Cultivating Global Citizenship: Empowering Teachers to Become Change Agents in Pakistan

The world faces myriad challenges, including poverty, education inequality, health threats and climate change. These pressing issues necessitate well-informed and pedagogically competent teachers capable of transforming youth into responsible global citizens.

This project aligns with the UN SDGs (2015) and Pakistan's educational priorities. Through active engagement with 30 pre-service and 30 in-service teachers in Pakistan, the project aims to transform research-based global citizenship teacher CPD training into tangible teacher competencies while nurturing a heightened sense of global responsibility among 12,000 youth annually.

Leveraging the research team's theoretical, empirical and action research, the project aims to empower teachers to co-create global citizenship knowledge (covering its social, cultural, environmental, and economic dimensions), innovative pedagogical skills and a transformative mindset. By enabling teachers to act as change agents, the project maximises impact on students and prepares them to become responsible global citizens serving local communities and a globalised world.

CPD Timetable

CPD Leads: Dr Meng Tian and Dr Naima Qureshi

CPD timetable
 Date Time (Pakistan Standard Time)TopicFacilitatorVenue 
18th April, 2024 Thursday 1:30pm-5:30pm Introduction and Welcome

Critical Global Citizenship (Workshop)

Dr Meng Tian
Dr Naima Qureshi
Multipurpose Hall, University of Education, Lahore 

19th April, 2024 Friday

 2:00pm-5:30pm Empowering Critical Thinkers for Complex Global Challenges (Seminar) Dr Naima Qureshi Multipurpose Hall, University of Education, Lahore 
 25th April, 2024 Thursday  2:00pm-5:30pm Social Global Citizenship (Workshop) Dr Meng Tian
Dr Naima Qureshi
Multipurpose Hall, University of Education, Lahore 
 26th April, 2024 Friday  2:00pm-5:30pm Transformative Pedagogies through Art and Drama for Global Citizenship (Seminar) Kanwal Khoosat Multipurpose Hall, University of Education, Lahore 
 2nd May, 2024 Thursday  2:00pm-5:30pm Digital Global Citizenship (Workshop) Dr Meng Tian
Dr Naima Qureshi
Multipurpose Hall, University of Education, Lahore 
 3rd May, 2024 Friday  2:00pm-5:30pm

Evolving Horizons: Integrating Digital Consciousness with AI Advancements (Seminar) 

Aruj Khaliq  Multipurpose Hall, University of Education, Lahore 
10th May, 2024 Friday  2:00pm-5:30pm Collaborative Work

Lesson Design and Presentations  

Dr Naima Qureshi  

May-June & 

September-October, 2024

Classroom Teaching Practice and Observation Self-organised
November , 2024   Project Exhibition and Closing Ceremony  Dr Meng Tian
Dr Naima Qureshi
Auditorium,University of Education, Lahore 

Research objectives

Drawing on the underpinning review of global citizenship education (Qureshi and Tian, forthcoming), Pakistani teachers’ knowledge and self-efficacy in teaching global citizenship (Qureshi and Tian, forthcoming) and action research on teachers’ professional development (Qureshi and Kalsoom, 2021), education for sustainable development (Kalsoom and Qureshi, 2017; Qureshi and Kalsoom, 2022), environmental consciousness (Zeeshan and Qureshi, 2023), digital citizenship (Liaquat, Qureshi, forthcoming) and social justice in teacher education (Roohi, Qureshi and Butt, 2022), this teacher CPD project aims to empower teachers to become change agents and competent educators in teaching global citizenship topics and launching community-based activities dealing with global challenges. 

The project will accomplish the following objectives: 

  1. Deliver three sets of thematic workshops and seminars to enhance teachers’ knowledge of critical, social and digital dimensions of global citizenship.
  2. Cultivate teachers’ pedagogical skills through arts-based methods like collage-making and story-telling (Tian, 2023).
  3. Empower teachers to design and deliver projects, each addressing a specific global challenge relevant to students and local communities.
  4. Cultivate mentor-mentee relationships between participants. Foster a community of practice among participants and training experts, enabling knowledge transfer.
  5. Generate teacher CPD resources and research outputs on global citizenship education.

Outputs and impact

This project leverages our research in global citizenship education, teacher capacity building and arts-based methods to translate theoretical frameworks into tangible teacher competencies, global citizenship activities and an increased sense of global awareness and responsibility among youth in Pakistan. 

The project comprises three sets of thematic workshops and seminars and one closing ceremony. 

  • Critical Global Citizenship
    Participants will gain a critical perspective on various cultures, social and economic inequalities and the interconnected nature of global challenges and advocacy of people’s voices (Oxley and Morris, 2013). 

  • Social Global Citizenship
    Participants will develop a deep comprehension of their rights and responsibilities within a global society (Franch, 2020), with a specific focus on issues of race, ethnicity and power dynamics within society (Kiwan, 2016), inclusivity and intercultural communication. 

  • Digital Global Citizenship
    Participants will acquire expertise to engage their students in data searching and analysis activities tailored to their respective age groups and use digital and critical thinking skills (Atta, 2022) to analyse the root causes of economic inequality, climate changes, poverty and cultural wars. 

  • Closing Ceremony and Project exhibition
    Participants will showcase their global citizenship education activities through presentations, blogs, podcasts, videos or posters. 

Outputs and impact

The project will generate the following outputs and impact:

  • We will collect evidence demonstrating how project-based seminars, workshops, exhibitions and social media coverage contribute to teacher capacity building and student engagement. By developing mutually beneficial long-term relationships with participants, we will document how the 60 teachers mobilise their knowledge and skills to transform classroom practices and launch community-based global citizenship activities. 
  • We will gather evidence illustrating how teachers apply and disseminate effective arts-based teaching methods among their colleagues. The arts-based approach aims to emotionally engage students, stimulate their auditory and visual senses and foster a stronger global citizen identity. 
  • Lastly, we will record the number of stakeholders involved and identify potential funding opportunities to extend the project's reach and establish a consistent framework for teacher CPD in global citizenship education across Pakistan. 

Local-to-Global Knowledge Exchange 

This project aims to foster a dynamic exchange of knowledge and experiences in regions of emerging global significance, with a particular focus on Pakistan. Pakistani teachers’ participation in this project will generate new insights into knowledge and pedagogical tools used for teaching global citizenship in schools and teachers’ levels of self-efficacy in delivering various global citizenship topics. This project, initially targeting the Punjab region of Pakistan, holds the potential for expansion across Pakistan and into other Asian countries such as India, Malaysia and the UAE. 

Pre-service to In-service Teacher Knowledge Development 

Pre-service teachers will have the opportunity to collaborate with in-service teachers, organically forming a community of practice. Pre-service teachers will be supported in securing placements and employment opportunities in schools. Initial teacher training institutions can benefit from this project by incorporating the project’s research findings and CPD resources into training programmes. 

Community Engagement and Global Teacher Advocates 

Our project empowers both pre-service and in-service teachers to become responsible, informed and socially conscious change agents. As teachers become actively involved in school and community-based projects, they will inspire other students, parents and teachers to engage in similar initiatives and raise public awareness about shared global concerns. By December 2024, the project will establish a network of 200 global teacher advocates. 

Collaboration with Local and International Experts 

Local and international experts in global citizenship education will be invited to deliver workshops and seminars. An edited book will compile research and practical knowledge shared by these experts and serve as a resource for future teacher CPD training.

Project gallery

Expert's views

Dr Meng Tian, Associate Professor in Educational Leadership, University of Bimingham

Introduction to project phase 2

Dr Allison Witt, Associate Professor of Global Studies and Education, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

UIUC Associate Professor Allison Witt

Professor Andres Sandoval-Hernandez

Professor Linyuan Guo-Brennan on Global Citizenship Education

Project opening session in Lahore

GCE project opening session in Lahore
   

Project news

 

Media Coverage by ABN News

 

Media Coverage by Star Asia News

Research team

PI: Dr Meng Tian, Associate Professor in Educational Leadership, Global Engagement Lead, School of Education, University of Birmingham, UK

Co-I: Dr Naima Qureshi, Assistant Professor in Education, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan


Funding: The Birmingham Institutional Impact Fund.