A matter of prior knowledge: Canadian young children’s conceptions about the future in the global community

Young Canadian boys and girls aged nine to eleven were asked to consider their personal futures, the future of their community and the future of the world. Mixed methods were employed for data collection and analysis. Responses were compared with those given bychildren in eight countries and the dis...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ottilia CHAREKA
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Kura Publishing 2010-03-01
Series:International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.iejee.com/2_2_2010/chareka.pdf
Description
Summary:Young Canadian boys and girls aged nine to eleven were asked to consider their personal futures, the future of their community and the future of the world. Mixed methods were employed for data collection and analysis. Responses were compared with those given bychildren in eight countries and the discussion focused on the importance prior knowledge, in this case, prior knowledge of global issues, holds for effective teaching and learning about global issues. Canadian children were optimistic about the future for themselves and their community but less so for the globe. More so than other children, Canadian children were concerned with issues of social justice, issues such as discrimination and racism, and withimproving the environment, which might be attributed to the emphasis that is placed on these issues in their school curriculum. Assessing prior knowledge should be a priority for those considering development and implementation of global education curricula.
ISSN:1307-9298