Dimensions of global competence (disposition and knowledge to understand and act

on issues of global significance): implication to education

MODEL
Global Competence is a multi-dimensional construct (it refers to several distinct but related
dimensions treated as a single concept.) that requires a combination of knowledge, skills,
attitudes and values successfully applied to global issues or intercultural situations..
“Competence” is not merely a specific skill but is a combination of knowledge, skills,
attitudes and values successfully applied to face-to-face, virtual or mediated encounters with
people who are perceived to be from a different cultural background, and to individuals’
experiences of global issues.

SCHOOL
School is the first area in which children have the opportunity to experience diversity of the
society.
That is why school can promote global competence because it hones our Awareness,
Curiosity, Interests in learning about the world and how it works by providing students with
concrete experiences (activities, lessons)
-So mainly, it helps students to learn about global developments and how these affect the
world and their own lives
Encounter different people, Aside from that, schools can equip students with an appreciation
of other cultures and their own cultural identity. Culture is heterogenous and dynamic
Cultural heterogeneity refers to differences in cultural identity related to class,
ethnicity/background, language, traditions, religion, and many other cultural aspects. Which
on turn can encourage sensitivity towards others and respectful interactions

four target dimensions of global competence that people need to apply successfully
in their everyday life:

Dimension 1: Examine issues of local, global and cultural significance.

• Refers to globally competent people's practices of effectively utilizing knowledge
about the world and critical reasoning in forming their own opinion about global
issues.
- They can effectively combine knowledge and critical reasoning

People who acquire a mature level of development in this dimension use higher order thinking
skills, (analyze, evaluate, create) such as selecting and weighing appropriate evidence to
reason about global developments.
-not passive learner/listener
- Pose questions to better understand issues and perspectives
- be it an essay, a problem or design solution, a scientific explanation or a work of art
Globally competent students can draw on and combine the disciplinary knowledge (content
knowledge facts, concepts, theories, and principles) and thinking styles
Creative thinking, Analytical thinking, Critical thinking, Concrete thinking, Abstract thinking,
Divergent thinking, Convergent thinking
acquired in schools to ask questions, analyze data and arguments, explain phenomena, and
develop a position concerning a local, global or cultural issue (Boix Mansilla and Jackson,
2011)
-to come up into a deeper understanding
-poverty, economic interdependence, migration, inequality, environmental risks, conflicts,
cultural differences and stereotypes
- Explore the world with curiosity
Therefore, in the classroom, teachers need to teach using multicultural perspectives
(recognizing and respecting many cultures and cultural identities, because they promote
positive intergroup relations and social equality.) in order to understand different issues
teachers need to be aware of and understand current issues both at home and abroad.
This knowledge and understanding are vital to enable teachers to be prepared to explain to
students or rationalize what is be raise.( someone who is sensible and is able to make
decisions based on intelligent thinking rather than on emotion.)

Development in this dimension also requires media literacy, defined as the ability to access,
analyse and critically evaluate media messages, as well as to create new media content
(Buckingham, 2007; Kellner and Share, 2005). Globally competent people are effective users
and creators of both traditional and digital media.
- Traditional media includes print media, such as newspapers and books, and
broadcast media, such as television and radio. New media includes digital
media, such as the Internet and social media, apps
- They are also able to choose and communicate relevant evidence to back up
their ideas. To be competent, students should be able to determine the
trustworthiness of information, based on its source, and also to use a variety of
new media to express their ideas.

Examining issues of global significance: an example

In her history course, a student learns about industrialization and economic growth in
developing countries, and how these have been influenced by foreign investments. She
learns that many girls of her age work in poor conditions in factories for up to ten hours a day,
instead of going to school. Her teacher encourages each student to bring one item of clothing
to class and look at the label to see where it was manufactured. The student is surprised to
notice that most of her clothes were made in Bangladesh. The student wonders under what
conditions her clothes were made. She looks at the websites of various high-street brand
shops to see if the websites can tell her about their manufacturing standards and
policies. She discovers that some clothing brands are more concerned with human rights in
their factories than others, and she also discovers that some clothing brands have a long
history of poor conditions in their factories. She reads different journalistic articles about
the issue and watches a short documentary on YouTube. Based on what she discovers,
she starts to buy fair-trade clothing and becomes an advocate for ethically responsible
manufacturing.

Make up
In a public seminar, a professor talked about gender inequality in different parts of the world.
Julia was surprised that many girls of her age are deprived of education and even forced into
child marriage. To learn more about gender issues, Julia continued to search for information
online and in the school library. Based on her research, Julia started to reflect on the causes
of gender disparity and became observant of the more insidious forms of gender
discrimination in her daily life

Dimension 2: Understand and appreciate the perspectives and worldviews of others.

• Highlights that globally competent people are willing and capable of considering other
people's perspective and behaviors from multiple viewpoints to examine their own
assumptions. Di big sabihin ay dapat tulad na ng pananaw

They are eager to learn about the history, values, communications styles, beliefs, and
practices of other cultures and how they affect people’s world views.. other cultural
background
-that they are not always fully aware of these influences, and that others have views of the
world that are profoundly different from their own (Hanvey, 1975).
-In the context of different societies, different views must exist because they are born
from different ideas.

This in turn implies a respect for and interest in the people who acknowledge and appreciate
the qualities that distinguish individuals from one another are less likely to tolerate acts of
injustice in their daily interactions.
-They learn to recognize that their own views and behaviors are also influenced by their own
experiences, their family’s history, and how they make sense of that history.
-They understand how differences in power, wealth, and access to knowledge affect
opportunities for individuals and social groups
- deserves human rights enjoy their own culture; profess and practise their own religion; use
their own language (in private and in public); and. participates effectively in cultural life

They retain their cultural identity but are simultaneously aware of the cultural values and
beliefs of people around them.
-Recognising another’s position or belief is not necessarily to accept that position or belief.
However, the ability to see through ‘another cultural filter’ provides opportunities to deepen
and question one’s own perspectives, and thus make more mature decisions when dealing
with others (Fennes and Hapgood, 1997).
-People who are globally competent ask questions before making assumptions about other
people.
-This does not mean that when individuals recognize another’s culture and beliefs that they
give up their own identity. But it does mean that they are less likely to embrace stereotypes
and are more willing to interact with others as individuals, not solely as members of a group.

On the other hand, people who fail to develop this competence are considerably more likely
to internalise stereotypes, prejudices and false heuristics about those who are “different”

Understanding perspectives and worldviews: an example

A student notices that certain members of his class have stopped eating lunch. When he
enquires, they tell him that they are participating in a religious fast. The student is curious and
asks more about what that involves: for how long will they fast? When can they eat? What can
they eat? What is the religious significance of the fast? The student learns that for his
classmates fasting is something that they do every year, along with their families and religious
community. He also learns that fasting is significant to his classmates as for them it is a way
of demonstrating control over their bodies. The student reflects on this significance. Although
he does not fast, he recognizes that the themes of community, sacrifice and material
transcendence are common to many different religions, including that of his own religious
heritage. He recognizes that different groups can attribute the same meaning to different
practices. He furthermore asks his classmates whether he can fast with them for a day, as a
way of experiencing what fasting means for them. His classmates warmly agree and invite him
to join their families for dinner in the evening to break the fast together. Although the student
does not attribute the same significance to fasting, through this experience he better
understands the perspectives of his classmates and his respect for religious diversity
increases.

Dimension 3: Engage in open, appropriate and effective interactions across cultures.

• Describes what globally competent individuals are able to do when they interact with
people from different cultures.

Yung D2 may egearness malaman kung bat naiiba ang isang tao base sa mga cultural bg.
Globally competent students understand that people from different cultural backgrounds might
interact in different ways
- It emphasises individuals’ capacity to interact with others across differences in ways that are
open, appropriate and effective.

-They also make an effort to adapt their behavior and style of communicating to the norms of
the person with whom they are interacting.
The ability to adapt and interact effectively allows them to understand others and be
comprehended
The capability to interact with people of different cultures makes one more flexible in thinking
and behaving in order to accommodate the professional tasks and ways of working based
on values, expectations, and guidance for working in a multicultural environment

“Open” interactions mean relationships in which all participants demonstrate sensitivity

towards, curiosity about, and a willingness to engage with others and their perspectives.
- They are careful how they express their beliefs, state their needs, ask questions (sincerely
interested), attempt to change someone’s mind, or handle a difference of opinion

“Appropriate” refers to
- interactions that respect the cultural norms of both parties.

In “effective” communication,
-all participants can make themselves understood and understand the other.

Interacting openly, effectively and appropriately across cultural differences: an

example
Jo and Ai are collaborating on a school project with a student from another country, Mike. The
students set up a video chat on a web platform to brainstorm ideas, but at the convened time
for the meeting, they cannot find Mike online. When, a few hours later, the students manage
to connect on the web platform, Jo complains that not showing up at the first meeting is not a
good way to start and gets angry when she receives no explanation at all from Mike, who
remains silent at the other end of the line. At this point, Ai demonstrates global competence
as she successfully de-escalates the conflict. She knows that silence is used in some cultures
as a strategy to deal with perceived aggressions and is not necessarily an admission of guilt
or indifference. She is also aware that some people refrain from speaking out directly for fear
of a disagreement that may hurt the other person’s feeling and threaten their relationship. Ai
thus suspends her judgement about Mike’s behavior and asks Mike politely why they could
not find him online. Mike explains that this is probably due to a misunderstanding about the
meeting time, as Jo and Ai’s country moved to daylight saving time the night before while his
country did not. Thanks to Ai’s intervention, the students could laugh about their little incident
and successfully start to work on their project.

Filipino time

Dimension 4: Take action for collective well-being and sustainable development.

• Focuses on young people’s role as active and responsible members of society and
refers to individuals’ readiness to respond to a given local, global or intercultural
issue or situation.
how well a group of people is doing. We think of individual well-being as how a
person feels about their personal, physical, mental, and social health, and their
financial well-being
is development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs
a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth's environment and climate,
and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity.
Action oriented (what people actually do)
Globally competent people are able to respond effectively and responsibly to a local, global,
or cross-cultural issue or situation
-Although students are young, they can create positive change and influence friends and
adults in their community as well as people they communicate with digitally
-Assess options and consider the potential impact of planned actions

Competent people create opportunities to take informed, reflective action and have their
voices heard. The actions done by the person can be a statement of support, and he may take
the initiative to create a campaign in the media or disseminating personal views
- students can translate their ideas into appropriate actions to discover solutions for both local
and global challenges
- They research issues and reflect on how they can help as individuals or by organizing others
- Act and reflect individually and collaboratively

Globally competent people are engaged to improve living conditions in their own communities
and also to build a more just, peaceful, inclusive and environmentally sustainable world.
- Globally competent students are not afraid to stand up for others when their rights or
dignity is threatened.
They feel empowered and obligated to do what they can on behalf of others, whether it is
raising funds to help out with relief from natural disasters or researching environmental
problems in their own community and raising the awareness of local elected officials and
business leaders.
A person with global competence is continuously striving to improve the condition of his
community in terms of harmony, inclusion, and environmental preservation.
Taking action for well-being and sustainable development: an example
A group of students decides to initiate an environmental awareness campaign on the ways in
which their school contributes to local and global waste and pollution. With support from their
teachers, they arrange a series of talks on how to reduce waste and energy consumption.
They also design and strategically distribute information posters that help guide students to
make better choices when buying products and when disposing of waste. Furthermore, they
collaborate with both student representatives and school administrators to introduce recycling
bins and energy conservation strategies on the school premises.
These four dimensions are strongly interdependent and overlapping, justifying the use of the
singular term “global competence”. For example, students from two different cultural
backgrounds who work together for a school project demonstrate global competence as they:
get to know each other better (examine their cultural differences); try to understand how each
perceives his or her role in the project and the other's perspective (understand perspectives);
negotiate misunderstandings and clearly communicate expectations and feelings (interact
openly, appropriately and effectively); and take stock of what they learn from each other to
improve social relationships in their classroom and school (act for collective well-being).

Multicultural literature can help students develop global awareness by introducing them to
current cultural issues
PISA’s or oecd framework’s goal is to support evidence-based decisions on how to improve
curricula, teaching, and assessment.
Global competence is the capacity to examine local, global and intercultural issues, to
understand and appreciate the perspectives and world views of others, to engage in open,
appropriate and effective interactions with people from different cultures, and to act for
collective well-being and sustainable development.
Supported by four building blocks/inseparable factors (foundation ng dimensions)