Measuring Attitudes Towards Global Learning Among Future Educators in England

This paper reports upon a multi-agency approach to measuring attitudes towards global learning among future educators at a university in the north-west of England. This study provides a response to concerns that global learning research and evaluation of global education interventions tend to focus upon short-term, observable outcomes rather than longer-term changes in behaviour, attitude, and practice. It is based upon the assumption that global learning in teacher education must focus upon the development of who the educator is as a person, including his or her values, attitudes, and associated dispositions. This paper will outline the process of constructing an attitude inventory, based upon Thurstone scaling, by a range of professionals working in local government, teacher education, and non-government organizations that promote global education. It reports upon the use of this survey at the beginning, middle, and end of a compulsory course completed by a cohort of 154 undergraduate students of primary teacher education. The findings show positive changes in attitudes towards global learning among females and eradication of the most negative attitudes towards global learning during the course of study. Causal factors relating to cultural practice are suggested. The limitations of this particular tool for researching global learning are discussed alongside the insight gained from this collaborative process of evaluation.