The data gathered were analyzed with the inductive analysis method. The results revealed that the students’ perceptions of citizenship were classified as their definitions of citizenship and characteristics of citizenship. In relation to pupils’ perception of global citizenship there categories emerged from the data; their definition of global citizenship, having prerequisite of global citizenship and having awareness of the world and global citizenship. As for the teachers’ perceptions of global citizenship, they were classified as definitions of global citizenship and the characteristics of global citizenship. In addition, the research results also demonstrated that there were problems experienced in relation to the global citizenship education due to the teachers, the school facilities and the curriculum.