A Study of Global Citizenship Education and the SES Achievement Gap in Chinese Higher Education Institutions
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Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 2-2-2021 9:00 AM Call for Inclusion: A Study of Global Citizenship Education and the SES Achievement Gap in Chinese Higher Education Institutions Yang Hu, The University of Western Ontario Supervisor: Li, Jun, The University of Western Ontario A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the Master of Arts degree in Education © Yang Hu 2021 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Disability and Equity in Education Commons, and the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Hu, Yang, "Call for Inclusion: A Study of Global Citizenship Education and the SES Achievement Gap in Chinese Higher Education Institutions" (2021). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 7626. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/7626 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract With China’s increasingly active role in the global arena, both government officials and educators acknowledge the necessity of education that promotes global citizenship. This study examines nine university students’ learning experiences of global citizenship at Chinese higher educational institutions; this study also focuses particularly on the impact of socioeconomic status in this educational model. I employed an indigenous Confucian framework adapted by Li (2010) to conceptualize the individual learning process. Li’s theory enabled me to better understand and interpret how Chinese university students perceive and participate in global citizenship education and identify gaps within this process. This qualitative case study collected data through semi-structured interviews with nine Chinese university students. The findings reveal that the impact of the students’ respective socioeconomic status on the global citizenship learning process was twofold: educational resources disparities and attitudinal differences. The findings also reveal some current limitations in Chinese global citizenship education. To this end, this study provides potential implications for policy-makers, educators, students, as well as future researchers. Keywords: Global citizenship education; socioeconomic status; global citizenship education gap II Summary for Lay Audience With China’s increasingly active role in the global arena, both government officials and educators acknowledge the necessity of education that promotes global citizenship. Following Li’s (2010) theory of individual political-socialization process, I probed into nine Chinese university students’ learning experiences regarding their global citizenship knowing, global citizenship wisdom and global citizenship action accordingly. Specifically, this study focuses particularly on the impact of socioeconomic status in this educational model. Superficially, this study focuses on the potential impact of socioeconomic status on university students’ global citizenship learning process. This qualitative case study collected data through semi-structured interviews with nine Chinese university students individually. The findings suggest that the students’ respective socioeconomic status have a profound influence throughout their learning experiences of global citizenship learning process. The findings also reveal some current limitations in Chinese global citizenship education. To this end, this study provides potential implications for policy-makers, educators, students, as well as future researchers. III Acknowledgments At this moment, I would love to express my deepest appreciation to my supervisor, Dr. Jun LI, for his continuous encouragement and unwavering guidance through each stage of my graduate studies. I appreciate every conversation with you which has stimulated my thoughts and enriched my perspectives in so many ways. The completion of my thesis would not have been possible without your persistent help and invaluable contribution. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Dr. Wayne Martino for serving on my thesis committee. Your insightful feedback sharpened my thinking and brought my work to a higher level. I also sincerely appreciate the assistance Dr. Prachi Srivastava provided me with on the proposal. Next, I’d love to appreciate my nine participants who were engaged in this research study. Thank you for sharing your own experience and constructive thoughts with me. This study could not have come to fruition without your invaluable contribution. I am deeply indebted to my beloved family for their unconditional love and endless support. Thank you for your believe in me. I know I could not achieve so much without your constant support. Thanks also goes to Haining, Doujiang and Niangao. Thank you for being my constant emotional support. Last but not the least, special thanks to my wonderful friends, Yueqi, Xue and Jiaqi. Thank you for your love, kindness, support and generosity. I am beyond lucky to have you in my life. IV TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract..........................................................................................................................II Summary for Lay Audience......................................................................................... III Acknowledgments........................................................................................................IV List of Tables.............................................................................................................VIII List of Figures.............................................................................................................. IX Chapter 1: Introduction.................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background...................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Problem Statement........................................................................................... 4 1.3 Research Purpose and Questions......................................................................5 1.4 Significance of this Study.................................................................................7 1.5 Overview of Chapters.......................................................................................9 CHAPTER 2: Literature Review..................................................................................10 2.1 Global Citizenship and Global Citizenship Education...................................10 2.2 Citizenship and Citizenship Education in China............................................14 2.3 HEIs and Citizenship Education.....................................................................21 2.4 Global Citizenship Education in China..........................................................23 2.5 Critiques of Global Citizenship and Global Citizenship Education...............28 2.6 The Impact of SES on Global Citizenship Education.................................... 31 CHAPTER 3: Theoretical Framework of the Individual Political Socialization Process34 3.1 Related Theoretical Frameworks....................................................................35 3.2 A Confucian Model for This Study................................................................36 Chapter 4: Methodology...............................................................................................43 4.1 Research Design.............................................................................................43 4.2 Participants..................................................................................................... 45 4.3 Data Collection...............................................................................................51 4.4 Ethical Consideration..................................................................................... 52 V 4.5 Validity...........................................................................................................53 4.6 Limitations......................................................................................................53 4.7 Researcher’s Position..................................................................................... 54 CHAPTER 5: Findings.................................................................................................57 5.1 Global Citizenship Knowing..........................................................................57 5.1.1 Curriculum...........................................................................................60 5.1.2 Mass Media......................................................................................... 64 5.2 Global Citizenship Wisdom........................................................................... 65 5.3 Global Citizenship Action..............................................................................68 5.3.1 Overseas Experiences..........................................................................68 5.3.2 Social Media........................................................................................73 5.4 The Interplay of Knowing, Wisdom and Action............................................74 5.5 Expectations................................................................................................... 76 Chapter 6: Discussion...................................................................................................78