Preparing our nation’s youth for success in the 21st century: a case study on the implementation of globalization in educational practices and curriculum

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PREPARING OUR NATION’S YOUTH FOR SUCCESS IN THE 21
ST
CENTURY:
A CASE STUDY ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GLOBALIZATION IN
EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES AND CURRICULUM

by

Katherine D. Estevez

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2011

Copyright 2011 Katherine D. Estevez

ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my appreciation for the many people who made this study
possible. First and foremost, I would like to thank my daughters, Emma and Ava. They
have given me the strength to complete the Doctorate program, through which I hope that
I have taught them to be strong, independent women who never give up and that they
have the strength within themselves to reach any goal that they set to achieve.
I would not have been able to complete this study without the support, love and
understanding from my parents who encouraged me to continue in my studies and taught
me to always have high aspirations for myself.
All of my family members, especially my sisters and my brothers, that supported
me during my educational journey and assisted me when I needed time to write and
study. I could not have survived this journey without all of the inspiration and assistance
they offered me during these important years of my life.
Without the voice of reason of Steve I would not have been able to finish my
study. He was there to cheer me on and to remind me that I was capable of completing
what I set out to achieve.
Next I would like to acknowledge my committee chairperson, Dr. Stuart Gothold
for being supportive, organized and encouraging me to write the best study. Thanks also
to my committee members Dr. Laurie Love and Dr. Dennis Hocevar for their support
throughout this process. I could not have done this without my dissertation group.
I’d also like to thank all of the people who encouraged me to further my studies
and believed in me during this significant time in my life.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. ii

LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................. v

ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... vi

CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................. 1
Statement of the Problem .................................................................................................... 4
Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................................... 6
Research Questions ............................................................................................................. 7
Importance of the Study ...................................................................................................... 7
Limitations of the Study...................................................................................................... 8
Delimitations of the Study .................................................................................................. 9
Assumptions ........................................................................................................................ 9
Organization of the Remainder of the Study .................................................................... 10

CHAPTER TWO .............................................................................................................. 11
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 11
History............................................................................................................................... 11
Rationale ........................................................................................................................... 18
Best Practices .................................................................................................................... 25
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 37

CHAPTER THREE .......................................................................................................... 39
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 39
Figure 1: Conceptual Model ............................................................................................ 40
Research Questions ........................................................................................................... 41
Site and Sample................................................................................................................. 42
Site .................................................................................................................................... 43
Sample and Data Collection.............................................................................................. 43
Survey ............................................................................................................................... 44
Interview ........................................................................................................................... 45
Documentation Review ..................................................................................................... 46
Observation Instrument ..................................................................................................... 47
Data Analysis .................................................................................................................... 48

iv

CHAPTER FOUR ............................................................................................................. 51
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 51
Abstract and Findings ....................................................................................................... 51
21
st
Century Academy....................................................................................................... 52
Observations ..................................................................................................................... 53
Survey ............................................................................................................................... 56
Interviews .......................................................................................................................... 57
Findings by Research Questions ....................................................................................... 58
Research Question # 1 ...................................................................................................... 58
Research Question # 2 ...................................................................................................... 68
Research Question # 3 ...................................................................................................... 77
Themes .............................................................................................................................. 84
The Four Frames ............................................................................................................... 87
Essential Survival Skills ................................................................................................... 89
Final Analysis ................................................................................................................... 91

CHAPTER FIVE .............................................................................................................. 93
Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................... 93
Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 94
Summary of the Findings .................................................................................................. 94
Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 96
Recommendations for Further Studies............................................................................ 100
Final Thoughts ................................................................................................................ 100

GLOSSARY OF TERMS ............................................................................................... 101

REFERENCES ............................................................................................................... 103

APPENDIX A: Document Review ................................................................................ 106
APPENDIX A: Document Review ................................................................................ 106
APPENDIX B: Survey ................................................................................................... 107
APPENDIX C: Observation Instrument ........................................................................ 109
APPENDIX D: Matrixes................................................................................................. 110

v

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Observation Tool Findings ............................................................................ 56

Table 2. Survey Findings ............................................................................................. 59

Table C-1. Questions, Suggestions and Key ................................................................... 111

Table C-2. Observations ................................................................................................. 111

Table D-1. Triangulation Matrix: Globalization and Education ..................................... 112

Table D-2. Matrix of Question Options .......................................................................... 112

vi

ABSTRACT

The research literature on globalization suggests that the way the world is
functioning economically, politically and socially is changing with the advancement of
technology. The approach to education that is currently being implemented in United
States educational system needs to be restructured to meet the new demands of the 21
st

century. The skills that are essential for students to be lucrative for the success of our
nation ought to be taught throughout the U.S. educational structure at all levels.
Currently there is not a definition of globalization that is being consistently used
by school districts and states that define what globalization is and what curriculum and
programs are best suited to prepare students for the 21
st
century. The outcomes of the
students that attend schools that state they are addressing globalization are not known.
Therefore, it is difficult to implement the practices being used in new academic settings.
The purpose of this study was to investigate a school that states in its purpose and
mission that it addresses globalization. The study set out to identify curricular elements,
organizational structures and the associated student outcomes of a globally focused
school program.
To determine what the curricular elements, organizational structures and student
behaviors are being implemented in schools that state that they have a globalized
curriculum and are preparing students for the 21
st
century, eight USC researchers selected
a variety of elementary, middle and high schools to conduct field studies. Each school
that was selected met the criteria of being an elementary or secondary schools in
California that stated in either its mission statement or philosophy that the school was

vii

actively committed to preparing and educating students in a method that supports the
globalization of education. The schools selected had to use technology as an instructional
and learning tool, fostering foreign language through academic courses or opportunities,
they needed to encourage the development of cultural awareness. The school site was
required to promote problem-solving and critical thinking skills in its students as well as
implementing a global curriculum. The site also had to have international programs, such
as partnerships with other schools or businesses to encourage a globalized view of the
world.
This study took place at 21
st
Century Academy (pseudonym) an elementary
school is Southern California. The research methodology for this study included
document analysis, survey, observation and interviews. After triangulating the data, the
researcher concluded that the school was implementing many aspects that supported a
globalized curriculum that focused on building the fundamental foundation for students’
academic success. At the time of the study, the school was in its early phases of
implementing the curriculum and programs, allowing of an in depth study of the
execution of a new global program and its organizational structure.
The study concludes with the recommendation for the expansion of the
elementary school program to secondary and for further research to be conducted on the
evaluation of student outcomes and success after attending schools that address
globalization as part of the academic curriculum.

1

CHAPTER ONE: THE PROBLEM

The world around us is constantly changing in all aspects, political, economic,
social and technological. The changes are occurring rapidly and in a manner that is
making our world smaller. Thomas Friedman (2005) explains this phenomenon as the
flattening of our world. The revolutions taking place have made our world more
globalized and interconnected than it has ever been. As these transformations are
unfailingly occurring, our nation needs to take these new demands into consideration.
Our nation must rethink what we are expecting our youth to learn as part of the education
system. Our country must make vital decisions in regards to the methods which we are
implementing in the school system to prepare our children for the twenty-first century
(Wagner, 2008).
Since the establishment of our nation, education has evolved to meet the
requirements that the United States has expected its people to have that would guarantee
political and economic success. The education system has been altered from being
focused on meeting the needs of small villages and communities, to meeting the needs of
the industrial revolution by the implementation of institutionalized education systems.
These institutions were guided by local governments, these governments made the
decisions on what and how students would be taught to benefit society.
The approach the United States has implemented to meet its educational
requirements have been successful and have exceeded our countries needs for global
victory for many years. However since the findings of A Nation At Risk (1983), our
nation has been viewed as having a “mediocre” education system. This report indicated

2

that countries all over the world were becoming more competitive economically, socially,
politically and technologically than they had previously been. Due to these findings more
responsibility has been placed on state governments to make educational decisions and to
have more control of education. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) (2001), a federal policy,
was established to ensure that states monitor student educational success and to close the
educational achievement gap our students were facing.
No Child Left Behind has encouraged a shift in education that requires states to
mandate standards based instruction that is assessed by having students take multiple
choice tests with consequences given to those that do not meet the expectations of each
child being academically proficient as measured by NCLB. This shift and these
expectations have changed the way teachers educate children and what they are taught.
NCLB has brought about many changes and regulations for the United States
educational system. Yet there are many changes that still need to be made. As a result of
this need, the U.S. federal government is currently offering monetary compensation to
state and school districts that are reforming educational practices in schools and
classrooms through Race to the Top Federal Funds. This current change and call for
action is a result of the demands that our young must meet to guarantee the success of our
nation in the new globalized world that we are part of.
With the emphasis of standards based instruction and the fear that has been
instilled in educators to meet the requirements of NCLB, what is expected of our youth
has dramatically changed. It is unfortunate to say, but the students that are products of
our current school system have a lot to be desired in relation to their academic

3

competency and they are not meeting the requirements that our country needs for them
and our country to be successful in the workforce (Wagner, 2008). To be successful in
the twenty-first century and for the demands of the globalized world, students need to
have the skills that will allow them to be competitive with individuals from around the
world.
Due to the many advances that have been made in the areas of technology and
transportation, the needs of our world have changed and what people are expected to be
able to do and know has also changed. The advances made in technology have allowed
information gathered in one location to be shared and studied with people all around the
globe within seconds. According to Jukes and McCain (2002), the amount of new
technical information is doubling every two years and it is predicted to double every
seventy-two hours by 2010.
People now conduct work with others from all over the country through
teleconferencing, e-mail, websites and telephone, in ways that were never before
possible. Companies are now able to have employees working for them that are not in
the same hemisphere as the company’s headquarters. This ability demands for
individuals in the workforce to have knowledge and skills that are different than what our
country had previously been educating our young towards achieving (Friedman, 2005).
The skills that individuals will need to be productive in the 21
st
century will
require people to be more globally competent and educated, they will need to understand
the economic strains that are being placed on resources and environmental challenges that
our world is facing in these new times. Successful people need to understand how our

4

world is connected economically, politically and socially to interact with diverse people
on a daily basis (Trilling and Fadel, 2009). The 21
st
century requires individuals to be
critical thinkers, problem solvers, to take initiative in the workplace and to be able to
work collaboratively with others. People will need to speak more than one language and
will need to understand other cultures. The necessity to have these skills is an issue that
needs to be addressed by our nation’s education system.

Statement of the Problem

No Child Left Behind was instated to close the achievement gap that our students
were encountering in schools and to ensure quality education for all students with a hope
that the youth of the United States would be able to get the education they need for when
they begin working. Unfortunately, it does not address the many changes that are
occurring in our globalized world and the methods our schools are using or should use to
educate our students with the skills that they need to be successful in this new,
interconnected world of the 21
st
century.
In 2006 on the assessments conducted by the Program in International Student
Achievement (PISA), the United States ranked twenty-first of thirty countries in the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in science and
twenty-fifth in mathematics. This is a drop in both raw scores and rankings from three
years earlier. When non-OECD members from Eastern Europe and Asia are added to the
list, the U.S. ranking drops to twenty-ninth out of forty developed countries in science,
and thirty-fifth out of forty in mathematics (OECD, 2007; Darling-Hammond, 2010).

5

Many schools and school districts state in their mission statement or purpose that
they are, and intend to, educate their youth for the 21
st
century (Moore, 2009). More
often than not, these schools are not adequately preparing the students with the skills that
they and our nation need to be competent and competitive in the workforce. For the
United States to continue to be prosperous, safe and to be able to produce global citizens
they must be educated to have the skills that are important to situations that our
workforce will encounter.
Wagner (2008) believes that global and productive citizens should possess seven
essential skills and that the ability to have these skills will make effective global citizens.
The seven survival skills he believes in are:
• Critical thinking and problem-solving
• Collaboration and leading by influence
• Agility and adaptability
• Initiative and entrepreneurialism
• Effective oral and written communication
• Accessing and analyzing information
• Curiosity and imagination
With the strains placed on schools with NCLB, the drop in ranking of
international academic assessment results, and all of the other demands that have been
placed on education, educators are often unable to, or unaware of, how teach the skills
that will make our children victorious for our nation’s future. With this in mind, many
educators are facing the problem of not knowing how to educate the students to acquire

6

these necessary skills. Even though many schools in California address globalization in
their curriculum and practices through a variety of definitions and programs the results
and acquisition of skills that they develop are unknown.
Currently there are not any definitions that are being used consistently by all
school districts and states that define what globalization is and what curriculum and
programs are best suited to prepare students for the 21
st
century. The outcomes of the
students that attend schools that say that they are addressing globalization are not known
so it is difficult to implement the practices in new academic settings.

Purpose of the Study

This case study examines an elementary school that states in its purpose and
mission statement that it is addressing globalization. This study will identify curricular
elements and their associated student outcomes of this school’s program. It will explore
the various aspects of the school’s academics, culture and organizational structures. To
accomplish this purpose, teachers and administrators will be surveyed and interviewed to
solicit their opinions about the school and its current practices. Observations will be
conducted to examine what takes place at the school and documents will be collected and
evaluated to analyze what is taking place at the school. This case study will allow for an
in depth study of a school and its current practices in relation to globalization.

7

Research Questions

The overarching theme to be studied in this case study is the curricular elements
associated with the implementation of a global curriculum and its impact on student
behaviors. To investigate this theme, the following three research questions will guide
the study:

1. What are the curricular elements in schools embracing globalization?
2. What organization structures support globalization?
3. What perceived student behaviors and outcomes are seen?

Importance of the Study

This study is beneficial to many different audiences, the school site, educators and
policy makers. The study is of importance to the school site because they are able to gain
an understanding of what is taking place in the school. They are able to view their
efforts, practices, organizational structure and perceived student outcomes from the
researcher’s perspective. The school site is able to implement changes or sustain what is
taking place to better meet the mission and vision of the school.
Educators find this study to be important because they are able to learn from what
has been implemented in an elementary setting. They are able to implement some of the
curriculum, practices or organizational structures that they feel could be beneficial to
their students to expose them to globalized education.

8

The study is important to policy makers because they are able to understand and
educate themselves about the need for our country to reform its current education system
to meet the needs that our students are required to have to be successful in the 21
st

century. Policy makers can use this case study to guide and educate themselves in
making decisions about what students must learn and an in depth look at one model
school that prepares students for success in the globalized world.

Limitations of the Study

Limitations are circumstances that are beyond the control of the researcher. The
limitations of this study are listed below. The researcher has utilized triangulation to
acquire the most complete evaluation of the data possible.
• The study was conducted at a single Kindergarten through fifth
grade elementary school and involved interviews of a limited
number of teachers, therefore it is not possible to say that their
views represent the views of the majority of teachers at this
school.
• Staff members in this study were asked questions about their own
organization and are thus subject to positive and/or negative
biases.
• The researcher relied on the school to give access to what was
occurring in the school, therefore it is assumed that all of the
information is precise and accurate.

9

• The study was a snapshot in time, events could change before or
after the presence and interaction with the researcher.
• The analysis of the data may be subject to the researcher’s biases
and interpretations.
• The researcher could not observe everything that was taking place
at the school, but was present where the researcher assumed things
would happen.

Delimitations of the Study

• The results and recommendations of this study come from the
particulars of this school, they do not necessarily generalize to
other schools or educators.
• This case study is one of eight from a thematic dissertation group.
• The school chosen for this case study followed the requirements
that was determined and created by the thematic group as school
selection criteria and elements of globalization.

Assumptions

The researcher has assumed that the staff members of the school being studied
were truthful and honest regarding the survey, interviews, observations and data that was
collected.

10

Organization of the Remainder of the Study

This case study explores the literature that concerns globalization in education
and the world in the following chapter. It will describe the history of the United States
current education system, the rationale behind the importance of implementing
globalization in education and the best practices of implementing globalization in
education. Chapter two summarizes current literature that relates to the history of
educational globalization, the rationale for a movement towards globalizing education
and the best practices of schools and organizations that have implemented aspects of
globalization into its curriculum. Chapter three describes the methodology that is used to
complete this study and emphasizes the tools that are used to triangulate the data
collected. Chapter four states the finding of the case study and chapter five describes the
summary conclusions and recommendation in regards to this study.

11

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Introduction

During the twentieth century the United States educational system outpaced the
growth of the education systems of all other countries in the world, allowing our nations
children, from all walks of life, the opportunity to receive an education (Hanushek &
Lindseth, 2009). As a result of our nation’s emphasis on an effective education system it
was able to maintain a strong economy and be academically competitive globally.
Unfortunately, as time passes and we are now in the twenty-first century, the success of
the last century is being challenged and in need of improvement so that our nation can
continue to not only produce an educated work-force, but to continue to maintain our
economic standing in the world.
This study carefully evaluates a California school that has implemented the
characteristics of globalization in education that are needed to prepare the students for the
globalized world. In order to gain a better understanding of the factors involved in this
study pertaining to globalization, a review of the literature concerning globalization of
education and the world will be presented.

History

Globalization describes how our world has become an interconnected community
that involves people from around the world in various aspects of our lives. Globalization
affects our economy, politics, and communication. It is intertwined in the way we make

12

decisions daily and has an impact on our country so great that it influences the United
States education system.
In the past, globalization has been portrayed and addressed in relation to
education in various forms. Globalized education has been referred to as multicultural
education, interconnectedness, and cultural awareness. Though the concept of teaching
globalization in our schools is not new, it is now necessary to guarantee the success of
our youth for the future economy of the world and their success. Through history, the
education system of the United States has evolved to fit the needs of our youth and to
make them productive citizens. Suarez-Orozco (2005) explains that the way students are
educated is culturally defined and constantly changing to help the subsequent generations
carry on the cultures expectations and economic success.
The historical roles and goals of the United States education system have
developed and changed through history to empower our students to learn to contribute
and work in society (Trilling & Fadel, 2009). The Partnership of the 21
st
Century Skills
Association explains that the United States has evolved through the Agarian Age, the
Industrial Age, through to the current Knowledge Age. Each of these time periods has
required varying levels of skill from individuals and the United States education system
has adjusted through time to educate the youth in order for them to be productive,
successful and valuable citizens of the U.S.
According to Trilling and Fadel (2009) during the Agarian Age contributing to
society meant knowing how to farm, passing on the knowledge, traditions and crafts of
rural life through generations. Life centered around the village and children worked

13

along side their parents in the fields, education was based on what was needed for the
survival of the village, life beyond the village and outside world was almost unheard of
(Suárez-Orozco & Qin-Hilliard, 2004). During this time education was focused on the
needs of the village, traditional schooling was often not provided and children would
receive the education they needed mostly from their immediate families.
After the Agarian Age came the Industrial Age, during this time period there was
a shift from farming to city life and industrial jobs. There was a need to train individuals
for factory and trade jobs focusing on standardization, uniformity and mass production
(Trilling & Fadel, 2009). People at this time in history would mostly work with their
hands and there was not a great deal of “thinking” that needed to be done in these factory
focused careers. Few people were trained to develop their potential in managerial and
professional fields, but those who went into engineering and science were able to
contribute to the industrial progress of the United States. During the Industrial Age there
was a great deal of immigration and a mixing of cultures in urban centers, making others
more aware and eventually tolerant of traditions, cultures and ways of life that were
different from their own (Trilling & Fadel, 2009). The Industrial Age brought about
today’s formal schooling where students learned the basic reading, writing, arithmetic
and science skills that were needed for industrial factory jobs.
The Industrial Age has shifted and the current time is known as the Knowledge
Age. This is a time in history where we have become a “flat world” where
communication, technology, collaborating and learning have all become central and
necessary to contribute to society (Friedman, 2007). According Trilling and Fadel (2009)

14

the new goals of education shifted to educate individuals to enhance their personal
development with technology-powered knowledge and productivity, to use knowledge
tools and technology to continue learning and developing talents through life. The
United States and the global world now require individuals in our workforce to be able to
innovate new services and meet the needs of our world today and to solve problems.
This leads to the need for a restructuring of our education system to a globalized model.
Darling-Hammond (2010) explains in her book, The Flat World and Education,
that due to the change in how knowledge and information is expanding at an astounding
pace, education can no longer be focused on the transmission of pieces of information
that could be memorized. She insists that educational programs need to teach
disciplinary knowledge that focus on concepts that encourage the ability to think
critically and teach children to learn for themselves. This would allow individuals to use
this knowledge in new situations and the changing world.
For many years the United States was viewed as being the top in graduation rates
and in student performance, but as our nations needs have shifted and as we are now in
the Knowledge Age, other countries have risen above the levels of the United States. A
Nation at Risk (1983) stated that there is a “rising tide of mediocrity” in our education
system and that our country is falling behind in the Trends in International Mathematics
and Science Study (TIMSS). Displaying that it is essential for the United States to
change the way the education system is educating our youth.
The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) of 2007
compares assessment data for international countries. The countries that participated are

15

predominately industrialized countries in Europe, but it does include the United States,
Canada, New Zealand and Asia. It does not include countries that have higher literacy
rates than the United States and countries that contribute to a significant number of U.S.
advance degree immigrants, such as India. In the area of mathematics, fourth graders of
the U.S. ranked eleven out of thirty-six countries, U.S. eighth graders ranked nine out of
forty-eight countries. In science, the U.S. fourth graders rank eight of the thirty-six
participating countries and the U.S. eighth graders rank eleven of the forty-eight
countries. The countries that are outscoring the United States have transformed their
education systems to meet the new demands of the 21
st
Century. They are revising
curriculum, instruction and assessment to support the more complex knowledge and skills
that are required for success (Darling-Hammond, 2010).
In 2002, the federal government instated No Child Left Behind (NCLB), an
educational accountability policy set forth to hold schools accountable for student
academic success through standardized testing. NCLB requires all teachers to be highly
qualified and students to be proficient in Mathematics, Language Arts, Science and
Writing by 2014. If schools are not meeting these goals they go under evaluation and are
closely monitored to help them raise student scores and academic performance (Stecher,
Hamilton & Gonzalez, 2003).
To meet the extremely ambitious academic standards set forth by the government,
educators are involved in reform efforts to implement a variety of curriculum, instruction
and assessment strategies intended to support these goals. To aid in the reform, school
districts offer various professional development opportunities for educators to participate

16

in to guarantee success in meeting the set expectations. The professional development
allows educators to maintain and update their knowledge of scientifically based practices
(Stecher, Hamilton & Gonzalez, 2003). Unfortunately all of the resources that are being
used for professional development and reform are being used to change an educational
system that is failing to one that is still not going to be as lucrative as restructuring the
schools to be globalized and prepare students for the future that they truly need to be
prepared for.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was intended to help our schools rise to higher
levels and close the achievement gap between the poorer urban and rural schools with
that of the education of the middle social economic status schools are receiving and raise
the expectations for all students. NCLB is a standards based movement that was intended
to define and assess the academic content all students are suppose to master during
specific benchmarks, grade levels.
In setting these standards and basing academic performance on assessments, the
implementation of NCLB has unintentionally put our children behind in acquiring the
skills that they are going to need to be productive in our global workforce (Wagner,
2008). Classroom instruction has regrettably had a focus on teaching test taking
strategies and acquiring proficiency in the state tests, leaving little time to teach students
the skills that they are going to need to understand, be global citizens, and productive
members of our society during the Knowledge Age.
Sahlberg (2009) explains that educational changes can be taken to close the
achievement gap that NCLB has intended to do by shifting the education system in place.

17

In Sahlberg’s study, Finland’s educational changes are described and the impact it made
in the student outcome. The changes that Finland implemented included the dismantling
of the educational tracking system that allocated differential access to knowledge to the
students. It eliminated the state-mandated testing system and focused on assessments that
focused on problem solving, creativity, independent learning and student reflection.
Finland replaced their teachers with highly trained teachers that were capable of
developing their own curriculum based on student driven data. The changes that Finland
implemented increased student achievement to the top of international rankings and
closed the once large achievement gap (Sahlberg, 2009; Darling-Hammond, 2010)
Through history the United States education system has shifted its priorities and
principles based on societies needs. The current goals of the education system were set in
place by individuals who did not see globalization as a possibility (Moore, 2009),
therefore it is now time for a shift to take place to meet the needs of a globalized,
flattened world where there is constant, rapid change and an information glut.
The world of the twenty-first century calls for a change in our education system.
We must prepare our children to be competitive and successful globally, therefore, we
must adjust our methods of instruction to meet these needs. Karoly and Panis (2004)
describe the shifts that must be made:
Maintaining a high-skilled workforce is also a key component of U.S.
comparative advantage in the world economy. Shifts in organizational
forms and the nature of employment relationships, brought about by new
technologies and global competition, also favor such high-level cognitive
skills as abstract reasoning, problem-solving, communication, and
collaboration, attributes associated with so-called ‘knowledge work.

18

Globalization is a difficult term to define because it is often interpreted and
defined by so many in distinct ways, this paper will view globalization as being the trend
toward countries joining together by economics, education, politics, and as an
understanding that a country is not only seen through its national identity but also as part
of the world as a whole.
Rationale

A majority of school districts across the United States have declared in their
mission statements that they intend to “prepare students for the twenty-first century” and
they want to educate the “whole child.” To do this they must not only have students’
master subject matter, but they must teach globalization skills (Moore, 2009). With the
understanding that globalization affects many aspects of a country and individuals, it is
important to educate our youth accordingly. There are different underlying principles
and theories to why it would be necessary for our country to take a globalized view and
perspective towards education.
Parker (2008) explains that the need for a globalized education system stems from
various aspects and needs of our country, from national security to cultural awareness.
He argues that there is a need to maintain national security and through globalized
education the United States is ensuring the nation’s economic competitiveness and that
military intelligence is kept at a high level. The National Security Language Initiative
introduced by George W. Bush in 2006, which provided $114 million for the "teaching of
language for national security and global competitiveness,” encourages students to learn
and speak the languages of other countries to allow for communication and arrangements

19

to be made in other languages, therefore adding to Parker’s argument that the
globalization of education is important for the United States.
Globalized education, according to Parker (2008), guarantees economic security
by pushing for schools to prepare students to be enterprising individuals that are capable
of being competitive globally in the workforce, which is extremely important to the U.S.
economic perspective. For the U.S. to continue to be globally competitive from an
economic standpoint there is also a need for human capital development which supports
the idea that our school system needs educational reform to achieve the goals of the
global economy.
Parker (2008) also emphasizes that education must to be viewed from a globalized
perspective examining global challenges, cultural and world areas, and global
connectedness. The reform in education that needs to take place must emphasize
educating students about Cosmopolitism. Cosmopolitism is the theory that we are not
only members of our nation, but citizens of a world of human beings. There is also a
need for the U.S. education system to teach an awareness of other cultures in our schools,
nation and around the world. This theory is intertwined with the concept of globalization
and the need to prepare the youth of the United States to be global citizens.
The arguments made by Parker (2008) as a rationale for the reform of the U.S.
education system to a globalized perspective gives a strong basis for the argument for
globalized education, the needed change for the U.S. and how it will help the country
continue to be safe and prosperous in the future. Friedman (2005) explains in his book,
The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century, that the newly “flattened world”

20

requires our students to not only compete for jobs within our nation like it has for all of
U.S. history, but they are now required to compete for jobs with people all over the
world. He explains that many jobs, such as customer service positions, the
manufacturing of goods and even fast food operator window tellers that use to be
completed here in the United States are now being outsourced to countries such as India,
China, etc. through the use of technology and the internet. An example of outsourcing is
when customers in the United States call a customer service phone numbers and they are
connected to representatives for the companies in other countries. The customers have no
idea that they are not speaking to an American based individual. By outsourcing,
employing individuals and companies out of the country to conduct services at a faction
of what it would cost to have them done in the United States.
Friedman (2005) emphasizes that technology has flattened our world and made it
much easier to communicate and get information around the world quickly. The theory
behind the world being flat due to the advancements of technology supports that the U.S.
education system needs to change to keep up with the rest of the world and to avoid
having other countries replace what we use to do ourselves.
The World is Flat (2005) explains how the world has changed and continues to
transform on a constant, fast moving pace. Friedman (2005) explains that the way
information is obtained through technology and the way that companies all over the
world are using the information to manage their companies and using it for outsourcing
demonstrates that the youth of the U.S. has to be prepared to communicate and work with
people all over the world. His explanation supports the idea that by reforming the U.S.

21

education system to a globalized approach, our students can be better prepared to become
global citizens and globally competitive.
Daggett (2005) elaborates Friedman’s (2005) idea for the United States education
systems need for change in preparing its youth. Daggett explains that China and India
have both excelled their education systems focusing on the sciences and leadership, these
countries are threats to the United States leadership position in the global marketplace.
Though the U.S. cannot compete with numbers in human resource, it can compete by
raising the standards on education and changing the current expectations and programs
that are in place. Daggett’s explanation of the need for change is obvious and the United
States must find an approach to changing its education system to better prepare its youth
and encourage studies in the sciences.
Parker (2008), Friedman (2005) and Daggett (2005) all share a number of
common motives for the need of globalizing education. Stewart (2007) shares in,
Becoming Citizens of the World, many of their same ideas and has found four trends that
brought about the need for globalized education: economic trend, science and technology,
health and security matters and demographics.
Stewart (2007) emphasizes the economic trend that the United States economy
has changed from being closed, where everything is produced in the U.S., to a global
economy, with one in five U.S. jobs now tied to international trade. More businesses in
the U.S. are moving their businesses overseas requiring their employees to have
international competence. Science and Technology trends display that there are now

22

global production teams that are able to communicate and conduct research through
advanced technology, flattening the world.
The third trend that Stewart (2007) discusses as a need for globalizing education
is related to health and security matters, most major issues that have an international
dimension require international governments to cooperate to find solutions to problems
such as pandemic diseases, energy and water shortages, environmental degradation and
global warming. The globalization of education is supported by groups such as the
National Association of State Boards of Education that advocate for instruction with a
strong global perspective and a focus on current global issues and events that are
associated with the health and security of our nation and nations around the world. The
fourth supporting trend is demographics. International migration is causing diversity that
is representative of the world in all countries. Knowledge of other cultures will promote
understanding, respect and effective leadership skills that will help individuals be
successful in relating to and communicating with others not only in other countries, but in
their own country as well.
The four trends that Stewart (2007) attributes to the need for globalizing
education allow for a connection in understanding how a change and reform in
educational practices is necessary, not only to deal with issues related to other countries,
but to the issues the United States is facing within its own boundaries. In another article
written by Stewart (2008), World Smart Students, she explains that schools in the United
States are not preparing students for the challenges that they will face in when they
graduate from high school. These challenges are not only challenges they will face in

23

relation to being successful in the United States, but challenges that affect all nations and
their interactions with these nations. This idea was also supported by a study conducted
by the Asia Society (2002) and National Geographic-Roper (2002) which found that
“compared to students in nine other industrialized countries, US Students lack knowledge
of world geography, history and current events.” This lack of knowledge and skill will
hinder the opportunities in the workforce of our nation and will become a great challenge
for our nation’s economic, political and technological encounters with other nations.
Tony Wagner (2008) explains that the United States is facing what he calls a
global achievement gap. The new knowledge and economy age that we are in requires all
students to have new skills for college, careers and for global citizenship. Currently,
according to Wagner (2008), our school system is not providing the skills that are
necessary for the twenty-first century. Some of the eminent arguments that he makes that
support this global achievement gap and ineffective school system are that: currently the
high school graduation rate in the US is only about seventy percent, we are far behind
other countries. Only one third of US high school students graduate ready for college and
forty percent of students who begin college need to take remedial courses. Seventy-five
percent of college professors state that what is taught in high schools do not prepare
students for higher level critical thinking skills that are necessary for college level work.
As our country changes, it is evident that some post-secondary education will be needed
to earn a decent wage in today’s economy. The world is changing, yet our schools have
not changed the way that they educate students. Schools need to teach new skills that

24

will prepare the next generation for the world as it is today and that will be here
tomorrow.
The ability to read, write and execute simple math problems that is being taught in
American public schools is no longer sufficient for the jobs that pay more than minimum
wage. Employers need employees that know how to solve a range of intellectual and
technical problems (Wagner, 2008). Under No Child Left Behind the United States has
implemented goals to close the achievement gap between white middle-class students and
economically disadvantaged minority by teaching students how to take bubble in tests
and measuring their success based solely on test scores. Wagner (2008) explains that
other nations, India, China, and Singapore, to name a few, have moved towards teaching
students to think critically, be problem solvers, experiment and take risks. These nations
have shifted their educational goals to meet the needs that will be required for success in
the new globalized world.
A reform in the education system is necessary to better prepare students to
compete for jobs with students from these other nations that have taken the initiative to
adjust their educational programs. Levine (2005) believes that an important reason to
globalize education is to secure good jobs for coming generations. If these generations
are lacking the knowledge necessary to be successful, the United States will put itself at a
competitive disadvantage. Schools need to emphasize, from an early age, global
economics, international relations, world history, languages, and global health to create
global citizens that are capable of making informed decisions and support the workforce.

25

Globalization is pertinent to education because it is the world that our youth will
grow-up in, learning, living, loving and working in (Suarez-Orozco, 2005). Schooling
will be influenced by this new era of globalization because it is all around us, from
processes in economy, society, opportunities available and global migrations that are
occurring. Suarez-Orozco (2005) believes that students, “need to learn to emerge as
productive, engaged, and critical citizens of tomorrow.” Through globalizing education
young people can learn about the differences and complexities of other cultures allowing
for a deeper understanding and preparing them for the interactions they will be facing in
the near future.
The literature regarding the globalization of education has compelling arguments
supporting the potential benefits of and rationale that the United States must reform its
current educational system. These arguments range from being an issue regarding
national and economic security to being of importance to the United States political
security globally. No matter which theory of support is regarded, it is essential for the
United States to make the change so that the nation can be proactive in educating students
that are prepared for the twenty-first century and who will be effective global citizens.

Best Practices

This section will explore the various expectations and requirements of a
globalized education by reviewing several authors’ views.
Wagner (2008) believes that in order for us to educate students for the globalized,
interconnected world and to close the global achievement gap we must teach students

26

how to think. In today’s classrooms teachers are so focused on covering all of the subject
matter that is on the state tests, that they are not teaching students the skills that they will
need to be successful when they graduate. Even though many of these students are
learning how to be successful test takers, they may still end up failing when they get out
of school. Wagner emphasizes that schools need to teach what he believes are the seven
survival skills necessary for people to be successful in a globalized world. The first skill
he describes is the ability to be critical thinkers and problem solvers, the real world
requires students to have these skills to be successful not only in the workforce, but in all
areas of life. Life is not a fill-in the bubble test where answers are all found on a multiple
choice test. Solving problems to real world issues and having the ability to analyze and
apply the necessary steps to develop solutions is a must in the new world.
The next essential skill that must be taught according to Wagner (2008) is the
ability to collaborate with others on ideas and the capability to work with others as a
team. Many new jobs require people to have the ability to work with others to complete
assignments, the team members that work on assignments can be located around the
globe and communication is often done via e-mail and video conferencing. Individuals
need to know how to work together to complete projects rather than being able to work
on projects on their own. In conjunction to teamwork a skill that students need to learn is
to lead by influence. It doesn’t matter what their official label or position is, but they
should know how to be influential in whatever position they have.
Adaptability and being agile are other essential skills for success in a globalized
world. Today’s jobs are constantly adapting and changing, people need to be lifelong

27

learners and ready to adjust what they are doing on a regular basis (Wagner, 2008). The
current education system teaches that there is only one right answer for each problem, but
in reality, there are often more than one solution and people need to be creative and adapt
to the different situations that might arise especially for an economy that is always
changing. Wagner’s (2008) fourth skill is being intuitive and entrepreneurial. Leaders
today want to see their employees being leaders from within their positions by showing
initiative and leading by example. They expect individuals to be able to use creative
thinking, intuition and change their thinking to meet the needs of their customers.
Wagner’s (2008) fifth survival skill to closing the global achievement gap is for
individuals to have effective oral and written communication skills. Currently students’
have lacked the preparation that they need for college and the workplace in relation to
communication. In many companies individuals work in virtual offices which require
people to communicate via e-mail and conference calls, making the ability to
communicate effectively and persuasively essential to success.
The ability to access and analyze the information that is available to individuals is
the sixth survival skill that Wagner (2008) describes. People in today’s working
environment are constantly being exposed to information. To be successful individuals
must have the skill to understand how to search through and differentiate what is
important and what is not. They must then be able to analyze the information and be
capable of knowing what to do with the information that they have gathered. The seventh
and final survival skill that Wagner (2008) describes is that individuals must have
curiosity and imagination. They have to be able to look at the globalized world from a

28

whole new mind that can then solve problems and develop solutions from a unique
perspective.
Wagner’s (2008) seven survival skills for the globalized world explain what it is
that a student must learn when in school to be successful for their future outside of the
classroom. Ideally these skills are already being taught in the U.S. education system, but
with the push by NCLB it is difficult for them to be encouraged and developed in the
students. An education reform that encourages these skills needs to be put in place to
ensure the success of our nation as the world rapidly changes and new demands are made
of individuals. According to Wagner (2008) some of the major changes that need to be
reformed to support a significant change in the U.S. education system are that the current
teacher preparation programs must be reevaluated and adjusted to meet the new needs of
our globalized world. Administrator training programs must also be changed to create
and guide school administrators to be efficient leaders that are aware of the needs of
students.
Similar to Wagner’s (2008) survival skills, Trilling and Fadel (2009) also discuss
skills that individuals need to be successful in their book, 21
st
Century Skills, but they
discuss many more changes that need to be applied to the school system to address the
demand for and education of these skills. Trilling and Fadel (2009) identify the three
skill sets that are of the highest demand for the 21
st
century as identified by the
Partnership for 21
st
Century Skills. These skills are all interconnected and are what
support the individual of a globalized world. The first skill set that they identify is the
skill of learning and innovation. This skill set will aid in fostering a lifetime of learning

29

and creative skills. It focuses on critical thinking, problem solving, communication,
collaboration, creativity and innovation. All of these areas help prepare students
learning, working and living in the 21
st
century where individuals are asked to be the
best, creative, innovative problem solvers possible while collaborating with others to
develop solutions.
The next skill set identified by Trilling and Fadel (2009) is based on information,
media and technology skills. This skill allows and fosters the previous skill of learning
and innovation so that individuals can strengthen and amplify their abilities by having
information, media and communication technology literacy. Being literate in these areas
allows individuals to access, evaluate, and use information in an efficient and critically
competent manner. The digital literacy skills are constantly evolving and individuals
need to be knowledgeable on how to use the information in productive means to gather
information and use it effectively.
Life and career skills are the last set of skills identified as essential by Trilling and
Fadel (2009). This set includes many of the qualities that are reviewed on employ
performance evaluations, int includes the ability to be flexible and adaptable, especially
with the rapid pace of change in communication, learning, working and living. The
ability to have initiative and self-direction in the work place is encouraged because
individuals need to be leaders within their positions, independent learners and be able to
self-manage their learning on the job. Being able to interact socially across cultures is a
desired skill. People work in diverse teams with others all over the world in various
situations and they need to do this effectively. Productivity and accountability are

30

encouraged not only in the workplace, but in learners as well, so that projects can be
managed appropriately and results can be produced efficiently. The last area that falls in
this category is the ability to have leadership skills and to be responsible, an effective
member of the 21
st
century is able to guide, lead and be responsible for others. All of
these aspects of life and career skills build on and are essential skills that are needed to
work and learn in the 21
st
century.
Not only do these skills described by Trilling and Fadel (2009) need to be taught,
they also believe that school systems need to be restructured to guarantee a focus on
preparing students for the globalized 21
st
century. After observing various programs
worldwide that foster 21
st
century education systems such as: the United Kingdom’s
“Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning 2008-14,” Singapore’s “Teach Less,
Learn More” approach, and West Virginia’s research based approach to education.
Trilling and Fadel (2009) found six principles that these initiatives shared, they all have a
vision, coordination, official policy, leadership, learning technology and teacher learning
as key elements of the programs.
The key principles are all intertwined and lead to the success of the initiatives.
There has to be a vision that is shared among all stakeholders for success and all involved
must work toward this vision by coordinating all of the educational support systems to
ensure attainment of the purpose it sets to accomplish. There must also be an official
policy that is implemented to ensure that there are changes in everyday teaching methods,
in the curriculum and in the learning environments to encourage the vision of educating
for the 21
st
century. To support the official policy and vision, educational leaders at all

31

levels need to be supportive, must communicate and encourage experimentation and
innovations that work towards meeting the goals set. Technology must be provided for
students, teachers and administrators to support and encourage the learning that is needed
for a globalized world.
In agreement with Wagner (2008), Trilling and Fadel believe that teacher
learning, preparation programs, and professional development must be aligned to teach
educators how to educate students in a manner that will expose the students to the skills
of inquiry, design and collaborative learning projects that support the vision and goals set
in place by the stakeholders. In order for any reform to be implemented, it is essential
for teachers to have the knowledge, skill and preparation that will give the background to
support the new education system.
To reform education programs there must be a complete restructuring of beliefs
and knowledge in learning communities. All stakeholders must work together to
accomplish the goals of preparing students for the new globalized world of the 21
st

century and they must focus on educating the whole child through frameworks that allow
a high-quality education for all citizens (Trilling & Fadel, 2009).
A fundamental goal set by the Asia Society is to prepare students for an
interconnected world. In doing this, the society has identified necessary elements that it
has indicated as being essential for students to develop from an international and global
education. These elements are similar to the ones described by Wagner (2008) and
Trilling and Fadel (2009). They are the fundamentals of knowledge, skill and values.

32

The Asia Society believes that students must gain the knowledge of world
regions, cultures, and global issues. They should have cultural awareness and
comprehension of foreign cultures through the ability to understand world events,
international issues and in-depth understanding of others. They must have the skill of
being able to effectively communicate in not only in English, but in a language other than
English. Individuals must be able to work with diverse, multicultural groups
collaboratively and use information from various sources from around the world
effectively for problem solving.
The skills that are needed for a global education are not to be taught as an
independent discipline, but the Asia Society argues that they should be embedded in a
modernized international curriculum through the arts, language, economics, geography,
history, mathematics and science. They also support study abroad programs, academic
and professional exchanges and collaboration on every level.
The Asia Society believes that in order to be successful in transforming
educational systems, stakeholders must be aligned in six domains for a successful
transition. An internationally-focused vision, mission, and school culture gives a strong
basis for the school to develop its goals on. Learning outcomes must be established that
demonstrate students’ global competency and college readiness. Curriculum, instruction,
and assessment must be internationally-focused, based on a problem-solving curriculum
and it must embed the essential skills for a global education within instruction. To create
and sustain a profound teacher-student relationship that supports globalized learning the
school organization and governance must engage students and parents in the school.

33

Educators should have professional development opportunities that are specifically
focused on international content, developing internationally competent teachers with a
focus on international travel and learning opportunities. The last domain that is essential
for a successful global program is one that creates family and community partnerships
that supports the learning mission.
The Asia Society encourages programs that want to develop an international and
globalized focus to their schools to recruit internationally oriented teachers, transform
their curriculum and to expand student experiences through technology, international
travel and partnerships to allow for a well-rounded opportunity to foster globalized
experiences and individuals. By intertwining these practices, experiences and focus, the
Asia Society has been able to encourage and promote globalized education in many
schools around the world that have had amazing success in preparing students for the
world at hand.
Stewart (2007) supports the views held by the Asia Society that globalized
curriculums must be embedded in the curriculum by modernizing the current instruction
and teaching practices. She perceives global competence to go beyond what the United
States education system currently teaches. Global competence to her includes world
knowledge, language skills and civic values. Individuals need to learn about different
cultures histories, customs, international trade and gain an understanding of how the
global economy functions to be able to use this knowledge in the real world successfully.
Students should learn another language to be able to communicate when working with
diverse groups collaboratively for employment. Stewart (2007) explains that for students

34

to develop critical thinking skills and to enhance their creativity they must value human
rights and appreciate customs that are different from those of the United States. Civic
values can be promoted through discussions and distance learning projects where
students can learn to apply and solve real world problems.
Schools must be redesigned to produce students who are both college ready and
globally competent. To do this Stewart (2007) suggests that schools can do numerous
things such as introducing an international studies requirement for graduation. School
districts could create elementary school immersion programs to support language skills.
International schools within schools could be developed to expand students’ cultural
knowledge. Crucial language skills must be taught to prepare students for the global
economy. Urban secondary schools must be redesigned with an international focus as the
Asia Society has helped many schools do worldwide. Students and faculty should run
exchange programs to promote changes in curriculum by experiencing first hand to gain
knowledge on internationalizing curriculums. Schools should adopt a K-12 foreign
language curriculum that allows students to gain language skills. The changes that
Stewart (2007) suggests to redesign schools to an international focus must have a vision
that all stakeholders share, it must start slowly and must include teachers, administrators,
parents and the community to be successful.
Jackson (2004) like Wagner (2008), Trilling and Fadel (2009), Stewart (2007) and
the Asia Society believes that schools need to develop students who will be successful
within the global interconnected world of the 21
st
century. To accomplish this task,

35

schools must have three key dimensions to be successful, the right curriculum and
instruction, school culture and partnerships (Jackson, 2004).
The curriculum and instruction of the school must focus on international content,
state standards, world language, use of technology and inquiry orientated instruction.
The school must have a diverse culture that has high expectations for every student,
promoting global awareness, they will have virtual exchanges through technology to
encourage cultural awareness and provide opportunities for exchange programs. The
school culture will also have teachers that collaborate and are involved with continuous
learning. Schools will also establish partnerships with universities, cultural organizations
and policy centers to allow access to and exposure to current thinking on world events.
Jackson (2004) does not discuss the necessary steps that need to be taken to restructure a
school to prepare youth for success of the interconnected world.
Darling-Hammond (2010) emphasizes the need for education policy to change to
provide opportunities for all students to become critical thinkers and leaders for the
future. Systems need to be created that support the learning of all students through clarity
of vision and purposeful, consistent action to create supportive foundations and elements.
Schools need to be redesigned, developing teachers and principals, expanding
curriculums and assessments and rethinking funding sources. For the United States to
thrive in a technological, knowledge-based economy they must expand the educational
opportunities for all students and close the achievement gap that our nation faces.
A program that has been developed and sustained for over 35 years as a model of
globalizing education is the International Baccalaureate (IB). The IB is a world wide

36

program that offers high quality education in 138 countries, 2,278 schools, it serves
approximately 752,000 students. The IB programs encourage international-mindedness
that not only makes students aware of other nations and cultures but sets a positive
attitude towards learning.
The IB’s mission statement explains how the program, “…aims to develop
inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more
peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect… encourages students
across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners…” The IB helps
to prepare and develop the students as global members of our world.
IB offers three programs: The Primary Years (ages 3-12), the Middle Years (ages
11-16) and the Diploma Program (ages 16-19). Each of these programs has a set
curriculum that it helps IB teachers develop through professional development sessions.
The curriculum teaches nationalism, it has an international education philosophy,
educating students to be internationally minded individuals and the programs help
develop an understanding of cultural identity and multiculturalism in the students.
According to the International Baccalaureate World Schools, the three programs
promote the education of the whole individual, focusing on intellectual, personal,
emotional and social growth. They do this by fostering languages, humanities, sciences,
mathematics and the arts. The curriculum has an emphasis of being interdisciplinary and
encouraging language development and acquisition. It promotes critical thinking,
reflection and an understanding of other cultures.

37

The IB offers professional development, guidance and constant follow up for
educators to have a strong background knowledge and education to be capable of
instructing students in an IB program. The IB is a program that must have administrator,
teacher, parent, student and community support to be effective.
International Baccalaureate programs have been successful worldwide for over 35
years. They combine the need for students to be globally competent with the need to
challenge students with academically challenging curriculums. Students who are
globalized and are able to critically understand the world are those that are going to be
successful in the 21
st
century.
In reviewing the current best practices it is apparent that there are similar skills
discussed by the various authors that are required for success in the globalized world.
The study will focus on the elements of problem solving and critical thinking skills, the
knowledge and use of technology, cultural awareness, foreign language acquisition and a
global curriculum to guide the research.

Conclusion

It is obvious from reviewing the literature that there is a definite belief in the need
to restructure the current United States education system to a system that promotes
globalized education. Though the rationale for why a change would be beneficial varies
from author to author, all of the literature suggests that a change is considered necessary.
The current education system is not meeting the needs of our nation and the requirements
of the new world of the 21
st
century.

38

Current research is generally focused on the rationale of why a change is required,
the characteristics of a globalized education such as the integration and usage of
technology, an emphasis on foreign language education, the appreciation of other
cultures, the ability to problem solve using creative methods and global curriculums.
Research also focuses on the steps that an institution must take to transform its culture,
curriculum and instruction to a globalized vision. There is however, no literature
available that clearly studies schools that have taken the steps to revolutionize their
institutions to fit the descriptions that the literature has stated to represent a globalized
education that truly prepares its students for the needs of the 21
st
century. More
research needs to be done that identifies schools in California that address globalization
in their curriculum and practices, and describes what changes in student knowledge, skills
and behavior have taken place The purpose of the study was to identify curricular
elements and their associated student outcomes among California schools that address
globalization.

39

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

Introduction

The purpose of the study was to identify curricular elements and their associated
student outcomes among California schools that address globalization. Schools in
California address globalization in their curriculum and practices through a variety of
definitions and programs with varying outcomes. Those schools who address
globalization have varying definitions and programs of globalization, and their outcomes
are not clear.
This study is part of a larger inquiry of the practices of schools that implement
globalization at the University of Southern California. Eight doctoral students met as a
thematic dissertation group from October 2009 until the conclusion of this study in
March 2011 in order to investigate literature related to globalization as well as the
research methodology that will drive this study. Members of this cohort each conducted
a case study at an elementary, middle or high school in California that indicates that it is
addressing globalization in its mission. The criteria for selecting and determining the
sample will be discussed in the next section. Each of the case studies conducted are
enlightening, and together they describe how different institutions have implemented
globalization into their mission to prepare students for the 21
st
century.
The theoretical conceptual model (figure 1) presented below led to the creation of
our research questions. Together they are used to guide the researcher in this
investigation. This model represents how the environment, the demands on education,

40

such as federal and state policies, standards, stakeholders and the requirements of
globalization all effect how a school functions and meets its needs. A school meets its
needs and can be evaluated through the programs it offers, its leadership and practices,
and student outcomes. These influences affect the programs, that is the curriculum that is
taught, how the curriculum is taught, what programs are offered at a school and all that
make up what a school offers. The environment affects the leadership and practices of a
school, that is the way the leadership makes decisions, the vision and mission of the
school and how the school functions. Student outcomes, the success, behaviors and
actions of the students are also affected by the environment. The programs, leadership
and practices and students outcomes have arrows displaying how each area affects the
other areas and are constantly changing and influencing the other. When all areas of the
conceptual model are functioning, one can evaluate what is taking place in a school.
Figure 1: Conceptual Model

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Research Questions

1. What are the curricular elements in schools embracing globalization?
2. What organization structures support globalization?
3. What perceived student behaviors and outcomes are seen?

The format for this qualitative research is a case study with multiple sources of
information. A qualitative study was chosen because according to Patton (2002) the
purpose of this study is to gain basic knowledge of and to investigate a phenomenon at
the nature of its reality. The research questions lend themselves to finding fundamental
patterns that can be investigated and found through a qualitative basic research study
(Patton, 2002). This study is an intensive study of a specific instance (Gall, Gall & Borg,
2003), how a school has implemented globalization and its perceived student behaviors
and outcomes. The qualitative study takes place in a real world setting and there is not
any manipulation done by the researcher that would effect the phenomenon of interest
(Patton, 2002).
A case study format was chosen as the method to conduct the qualitative research
because a case study is, “an exploration of a ‘bounded system’ or a case over time
through detailed, in-depth data collection involving multiple sources of information rich
in context (Creswell, 1998).” The bounded system studied is an urban elementary school
that, over a period of several months, with an in-depth collection of data that consists of
surveys, interviews, observations and document analysis to understand the phenomenon

42

of how the implementation of globalization is functioning at a school site and the
perceived outcomes.

Site and Sample

Appropriate sites for this research were determined to be elementary or secondary
schools in California, that stated in either their mission statement or philosophy that they
were actively committed to preparing and educating students in a method that supports
the globalization of education. The aspects of globalization that the school sites had to be
applying as part of their curriculum for this study are that they had to use technology as
an instructional and learning tool, fostering a foreign language through academic courses
or opportunities was apparent, they needed to encourage the development of cultural
awareness. The school site was required to promote problem-solving and critical
thinking skills in its students as well as implementing a global curriculum. The site also
had to have international programs, such as partnerships with other schools or businesses
to encourage a globalized view of the world.
The goal of this study was to identify curricular elements and their associated
student outcomes among California schools that address globalization. By studying a
school that meets the criteria stated above, the research questions would be able to be
attended to and a greater understanding of the phenomenon of implementing
globalization in educational curriculums could be investigated.

43

Site

The site chosen for this study was 21
st
Century Academy (pseudonym), a charter
school in Los Angeles, California. Twenty-first Century Academy was chosen due to
matching the study’s criteria of being a kindergarten through fifth grade elementary
school that’s purpose and mission is to address globalization through its curriculum and
to prepare students to be successful in the 21
st
century.
Twenty-first Century Academy has an enrollment of 240 students with an ethnic
breakdown of: eighty-three percent Hispanic, sixteen percent African American and one
percent unidentified. Fifty-three percent of the students enrolled are English Language
Learners and ninety-six percent of the students receive free/reduced lunch. Twenty-first
Century Academy has ten credentialed teachers, six of the teachers are Hispanic and the
other six are Korean. There are also fifteen paraprofessionals that work with the students.
The school has been in operation for three years. Twenty-first Century Academy’s
Academic Performance Index (API) is 794 out of 1,000 and a rank of 8 out of 10 to
similar schools

Sample and Data Collection

A triangulated approach of four data collection measures were used to produce the
richest description of the case and most accurate results for the study. Data was collected
through surveys, interviews, analysis of documents and observation.

44

In October of 2010, the researcher attended a staff meeting where eight teachers
participated in a voluntary survey. The administrator, school director and four teachers
were interviewed. The teachers that were interviewed had various levels of teaching
experience and educational background. Relevant documents pertaining to the school’s
globalization efforts and curriculum were obtained from school officials and websites for
analysis. Finally, observations were conducted of the school site and classrooms over
various months using Bolman and Deal’s (2003) four frames and an observation check-
list as guides during the observations.

Survey

The survey (Appendix A) for this study was developed by the thematic
dissertation group of eight doctoral students. There is one version of the survey for both
administrators and teachers to complete. It addresses the three research questions that
this study is attempting to answer. The three domains it covers are: curricular elements,
organizational structure and perceived student outcomes. Respondents’ choose a score of
1, 2, 3, or 4, 1 being the lowest degree and a 4 being the highest degree. Some questions
required a written response describing and elaborating an answer to a question.
An initial pilot study of the survey was conducted by five teachers, two were
second grade teachers, two were fourth grade teachers and one was a fifth grade teacher,
to determine if the questions were clear, precise and comprehensible. The teachers all
understood the questions and were able to give clear answers based on the questions
asked.

45

Interview

The interview questions for this study were developed by the thematic dissertation
group of eight doctoral students. The questions were designed to obtain the most in-
depth answers to the study’s three research questions. The three categories of questions
are: curricular elements, organizational structure and perceived students outcomes and
behaviors. Before the interview the researcher made the interviewees feel comfortable by
asking questions such as: How is your day going? How has your school year started off?
How long have you been teaching? Additional questions were asked during the
interviews to solicit in-depth answers to the responses of the questions below.

Curricular Elements

1. How familiar are your students with global issues?
2. In what ways do student learn about global issues?
3. What in your curriculum incorporates international cultures (specific classes, and
what foreign language and percent of students)?
4. What influenced your decision to chose the specific languages?
5. How is technology integrated into the school curriculum?

Organizational Structure
1. What role does a globalized background have in hiring process of new teachers?
What are you doing to implement this?
2. What role does globalization have in your professional development (examples)?

46

3. What organizational structure promotes and supports globalization (i.e.
leadership)?
4. Is someone in charge of disseminating information about curriculum and
programs related to globalization?
5. How do you evaluate the effectiveness of your global programs and curriculum
6. How would you go about making changes if they are needed?

Perceived Student Outcomes/Behaviors
1. What examples do you have of students solving real world problems?
2. What examples do you have of students analyzing and evaluating global issues?
3. What examples are evident that your students have general knowledge about
international culture?
4. What are examples in the school of student driven participation in cultural and
global issues?

Documentation Review

A list of documents that could be useful to review for this study was developed by
the thematic dissertation group of eight doctoral students. The list of documents
addressed the three research questions addressed by the study, curricular elements,
organizational structure and perceived student behaviors and outcomes. Some of the
documents were gathered in the process of choosing a school site to study, while others
were obtained once the researcher was able to gather the information from school

47

personnel. The documentation was used to evaluate what the school was stating it did
and the results that were actually taking place (Appendix A).

Observation Instrument

The observation instrument (Appendix C) for this study was developed by the
thematic dissertation group of eight doctoral students. It was developed by adapting the
observational checklist, The Global Education Checklist created by Fred Czarra. This
checklist was chosen because it identified and embraced the concepts discussed in the
conceptual model that is being used to guide this study. The checklist was adapted by
reorganizing the existing document into three categories that answer the three research
questions that this study is striving to answer. The list covers various elements that may
be apparent in a school that addresses globalization as being an aspect of educating
students. During the observation sessions the elements may be marked as being highly
evident, mildly evident, not evident, or not applicable through observation.
The observation instrument has a second dimension that provides a location for
the researcher to take notes on Bolman and Deal’s (1997) four frames. The four frames
are political, structural, symbolic and human resource. The frames allow for an
organization to be viewed from different aspects that affect its effectiveness. According
to Bolman and Deal (2003) the structural frame, “champions a pattern of well-thought-
out roles and relationships…that can accommodate both collective goals and individual
differences.” This frame looks beyond individuals and focuses on the social architecture
of the organization. The human resource frame, “centers on how characteristics of

48

organizations and people shape what they do for one another (Bolman & Deal, 2003).”
Under the political frame an organization exercises agenda setting, mapping of political
terrain, networking and forming coalitions and bargaining and negotiating (Bolman &
Deal, 2003). Under the symbolic frame there are symbols that represent the
organizations goals and philosophy. The symbols guide the organization in decision
making and goal setting. Including the four frames during the observation checklist
allows for the researcher to get a better understanding of the school in relation to its
implementation of globalization.

Data Analysis

Data was collected and analyzed through triangulation to answer the research
questions. Croswell’s methods of evaluating and analyzing information were used while
reading through the data as a function to find patterns that emerged. The researcher
searched for triangulation in tone, impressions, depth and credibility in the results of the
interview, observations, surveys and documentation collection. The data was
administered according to the Triangulation Matrix (Appendix D) that described who the
different instruments would be administered to and the data was analyzed in the
following manner:
1. Document Analysis-- Any and all documents (Appendix A) that pertain to
the school’s curricular elements, organizational structure and perceived
student outcomes in relation to globalization were collected. These

49

documents were presented in relation to the study’s three research
questions.
2. Survey Results—The survey (Appendix B) allowed for all of the teachers
to express their views on globalization in the school. It helped in
triangulating the data collected to what the teachers were thinking and
actually doing in the classrooms during instruction. The survey results
were also used as a tool to identify a cross section of teachers to be
interviewed.
3. Interviews— The principal, four teachers and one parent were
interviewed. The interviews were tape recorded and transcribed. The
transcriptions were then analyzed for common themes in the interview
responses. Relevant quotes and an analysis of the responses were
presented as major finding in Chapter 4.
4. Observations—Detailed observations were conducted in the classrooms
during instruction, on campus during teacher, student and administration
interactions, during staff meetings and parent education workshops. The
observations added to the overall analysis of the schools implementation
of globalization to add to the rich description of what is taking place at the
school. Bolman and Deal’s (2003) four frames was used as an aid in the
analysis of the results.

50

By analyzing the data collected from 21
st
Century Academy in a triangulated
approach, the three research questions were addressed and common themes were
found in the data that led to satisfying the primary purpose of the study.

51

CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS

Introduction

In this chapter, following an abstract and a brief description of the site, the case
study findings are presented and analyzed. The chapter is organized by research
questions and the findings are analyzed in a manner intended to provide answers to those
questions. Insights and evidence from documents, field observations, surveys and
interviews are all presented to answer the research questions.

Abstract and Findings

This study set out to examine an elementary school that states in its purpose and
mission statement that it is addressing globalization at the school site. The study
explored the various aspects of the school’s academics, culture and organizational
structure that are associated with the implementation of a global curriculum that prepares
its students for the twenty-first century. The school that was carefully evaluated for this
case study had only begun its fourth year in operation and it was still in the process of
implementing many key organizational structures that would foster its mission. This
study gave an in depth look into the early stages of a start-up school implementing a
globally focused curriculum.

52

21
st
Century Academy

21
st
Century Academy (21
st
CA) is a charter school in Los Angeles, California
that serves 240 Kindergarten through fifth grade students. The school first opened its
doors four years ago, with only 120 students and 3 grade levels, Kindergarten, First grade
and Second grade. Each year the school has expanded by adding 40 new students and a
new grade level to reach its current capacity of 240 students.
Eighty-three percent of the students at 21
st
Century Academy are Hispanic or
Latino, sixteen percent are African-American and one percent has an unidentified
ethnicity. Fifty-three percent of the students are enrolled as English-Language Learners
and ninety-six percent of the students receive free/reduced lunch.
21
st
Century Academy has a staff of 12 teachers, six of the twelve teachers are
Korean and the other six are Hispanic. One site administrator, one business manager and
twenty paraprofessionals work at the school site. The last four years the school has had
three different administrators, the current administrator has been in his position for four
months.
During the 2009-2010 school year, 21
st
Century Academy achieved an API score
of 794 out of 1,000 and a rank of 8 out of 10 to similar schools. The API score has
dropped from the 2007-2008 school year school of 954 and the 2008-2009 API of 855.
The drop in API scores will be further discussed in the findings.
21
st
Century Academy campus is located in a low socioeconomic urban area in a
two story building. It is a very clean and inviting building settled between an apartment

53

complex and community market with a sign over the main entrance that reads, “21
st

Century Academy: Creating Citizens of the World.”

Observations

During the observation portion of this study, the campus observation tool was
used (see Appendix C). The observation tool was designed to assist in capturing details
and feelings about the school and its culture in order to support the data that was
uncovered from documents, survey results, and interviews. The researcher spent time
during several different school days walking through the campus, attending staff
meetings and going in and out of the classrooms to record the following:

Table 1: Observation Tool Findings

Key
+ Highly Evident
√ Mildly Evident
— Not Evident
N/A Not applicable

School Community:
+ Environment reflects school’s mission, vision, culture
√ School’s mission/vision is posted throughout the school.
+ Student work that is displayed reflects globalization
√ Partnerships are evident
√ Front Office-First impression reflects a focus on globalization
+ School building and grounds reflect global themes and ideas that connect students with
what they are learning around the world
+ Diversity of student body and their respective cultures reflected in your buildings and
school grounds
+ Is a global/international focus evident in your extracurricular activities evident
+ Is your school community ethnically and racially diverse?

+
Do any individuals or groups representing these ethnic and racial groups make
presentations in, or assist teachers and librarians in teaching and learning about other
cultures, global connections, or global issues?

54

Table 1: Observation Tool Findings (continued)

Classroom:
+ Environment reflects school’s mission, vision, culture that promotes globalization.
√ School’s mission/vision is posted in classroom.
+ Course objective/daily lesson addresses global curriculum
+ Student work that is displayed reflects globalization
+ Teacher positively interacts with students

√
Students read newspapers, magazines, and books, and listen to radio and television
programs that relate to intercultural and international topics

Interactions:
+ Positive interactions are evident
+ Staff greets students in hallways
+ Students greet adults in hallways-global citizenship
+ Students integrate with each other
+ Are there activities at lunch that promote integration among groups
+ Extra-curricular activities that promote globalization

The observations encompass the categories of school community, classroom
environment and interactions. The school community supported the school’s mission to
prepare students for the 21
st
century this was observed in the manner which the hallways
were covered with inspirational words, such as, “You will go to College!” and “Preparing
citizens of the world.” There were also pictures of famous minority individuals with
captions detailing their success stories. The playground and the exterior of the school
building had murals that displayed diverse children embracing the world. Student work
was displayed on the classroom doors, school bulletin boards and hallways that illustrate
the students at 21
st
Century Academy knowledge of other countries around the world.
The school population was made up of various Hispanic cultures and African American
students, the teachers were Hispanic and Korean, the school administrator was Anglo-
Saxon. The school programs, such as the after school recreation program, supported the

55

schools mission by having students take courses that encouraged and enhanced the
students’ global knowledge.
From the observations, the classroom environment displayed evidence of
globalization through various aspects. The teachers spent 30 minutes a day on foreign
language instruction during the school day and the classroom bulletin boards had work
samples that illustrated student knowledge of other countries. The teacher-student
interactions were positive and meaningful and the students felt comfortable asking
questions, this was observed by the way which students shared their ideas during lessons.
One classroom lesson was observed where the teacher was having the students read
websites articles that were related to the Chilean Miners that were trapped in Chile, the
students where highly engaged and asking many questions that related to the topic.
The interactions of the students, parents, teachers and staff were observed during
the case study and the interactions displayed globalization through an assortment of
occasions. Throughout the school and during all of the visits to the schools, adults all
greeted each other and the students. As the observer walked through the hallways she
was greeted with smiles and hellos from the students and adults. The staff was
welcoming during the staff meetings. They were all willing to share their thoughts and
experiences of the school program with the researcher. The parents displayed happiness
and enthusiasm when talking to the administration and staff during their parent
information meeting, freely expressing their thoughts and concerns.
It is evident from the observation tool findings that most areas that were focused
on were found to be “Highly Evident” and only five out of the twenty-two areas observed

56

were found to be “Mildly Evident.” The school overwhelmingly comes across positively
in these important areas, even with the five areas that were only slightly observed.

Survey

The survey (see Appendix B) was administered to the twelve teachers at 21
st

Century Academy to gain a greater understanding of the school site in relation to
curricular aspects, organizational structures and perceived student outcomes. Of the
twelve surveys distributed, eight participants returned the completed surveys, sixty-seven
percent of the teachers participated. The survey consisted of fourteen questions and the
participants responded using the scale 1-4, 1 being the lowest degree and 4 being the
highest degree. The table below states the question and the responses of the participants.
Table 2: Survey Findings

Questions 1 2 3 4
Your instruction includes global issues. 2 6
You teach critical thinking/problem-solving skills. 3 5
Students are exposed to international and cultural issues and challenges. 4 4
Textbooks and supplementary materials consider global issues, global
connections and global culture.
4 3 1
Technology is used as an instructional tool for global purposes. 1 6 1
A global/international focus is evident in the school’s extracurricular activities. 2 3 3
The school has or speaks partnership(s) with schools outside the United States,
another school, business or university.
1 3 4
Teachers are provided professional development opportunities for the purposes
of global education.
2 2 3 1
Staff has time for curriculum planning to include a global perspective. 3 3 2
The interest and involvement of parents in the school enhances global learning. 3 2 3
Students develop some sense of civic responsibility by identifying specific
ways that they can make some contribution to the resolution of a global issue.
2 3 3
Students understand cultural points. 3 4 1
Students have appreciation for diversity and culture. 1 4 3
Students explore environmental issues. 2 3 3

57

Interviews

Interviews were conducted with five individuals at 21
st
Century Academy. The
site administrator, one Kindergarten teacher, two second grade teachers and a third grade
teacher. The administrator had been in his position for four months at the time of the
interview, it was the Kindergarten teachers second year at the school and this was the
fourth year of teaching at 21
st
Century Academy for the other three teachers. The three
teachers had been involved with the school site since it first opened its doors in 2007.
The interview questions were designed to obtain the most in-depth answers to the
study’s three research questions. The three categories of questions were: curricular
elements, organizational structure and perceived students outcomes and behaviors.
Before the interview the researcher made the interviewees feel comfortable by asking
questions such as: How is your day going? How has your school year started off? How
long have you been teaching? Additional questions were asked during the interviews to
solicit in-depth answers to the responses of the questions below.
The interviewees all had similar responses to the questions that they were asked.
All of the interviewees believed that the school was moving in the right direction in
regards to the schools mission to prepare students for the twenty-first century. All of
them shared that in the past years the school had been more focused on just functioning
and teaching standards, but that with the current administration programs were being
implemented that were more focused on the schools purpose. The teachers interviewed
also felt that the principal was very supportive of the teachers and that he was willing to
work with the teachers to obtain successful student results.

58

Findings by Research Questions

To effectively answer the three research questions guiding this study, the
observations were conducted, documents were collected, the staff completed surveys and
five interviews were conducted with the staff of 21
st
Century Academy. In this section,
the findings are discussed in relation to the question that they are addressing and
triangulation is used to support the findings.

Question 1: What are the curricular elements in schools embracing globalization?

Documents reviewed to answer the first research question included the 21
st

Century Academy website, the school adopted textbooks, the displays in the school’s
hallways and classroom bulletin boards, staff meeting agendas, and state test scores. Five
questions in the interview and five of the survey questions directly addressed the
curricular elements that were being embraced at 21
st
Century Academy.

21st Century Academy Mission
The school website (21stCentury.com) provided detailed information that
described the schools mission and goal that is suppose to be used to guide curriculum in
the classrooms and the schools philosophy on how it functions The 21
st
Century
Academy goal states that the school is focused on,
…developing citizens of the world who are successful leaders not only in their
local communities, but in the international community as well. 21
st
Century
Academy will provide students with a wide variety of linguistic and cultural
experiences that give students the opportunity to develop a true understanding and

59

respect for all people. Through a balanced curriculum that addresses academic,
linguistic, social, physical, and emotional development, students will close the
achievement gap. 21
st
Century Academy will create a safe and challenging
learning environment for students, parents, and faculty that emphasizes global
awareness and leadership.

The mission above states that a balanced curriculum is used in the classroom that
addresses the whole child, not only the academic aspects of a child attending the school
and their families.

Textbooks and Supplementary Materials
According to Education Code 60001, “schools must provide for the adoption
and selection of quality instructional materials for use in the elementary and secondary
schools.” To meet the requirements of this Education Code, 21
st
Century Academy has
decided to adopt the same textbooks as the local school district. These textbook series
are: SRA Open Court for the reading series, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for Mathematics,
Scott Foresman for History/Social Sciences, Full Option Science System (FOSS) for
Science.
In evaluating the adopted textbooks it is apparent that alone, these textbooks do
not meet the requirements and expectations that are noted in the literature focusing on the
globalization of curriculum as being essential. The reading text does expose the students
to literature from different countries, but it does not go in depth. The reading text alone
does not expose students to the needed skills for understanding global issues and problem
solving. The mathematics text does regularly expose students to word problems that
incorporate real life situations, but it is only in the text and not taken further to applying

60

the skills in real life. The Social Studies text exposes the students to topics in history and
if all of the components of the series are used, students are able to experience applying
what they learn to real life situations. The FOSS science system allows students to
explore science concepts and use problem solving and investigation to learn about
important concepts. Even though the adopted textbook series have a great deal of
important and relevant information that allow for students to be slightly prepared for the
twenty-first century world, these series alone are not enough to expose the students to the
globalized curriculum that they are expected be part of in the future.
It is not only in the evaluation of the textbooks that illustrates that there is a lack
of globalized instruction in the text, the teachers at the site also shared similar feelings.
Teacher #1 stated:
Last year I tried to teach everything as it was scripted in the teacher’s editions,
but I realized that the students weren’t being exposed to concepts at a deep
level. The students were able to pass the benchmark assessments, but they
were not gaining knowledge at a deeper level, so this year I have started
supplementing my curriculum with more relevant information and activities
that encourage globalization.

Teacher #4 shared:
The textbooks we use here are not any different then the ones that are used in
the public schools, we just supplement the information from the textbooks with
relevant information about what is happening in our world today. For example,
last year during the oil spill catastrophe, I had my 4
th
grade students read
articles about the oil spill, watch news reports online, I had them experiment
with oil and water and then I had them write letters to the President of the
United States with their solutions on how to stop the oil spill. Using the
textbook alone would never allow the students to experience solving real life
problems like this.

61

The survey results indicated that on the question that read, “Textbooks and
supplementary materials consider global issues, global connections and global cultures.”
The teachers at the 21
st
Century Academy had various ratings on a scale of 1-4 with 1
being the lowest degree and 4 being the highest degree. Four of the teachers responded
with a score of 2, three teachers responded with a score of 3, and one teacher rated a 4.
One of the teachers that gave this question a 2 stated that, “The textbooks discuss some
issues and global connections, but only on a surface level. It does not require or involve
the students enough with the schools global purpose.” A teacher that rated the textbooks
a 3 stated that, “storybooks/literature, videos and posters relating to global connections
are available for teachers use to supplement the textbooks we use.” Another teacher that
rated the textbooks a 3 explained in the survey that, “We teach other languages and every
month we are learning about a new country, so we supplement what the textbooks are
lacking.”

Language Instruction
As part of the 21
st
Century Academy Curriculum, for thirty minutes a day, the
students participate in Korean or Spanish Lessons as part of their globalized curriculum.
During these lessons, the teachers only speak in the languages that they are teaching, they
do not speak in English at all. When observing a Korean lesson in a first grade class the
students responded to the teachers questions in Korean. It was amazing to see how the
students were able to switch from speaking English to Korean so effortlessly. This is part
of the curriculum that is supplementing what is lacking in the textbooks.

62

The school principal explained that, “The thirty minutes a day of a second
language is only a starting point, the school would like to work out an immersion
program that is 80-10-10, that is eighty percent English, ten percent Spanish and ten
percent Korean. But that is something that has not yet been completely implemented, but
it will be soon.”
In interviewing the staff about what influenced the school site to choose the
languages of Spanish and Korean as the ones being taught at 21
st
Century Academy there
were a variety of responses and explanations to why the languages were chosen.
The principal explained:
There were many situations that influenced Korean and Spanish to be the
languages being taught. The first being that the first year the school was opened,
it was decided that Spanish would be taught, but with the input from the school
community, especially the parents, it was decided that another language would
also be taught because a great deal of the students were already being exposed to
Spanish at home or in the community. That is when the decision from the board
members was made, given that many of the school’s financial support came from
Korean based companies and that research based studies found that Korean
emersion programs were one of the most successful, the school would begin
teaching Korean as one of the languages offered.

The decision of Korean language being taught at 21
st
Century Academy was also recently
inspired by the fact that the International Korean Educators Network has recently donated
$30,000 to the school for a Korean Language Program. With these influencing factors at
play, 21
st
Century Academy focuses its foreign language instruction on the Spanish and
Korean languages.

63

Afterschool Curricular Programs
The thirty minutes of daily language instruction is not the only time that
students experience foreign languages as part of the school’s curriculum. To address the
school’s mission to have students be globalized and aware of other cultures, the school
administration with the assistance from the Korean government and the state of
California which gave the school $100,000 to fund the program, has executed an
afterschool program that runs daily from 4pm until 6pm five days a week. The program
consists of Korean and Spanish speaking instructors teaching traditional music, art,
physical education, language and history courses. These courses are all taught in a
foreign language and students are exposed to other cultures through their experience.
The teachers that were interviewed were asked to express their feeling about the
effectiveness of this afterschool program. All of the interviewees shared similar
responses in that they believed that it was a beneficial experience for the students. It was
a fairly new program, it just started this year, but all of the teachers believed it was a
positive addition to the school curriculum and the courses taught truly addressed the
schools goal and mission.
In observing the afterschool program all of the students were highly engaged
completing a variety of Korean and Hispanic influenced projects. In a dance course
observed, students were dancing a traditional Korean dance being instructed in Korean.
In a music class, the students were being taught by a professional Mariachi singer on how
to sing Mariachi, a Mexican style of music. The students in an art class were learning

64

about Korean art history and were preparing to make their own Korean inspired pieces,
all being discussed in Korean.
The 21
st
Century parents that attended the parent meeting that was being led by
Project Inspire shared that they were excited for their children to participate in the
afterschool program. The parent of a Kindergartner shared:
I am glad that my daughter is being exposed to the Korean culture and
language because when she gets home she shares with the rest of the family all
the new words and things that she learns. It is an opportunity not only for her
child, but for the whole family.

The parent of a third grader explained that:
Even though it seems that the hours of the afterschool program are very long, I
feel that it has helped my son learn and experience things that I would not be
able to expose him to otherwise.

The parents at this meeting shared overall support for the program and its elements as
well as support for the schools global purpose and perspective. The parent of a second
grader shared that:
Just walking through the halls of the school it is obvious that something
different is happening at 21
st
Century Academy compared to what is happening
at the local public elementary schools. This school knows what it is doing, just
look around and you will see it.

Globalized Curriculum Focus
“I will go to College,” is just one of the inspirational quotes that are seen
displayed on the walls of the school building. In strolling the hallways of 21
st
Century
Academy it is evident that the student work displays that cover the walls and classroom
doors are all under the umbrella of the months theme that the school had chosen, “Latin

65

American Countries.” Each month the school site focuses on a different continent of the
world and studies different countries on that continent.
The classrooms each choose one of the countries and the individual classes do in
depth studies that are appropriate for the grade level. One of the Kindergarten classes
had the country of Chile. As part of the study the students were able to identify Chile on
the globe, the students explored what life was like in Chile and they had a student made
display of the Chilean flag on the classroom door. One fourth grade classroom was
assigned Uruguay. This class was able to identify Uruguay on a globe, the students had
posted facts about the country all over the classroom, there were student made flags of
Uruguay displayed, there were descriptions of foods that are eaten in Uruguay and the
students had written reports on the country covering major facts and details.
When the principal was interviewed and he was asked what in the curriculum
incorporated international cultures, he was very happy to share his thoughts on this
specific activity. The principal shared:
This year the staff decided that each month the school would focus on a different
area of our world and the students would study that area. This activity allows for
the teachers to get as involved in the study of the country as it is appropriate for
the grade level they teach. At the end of the month I like to have food catered
from the countries studied so that the students are able to taste culture as well as
learn from it. I know that this does not go deep into global issues that are taking
place in these countries, but this is just the beginning.

The survey uncovered that in response to the question that stated, “Students are
exposed to international and cultural issues and challenges,” the teachers did not believe
that the students were exposed to the highest degree. Four teachers categorized this as at
a level 2 and four teachers categorized the exposure at a level 3. During the interviews

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teacher # 2 explained, “The school is now trying to expose the students to countries
around the world, it is not at the level of understanding the cultural issues and challenges,
but it is better than not exposing them at all.”
In response to the survey question, “Your instruction includes global issues,” two
teachers responded with a 2 and the other six responded with scores of 3. This supported
the teachers’ responses to the previous question discussed. Teacher #4 explained during
the interview, “With all of the state standards that we are expected to teach in the third
grade, it is often difficult to include global issues in my instruction unless we are
specifically focusing on it.”
Through exposing the students to different countries, even if it is just one country
or continent a month, the students are gaining an understanding and that the world does
not just consist of the school that the students attend and their immediate community, but
it is a great deal larger. As one of the teachers had posted on the wall of his classroom, “I
am neither Athenian nor Greek, but a citizen of the World—Socrates.”

Preparation of Students for the 21
st
Century
To further expose the students of the 21
st
Century Academy to be prepared for
their future the teacher’s surveys indicated that the teachers teach critical thinking and
problem solving skills as part of their curriculum. Three teachers rated their instruction
as a 3 on a scale of 4 with 1 being the lowest degree and 4 being the highest. Five
teachers rated themselves as 4s on teaching critical thinking and problem solving. During
the observations there were similar findings. By evaluating the student work in the

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classrooms it was apparent that the teachers used Thinking Maps to help students
organize their thoughts and the information they had gathered. The student work showed
examples of how students worked collaboratively to complete assignments and to solve
problems in math and science. Problem solving and critical thinking are an essential skill
for students of the 21
st
Century to possess.

The Implementation of Technology
Many of the research articles discussed in the Literature Review argued the
importance of emphasizing technology in a globalized education. As part of the
observation the researcher noticed that there was only one out of the twelve classes
visited that used an ELMO projector during instruction, there were three out of the twelve
classes that used projectors with PowerPoint slides during instruction and the only
classroom computers that were available for use were the teacher computers.
One of the questions on the teacher survey stated, “Technology is used as an
instructional learning tool for global purposes.” Of the eight surveys collected, one of
them rated this question as a 1, six responders rated this a score of 2, and one rated it as a
3.
When the interviewees were asked, “How is technology integrated into the school
curriculum?” The interviewees all responded with similar responses of dissatisfaction.
The school principal explained that:
The school has twenty laptops that are kept on a portable cart and are available for
all of the students to use. The difficulty is that not all of the laptops work and
there is not wireless internet access for them to be connected to the internet. This
is a frustration that makes it challenging for them to be used in the classrooms.

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Teacher # 4 shared:
I try to integrate technology in the classroom as much as I can, but we are very
limited. We have laptops, but half of the time they don’t work. Even if they did
work it is still very hard because our internet has been down now for over a week.
So I try to bring in other things like videos and pictures to help.

Teacher #1 explained how she used technology in the classroom:
I know that in my classroom I use my computer a lot. I connect my computer to
the projector and I am able to show the students things that I can’t just explain to
them. I can’t really get all of the students on a computer on their own, so at least
this way they can see what is on the internet and how it can be used. I have
actually located a school in Korea that would like to be e-mail penpals with
students from my class. I hope that we can get the school’s computers working
effectively soon to start up this project.

Summary of Curricular Elements
The curricular elements that are used at 21
st
Century Academy include, teaching
the state standards guided by state adopted textbooks, using supplemental materials such
as foreign language instruction, cultural awareness, limited technology, additional
instructional real world problem solving experiences, extended instructional hours with a
globalized perspective during an afterschool program, and staff workshops.

Question 2: What organizational structures support globalization?

To answer the second research question, what organizational structures support
globalization, documents were collected, observations were conducted, participants
completed surveys and individuals were interviewed. From all of the data sources it was
apparent that there had been a great deal of organizational restructuring that was in the

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process of being recently implemented, the principal at 21
st
Century Academy
commenced his position the day before the current school year began and has made
significant changes to the organizational structure of the school program. The
information that the staff, principal and parents shared regarding the organizational
structure of 21
st
Century Academy were in the process of beginning and there full effects
had not been measured.

Staff Credentials and Experience
The school principal has a rich background in education. He has been in
education since 1992 where he was a founding member of a school program that was a
Korean immersion program. The school began with a small unit of five students and now
has one thousand students and runs from kindergarten through high school. From there
he went to Korea for eight years, during that time he started off as a visiting professor in
Korea, then he worked at a publishing company in Korea, then returned to the Korean
University as a professor and as principal in a lab school. He decided to apply for the
position at 21
st
Century Academy because he believed in the mission and goal of the
school and he knew he could help the school program flourish.
In interviewing the staff at 21
st
Century Academy they all shared that having a
globalized background did not have a role in the hiring of teachers, it was important in
the hiring of the new principal, but not for the teachers. All of the teachers at the school
were born and raised in Southern California, but they are all highly qualified teachers
according to No Child Left Behind and all have their Bilingual, Crosscultural, Language

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and Academic Development (BCLAD) credential. All of the teachers either speak
Spanish or Korean, which is important for the implementation of the language portion of
the school curriculum. Teacher # 4 explained, “I think it would be great if us teachers
had a more globalized background, that would help us bring that aspect of information to
the students.” The teachers at 21
st
Century Academy lack in the global first hand
experience that would benefit the educational program, but they are able to make
connections with the students and their families with their personal experience of being
Korean/Hispanic and rich educational knowledge. The teachers all had experience
working with inner city students and displayed great leadership qualities which are
essential traits for successful educators.

Organizational Leadership
Another aspect of the organizational structure that was discussed during the
interviews was how the leadership at 21
st
Century Academy promoted and supported
globalization and how information was disseminated about curriculum and programs
related to globalization. During the interview, the principal disclosed:
Since I am new to the school I have not wanted to be too forceful of a leader, I
have taken my time observing what goes on in the classrooms, how curriculum
and instruction is handled and learning the school politics. I have been more
active in implementing the afterschool program, building partnerships and
building relationships. The way it is working now, information is shared during
staff meetings and leadership is a shared responsibility. Each staff member shares
what they would like to implement and what they would like to be responsible
for. The staff is really here to make a difference and positively effect the
students.

Teacher #1 shared:

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The new principal we have trusts our judgment and ability to teach the students in
our classes. In the past, the principals have micromanaged us and have not
allowed us to bring in supplemental materials. This principal is flexible and
allows us to try new things.

Teacher #3 stated:
Since we are a very small school a lot of the leadership is shared and most of the
information is given during staff meetings. Everyone does their fair share of work
at the school. What is really helpful is that the principal is flexible and open to
letting us, the teachers, be responsible for how we instruct the students. That
gives us the feeling of ownership and creativity.

Teacher # 4 shared:
All of the teachers do a lot for the students and school. Everyone is responsible
for educating the students. We have leaders within the classrooms that guide how
the school is run, this new principal allows us all to try new teaching ideas, it is
great. This is a great change to what we had in the past.

With the shared approach to leadership that 21
st
Century Academy uses, the goals of
globalization are being addressed and modeled. It is a simplistic model of how a
globalized world disseminates power and leadership around the world to form a whole
and productive economy. The teachers and administration share the leadership
responsibilities to allow the school to run effectively.

Professional Development
To increase the teacher’s knowledge of globalization and to have the teachers
prepared to teach about global issues, especially in regards to Korea, the teachers all
participated in a site based workshop held during staff meeting time. The workshop that
was attended by the researcher was sponsored by The Academy of Korean Studies from

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South Korea and The Korea Academy for Educators. The workshop educated the
participants on the history of Korea, the language and the traditions of Korea, as well as
educating the staff on myths of Korea.
The teachers shared during their interviews that this two day workshop was the
first that the 21
st
Century Academy had done for the teachers, but that it was very
beneficial and that they were going to be having a number of other educational
workshops in the coming weekends and staff meetings. According to the principal he
planed on having additional inservices and workshops for the teachers so that they can
become highly knowledgeable and prepared to teach the students that enter the school’s
doors about global perspectives and culture as it is described in the school mission.
The survey addressed professional development in the statement, “Teachers are
provided professional development opportunities for the purposes of global education.”
In response to this statement two teachers rated it at a level 1, two teachers rated it a level
2, three teachers stated it was a 3 and one teacher said it was a 4. When asked to
elaborate, a teacher that rated it a 1 said, “We have not been provided professional
development opportunities for that particular purpose.” While another teacher that ranked
it a 2 stated, “This year we have had professional developments on Korea and Korean
culture. If we continue to learn about other cultures we can transfer that to our students.”
The level of degree that the professional development was implemented varied from
teacher to teacher in the belief that it provided the teachers with applicable information
for the classroom instruction and transfer. According to the principal, the long term plan

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for 21
st
Century Academy is to have all of the teachers implementing what they learn
from the professional development as part of the teachers’ instructional practice.

Collaboration
As part of the cohesive staff it is important for teachers to get an opportunity to
share their ideas, plan lessons and collaborate. The survey asked teachers to rate, “Staff
has time for curriculum planning to include a global perspective.” Three teachers rated
this a 1, three rated it a 2 and two teachers rated it a 3. The ratings on the topic of
planning time was very low, teachers shared that, “We are given one hour of curriculum
planning time, the focus of this meeting is to discuss open court, math, science and social
studies. Sometimes we discuss global issues that may connect to the material, but not
often.” Another teacher explained, “I think we need more structure when it comes to
planning with a global perspective. It’s not consistent among the classrooms.”
During the interview with Teacher #1, she explained:
I wish I had more time to collaborate with my colleagues, I feel so disconnected
from them because we are all always rushing around and we rarely get an
opportunity to really discuss how to implement global issues into the curriculum.

When the topic of planning time was discussed with the principal during the interview he
rationalized:
There are a lot of things that need to be put into place here at 21
st
Century
Academy, an essential one is teacher collaboration. Time to collaborate is needed
for effective instruction, the difficulty we face here is finding blocks of time that
the teachers can use for planning. The schedule is extremely tight and the
teachers work so hard that it is difficult for me to give them yet another thing to
do.

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It is obvious from the teacher surveys, interviews and principal interview that planning
time to focus on curriculum planning with a global perspective is lacking at 21
st
Century
Academy.

Partnerships
An area that was also investigated under the organizational structure aspect was
the idea that the school has or seeks partnerships with schools outside of the United
States, another school, business, or university. According to the school principal the
school does have a partnership with the International Korean Educators Network which
granted 21
st
Century Academy $30,000 to implement a Korean language program. The
school also has a partnership with Project Inspire, a business that focuses on parent
involvement and educating parents. In addition to this partnership, the principal is
looking for businesses and schools that would be willing to build partnerships with the
school. But this is something, that according to him, he is working with his connections
in Korea to help implement this.
The teacher surveys indicated that one teacher ranked school partnerships a 1,
three teachers ranked it a 2 and four teachers ranked this a 3. The teachers all explained
on their surveys that the site has found schools in Korea that 21
st
Century Academy will
be initiating a pen pal program with. This pen pal program will be a strong partnership.
Having this type of partnership will allow the students to connect with students their age
that live in a country that they are learning about, it would make a huge impact on the
students by connecting what they learn and who they communicate with.

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Extracurricular Activities
An element of the organizational structure that was evaluated as part of the
curricular elements of the 21
st
Century Academy was the scale which global/international
focus was evident in the school’s extracurricular activities. Two participants rated
extracurricular activities a score of 2, three participants rated it a 3 and three others rated
it a 4. The extracurricular activities that focus on global activities is the afterschool
program that focuses on foreign language integrated through the arts that was described
earlier.

Parental Involvement
Parent involvement is yet another aspect of 21
st
Century Academy’s
organizational structure that was evaluated. During the observations it was noted that
parents were always on the school grounds, they were always asking questions, signing
up for different activities and inquiring about their children’s education. As part of the
observation collection process the researcher attended a parent meeting, with twenty
parents in attendance, that was sponsored by Project Inspire. During the meeting the
parents were asked by the Inspire leader what it was that made 21
st
Century Academy a
good school? The parents responded with comments like, “good teachers; a good
principal; involved parents; plenty of supplies and textbooks for the students; dedicated
parents; responsible teachers; community involvement and students who want to be
successful.” The parents were very active participants during this parent meeting, they

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were very overjoyed with the success that their children were obtaining at 21
st
Century
Academy and strongly believed that the school was a beneficial place for their children.
As part of the survey, the teachers rated the statement, “The interest and
involvement of parents in the school enhances global learning.” The results displayed
that three teachers marked it a 2, two teachers rated it a 3 and three teachers stated it was
a 4. The teachers believe that parent involvement is essential for the students’ success.
During the interviews, Teacher #2 shared:
We can’t teach kids without parent involvement and interest. You can always tell
which students have parents that are involved in their child’s academics and the
ones who aren’t. We need to teach the whole child, not just the part of the child
that comes to school.

The principal believes that:
We encourage parents to come and share their lives and global perspectives with
the students. We want them as involved as possible. We have a parent of a 3
rd

grader that volunteers with our afterschool program teaching mariachi. This ways
she can bring her knowledge and experience and share it with the students.

The teachers, principal and parents all believe parent involvement is essential for the
students at 21
st
Century Academy’s success.

Summary of Organizational Structure at 21
st
Century Academy
The organizational structure of 21
st
Century Academy is one of shared
responsibility, flexibility, creativity, and encouraged involvement. The school has
recently implemented the afterschool program that offers additional global learning
opportunities and the site is working on methods to continue to improve.

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The shared leadership at 21
st
Century Academy is reflective of global leadership
that is necessary for the 21
st
Century. The school site is in the early stages of
development and the long term plans reflected for the school require teacher buy-in and
professional development that will expose the staff and students to a globalized
curriculum, thinking and learning opportunities that will take the school to the next level
of success.

Question # 3: What perceived student behaviors and outcomes are seen?

The data gathered to answer the third research question which was developed to
understand the perceived student behaviors and outcomes that are seen as a result of a
global and cultural education was observed student behavior, state test scores, teacher
surveys, interview results, administrator behavior records and observations.

Civic Responsibility
To evaluate student behaviors and outcomes, participants were asked to evaluate
on a scale of 1-4 how they perceived the students at 21
st
Century Academy’s behaviors in
relation to a variety of questions. The first question they were asked to evaluate was their
perception on how developed they sensed the students had a sense of civic responsibility
and the students could identify specific ways that they could make a contribution to the
solution of a global issue. Two teachers rated this statement a 2, three teachers rated it a
score of 3 and three teachers rated it a 4.

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During the interview process the participants were asked to share an example of
when the students had identified a global need and had shared how they could make a
contribution.
Teacher # 1 gave this example:
Last school year after there had been that terrible earthquake in Haiti, a group of
the fourth grade students who had been researching the incident asked if they
could raise money to send to the families in need. The students organized
everything, with the help of some teachers they ended up raising a little over six
hundred dollars that they were able to send over to the Haitians. It was a great
opportunity for the students and it helped us teachers realize that the students
were learning what they could do for others in the world.

Teacher # 2 explained:
A couple of years ago, after Hurricane Katrina, the teachers, students, parents and
community got together and raised money to send to the people in need in
Louisiana. It was a great opportunity for the students to experience what they
could do for others in need.

These examples of how the students had identified a global issue and had identified
specific ways to make a contribution such as fundraising, was a positive example of the
student outcomes.

Cultural Awareness and Problem Solving
To evaluate the perceived student outcomes the survey asked the participants to
rate if the students understood cultural points. Three teachers rated this statement a 2,
four teachers rated it a 3, and one teacher rated it a 4. When asked if the students have an
appreciation for diversity and culture, one teacher scored it a 2, four rated it a 3, and three
rated it a 4. In responding about students exploring environmental issues, two teachers
rated it a 1, three teachers rated it a 2 and three teachers rated it a 3.

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To further investigate the results of the survey, the interviews inquired at a deeper
level asking more detailed questions to gain a greater understanding of the student
behaviors. The participants interviewed were asked for examples of students solving,
analyzing and evaluating real global issues.
Teacher # 4 shared:
Last year during the oil spill catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico, I had my 4
th
grade
students read articles about the oil spill, watch news reports online, I had them
experiment with oil and water and then I had them write letters to the President of
the United States with their solutions on how to stop the oil spill.

Teacher #1 gave this example of how her students were evaluating real global issues in
the classroom:
When the Chilean Miners were trapped in the mines I had my student’s research
mining. I had them learn about what types of resources that can be mined, the
processes that can be used when mining, the dangers associated with mining and
where in the world mining is usually done. I then had them investigate and read
about the Chilean Miners. The students tried to come up with solutions to how
they could get the miners out of the mine. They were all very excited and
involved in the lessons, they learned a great deal and the experience helped them
really understand why it was so amazing when the miners were finally rescued.

When the interviewees were asked for examples of evidence that their students
have general knowledge about international cultures the participants all shared that with
21
st
Century Academies monthly cultural focus the students can all identify at least some
information about different cultures.
Teacher # 2 explained:
The students in my class can all identify at least four Latin American countries
and some cultural aspects. My class focused on Cuba, so they can tell you about
Cuba’s location, what the environment is like, the foods that they eat, a little
about its politics, the music that Cuba is known for and a couple of other
informational facts. The students can also tell you about the countries other

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classes focused on because we did mini presentations for the other classes and
they did them for us as well.

Teacher # 4 shared:
The students are learning about different cultures this year because the school is
focusing more on exposing the students to different countries. Last month we
focused on Latin countries, this month we are working on European countries and
their influence on the arts. The students are not only learning about the countries,
but about a famous artist from that country. I think it will help the students study
the countries at a deeper level.

There is evidence from the observations that supports that students at 21
st
Century
Academy have general knowledge of other cultures. Student work is displayed
throughout the school illustrating that the students can identify other countries and are
familiar with facts related to the countries that they can identify. Students are also heard
speaking other languages in class and on the campus, revealing that the students are
aware of other cultural aspects.

Standardized Tests
21
st
Century Academy’s API score was evaluated to determine if the globalized
education approach was having an effect on the student’s academic outcomes. The
school sites API for 2009-2010 was a score of 794 out of 1,000 and a rank of 8 out of 10
for similar schools. The API score has dropped from the 2007-2008 school year school
of 954 out of 1,000 and the 2008-2009 API of 855. When the school principal was asked
about the API scores he shared:
21
st
Century Academy is a high performing school, we are only six points away
from reaching 800. When the students’ achievement is evaluated, the scores of
the students’ that have been attending the school since it was opened have scores

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that are increasing. The school’s API seems to drop because there are more
students being tested and there are more scores that are being calculated into the
overall score. We have an 8 out of 10 ranking against similar schools which is
absolutely wonderful. The school’s API is not something that is of great concern
to me, especially because of all of the other programs that are being implemented,
I’m sure that the scores will improve as an outcome of the educational program.

When evaluating the data associated with the students’ scores and following the
scores of the students that have been in the program, the site principal was correct, the
students are improving. The longer the students have attended the school, the higher their
standardized test scores are. The API score decreases, but in reality the reason that this is
happening is because in 2008 there were only forty students tested, all in the second
grade. In 2009 there were eighty students tested in grades two and three. In 2010 there
were one hundred and twenty students tested, grades two, three and four.

Cultural Tolerance
To further investigate the student behaviors at 21
st
Century Academy the
interviewees were asked how they perceived the students’ level of tolerance was towards
each other because they were exposed to other cultures and globalized instruction.
Teacher # 3 shared about his experience:
I have worked in education for about ten years now, four of those years have been
here at 21
st
Century Academy, the other six years I was a substitute for a local
school district. When I would walk down the halls at the other schools I would
witness fights in the elementary school hallways, I would hear the students
making racial comments towards each other and I would see how the students
segregated themselves according to their race. I don’t see that here at 21
st

Century Academy, here I feel that the students seem to tolerate each other and I
do not hear the racial comments. I think that is because all cultures are valued
and discussed at the school, the students learn about the importance of respecting
each other.

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Teacher # 2 explained:
I teach kindergarten and at this level I don’t think they understand that we are all
different and that we come from different backgrounds. I don’t have any
incidents in my class where students are harassing each other because of their race
or culture. They are still innocent at this age, hopefully being exposed to the
globalized curriculum will help them value their culture, yet value each person for
what they have to offer.

The principal had a different perspective:
I would imagine that the students were more tolerant and accepting of each other
because they are exposed to other cultures and languages, but there are issues of
harassment. There is a difference in the quantity and severity of the racial
incidents here compared to the local schools. I think that the area of tolerance has
more to do with self perception. Studies show that as people understand other
cultures better, they understand themselves more as well. So the older the
students become and the more we expose them to other cultures, hopefully this
will decrease even further and there will be a real impact on student behaviors.

When evaluating 21
st
Century Academy’s behavior referral log, there were only
three referrals during the first three months of school that were related to racial
harassment. The previous year, there were only a total of eight in the same category.
The principal did mention that he did not know how precise and accurate the referral log
was because he had not been the principal the previous year so he did not know how
accurately the last principal kept records.

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Global Citizens
Being a global citizen is not only understanding about global issues and what
actions one can take to assist in solving the issues, it is also realizing that you are a
member of the world and need to take care of the world. As a result of this, the
participants were asked during the interviews if the students were learning about how
they can be more knowledgeable about the world and how to preserve it for the future.
Teacher # 1 shared:
The school teaches the students a little about recycling, but we do not have any
programs that encourage students to take action and go green. We just have our
blue recycling bins in our classrooms where we recycle, but that’s it.

Teacher # 2 said:
Our staff has been really focused on standards based instruction before this year,
now we are implementing more global awareness and foreign language
instruction. Hopefully after we become more experienced with this aspect of
globalized curriculum we can move to teaching the students more about going
green.

Summary of Perceived Student Behaviors
The perceived students outcomes and behaviors at 21
st
Century Academy are
difficult to measure because the school has only been opened for four years. The school
has not always implemented a globalized curriculum so the results of what has recently
been applied are difficult to measure. The students at 21
st
Century Academy are learning
general information about other cultures and are able to identify issues that are taking
place globally. They are also able to identify solutions that they can apply to help in
regards to some global issues as humanitarians.

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Themes

The observations, data analysis, interviews and surveys uncovered several
emerging themes that were relevant in the findings.
One theme is a global and positive school environment that encourages the
students to be global citizens. The bulletin boards throughout the school’s halls and in
the classrooms displayed students’ work focusing on different countries and people from
around the world. There were inspirational quotes in the classrooms that encouraged
global citizens and international mindedness and observed lessons supported the school’s
global focus. The interviews and surveys presented examples and evidence of how the
students at 21
st
Century Academy were exposed to global curriculums and information
through lessons, language, afterschool activities and school wide projects. Students were
encouraged to use and develop the essential skills that they would need in the 21
st
century
through problem solving and applying their knowledge to real world challenges and
situations. Students are taught to be global citizens through efforts of humanitarianism
such as raising money for disaster relief funds and writing letters to the President of the
United States detailing how they would go about solving current world issues. A positive
school environment was exhibited in the observations, interviews and surveys by the way
all individuals interacted towards each other, as well as other people in the school. There
is mutual respect among the teachers and it was displayed in their interactions with the
students and parents. The positive environment was also displayed in how the teachers
and students interacted and had positive, safe and caring rapports with each other that
allowed for a successful learning environment.

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The second theme that is apparent is the organizational structure of shared
leadership. During the observations and document review shared leadership was
illustrated in the posters that were in the staff room, the principal’s office and in the
classrooms that delegated school responsibilities to a variety of staff members. Staff
meeting notes also listed which staff members were responsible for different topics that
were discussed and upcoming issues. During the interviews all of the interviewees
discussed the division of leadership at the school and how the staff all worked together
with the goal of having the students succeed. The teachers were all leaders in their own
way. This organizational is a great model of how the interconnected world of the 21
st

Century delegates responsibilities to be successful.
The theme of a constant presence of change was also apparent in the document
review, observation, interviews and survey findings. The documents reviewed illustrated
how in the last four years the school has grown from three grade levels to six grade levels
and double the number of students. This increase has required a great deal of change at
the school site. The interviews and documents uncovered the constant change in
administration that has affected how the school is managed and what is expected of the
personnel. The interviews, observations, surveys and documents all revealed how the
focus on global curriculum and language instruction has changed through the years and
how these aspects are being implemented at deeper levels. This constant change has
required a great deal of teacher buy-in for these changes to be effective. Since the school
has only been in operation for four years, 21
st
Century Academy is in constant flux,

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adjusting the curriculum and organizational structure to better meet the needs of its
students and to prepare them for the 21
st
century.
A final theme that was observed at 21
st
Century Academy was the
encouragement of life long learners. The students were observed being instructed in the
classrooms with the fundamental foundation that is needed for success in the 21
st
century.
The surveys and the interviews detailed how the students were learning problem solving
and critical thinking skills as well as how they were applying their knowledge to real
world problems. By learning about other cultures, current affairs and how to be global
citizens, the students are building the basic skills that they will need to be successful in
their future educational endeavors. The teachers were also being instructed during
professional in-services and workshops that were being offered during staff meetings and
on the weekends. The interviews and survey’s revealed that the staff was encouraged to
continue to learn and broaden their knowledge and skills to better their teaching
strategies. Teachers were not only educators, but they were also students learning global
issues that could then be presented to their classes.
The themes that emerged during this study were that 21
st
Century Academy
encouraged a global and positive environment that prepared the students to be global
citizens, the organizational structure encouraged shared leadership, there is a constant
presence of change at the school site and life long learns are fostered at the school.

87

The Four Frames

Bolman and Deal (1997) developed the four frames that allow for an organization
to be viewed from different perspectives that influence its effectiveness. The four frames
are structural, symbolic, political and human resource, each of these allows for the
evaluation of an organization. The frames are symbols that represent the organizations
goals and philosophy. In using the frames to view 21
st
Century Academy it is apparent
that there are areas that are stronger and more established, while there are still areas that
need to be further developed.

Structural Frame
From the perspective of the structural frame an organization is viewed from the
roles and relationships that are established to accommodate for the goals of individuals
and the group. 21
st
Century Academy’s staff shares the responsibilities that arise at the
school site. Most of the responsibility of disseminating information to the staff, parents
and community is that of the school principal. He is the one that determines and
organizes the school to meet the purpose of the school mission, to prepare students to be
effective in the 21
st
Century world. The principal is greatly influenced by the decisions
made by the school board that makes the final determinations of what takes place at 21
st

Century Academy. From the outside, the school board seems to be quiet, almost non-
existent, but they hold the real authorization to what happens at the school site.

88

Symbolic Frame
Under Bolman and Deal’s four frames, the symbolic frame is the frame that uses
symbols to guide the organization when making decisions and goal setting. 21
st
Century
Academy has symbols in the forms of important quotes, statements, global
representations of different cultures and student work all over the school. These symbols
are present to remind the organization that they are working to develop the students to be
part of a global community that is productive and influential in the world. As the quote
over the door says, “Creating Citizens of the World,” it is the goal of 21
st
Century
Academy.

Political Frame
The political frame helps in evaluating 21
st
Century Academy from the
perspective of the school site’s agenda, what networks and political aspects are at play
that guide the way that the school functions. The 21
st
Century Academy school board
consists of members that are of Korean background and have ties to Korean
organizations. The principal also has many ties to Korean Universities and organizations.
As a result of these Korean based connections, the school is focusing on Korean
as one of it’s components for foreign language instruction because it has been financially
supported and aided by the International Korean Educators Network that is funded by the
Korean Government. The school principal did not believe that there was an expectation
from the Korean government to have a student or teacher exchange program in place as
result of this funding. However, the principal did believe that if 21
st
Century Academy

89

were to have been located in a safer neighborhood, it would have been a possibility and a
great experience for both students and teachers.

Human Resources Frame
From the perspective of the human resources frame, the relationships and culture
of the individuals guide how the organization is operated. As the many of the
participants discussed during their interviews, the school functions on shared
responsibility and leadership, everyone works together for the good of the school. Since
there had been three new principals in four years, the teachers have had to assume many
leadership positions.
The principal shared that he gave the teachers the freedom of teaching the
curriculum at their discretion. He believed that since he was new to the school, he
wanted to learn the culture of the school and he wanted to build relationships with the
teachers.

Essential Survival Skills

Wagner (2008) discusses seven survival skills in his research that are found to be
essential skills that individuals should possess to be successful and effective global
citizens in the 21
st
century. The seven skills are: Critical thinking and problem solving,
collaboration and leading by influence, agility and adaptability, initiative and
entrepreneurialism, effective oral and written communication, accessing and analyzing

90

information, and curiosity and imagination. 21
st
Century Academy addresses some of
these skills in different ways in its program:
Critical thinking and problem solving is addressed in most of the classrooms
according to the surveys and interviews, it was also seen in the observations.
Collaboration and leading by influence was observed by the way that all of the teachers
take on leadership positions. Agility and adaptability was illustrated at a low level
through how the students adapted to the more global and cultural instructional strategies
that were being implemented.
The skill of being initiative and entrepreneurialism was demonstrated by how the
students took initiative to finding a solution that they could contribute to global issues,
such as fundraising for people in need. Effective oral and written communication was
demonstrated by the observed student work on the walls of the school and classrooms.
The skill of accessing and analyzing information was established through the way that
students analyzed real world problems and analyzed how they would go about solving
them. The final skill of curiosity and imagination was addressed by allowing the students
to gather information and investigate during science lessons.
The seven skills that Wagner encourages for success are addressed at different
levels and demonstrated in various curricular elements of 21
st
Century Academy’s
program.

91

Final Analysis

This case study of 21
st
Century Academy was guided by the three research
questions focusing on curriculum, leadership and perceived student outcomes. During
the study emerging themes reoccurred, a global and positive school environment that
prepared the students to be global citizens, an organizational structure of shared
leadership, the constant presence of change at the school site and the encouragement of
life long learners that are learning the fundamental skills to be academically successful.
These themes were highlighted by the responses in the surveys and interviews, document
review as well as what was observed at the school.
21
st
Century Academy was an excellent site to evaluate how a globally focused
school embarks on implementing programs that it will use to guide a global curriculum
that prepares students for the flat, interconnected world of the 21
st
century. Though it
was difficult to gather information regarding the outcomes of the students after they had
participated in the global curriculum, it is apparent that the implementation of the
programs is important.
The amount of time that the principal had been in his position made it difficult to
evaluate his leadership style. Yet, it was beneficial to observe how the staff was able to
take on the leadership responsibilities and use this change as an opportunity to improve
their teaching strategies. This was an example of leadership in action, an essential skill
for the 21
st
century and a great model for the students to observe it in action.
The teachers at 21
st
Century Academy teach the students using standards based
instruction as well as having students use higher level thinking skills to apply knowledge

92

that they learn to real world problems. The teachers are also exposing the students to a
variety of cultures and issues that will help the students be prepared to be global citizens.
The findings from this study at 21
st
Century Academy assisted in defining
globalization in regards to its application in an educational setting to prepare students for
the changing world and its new demands. Fundamental curricular structures,
organizational structures and student outcomes were evaluated and discussed in great
detail.

93

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION

Purpose of the Study

The United States education system has been meeting the needs of our country for
many years. It has evolved through the centuries from meeting the educational needs of
small villages to the requirements established to be successful during the industrial
revolution. The complex problem that has arisen in education is that the world is
changing at such a rapid pace, that the institutionalized education system of the United
States has not had the ability to change to meet the new standards and expectations for
success in the new, flattened world of the 21
st
century.
Many schools and school districts have stated in their mission statement that they
are preparing students for the 21
st
century (Moore, 2009), but these schools do not specify
how they are accomplishing this goal. They are also not discussing the outcomes of the
student behaviors and performance based on being prepared for the 21
st
century.
The purpose of this case study was to complete an in depth study of an elementary
school that states in its purpose and mission that it addresses globalization. The study’s
purpose was to identify curricular elements and the associated student outcomes of a
specific school’s program. It explored the various aspects of the school’s academics,
culture and organizational structures. Teachers and administrators were surveyed and
interviewed to solicit their opinions about the school and its practices. Observations were
conducted to examine what was taking place at the school and documents were collected

94

and evaluated. The case study allowed for an in depth study of a school and its practices
in relation to globalization.
Methodology

21
st
Century Academy is an elementary school in Los Angeles that asserts in its
mission statement that the school’s program develops citizens of the world who are
successful leaders not only in their local communities, but in the international community
as well. To determine what curricular elements, leadership characteristics and perceived
student outcomes and behaviors are a result of the 21
st
Century Academy program a
qualitative methodology was employed so that the researcher could tell an accurate and
complete story. To sample the opinions of the greatest number of 21
st
Century Academy
staff, a survey was given to all of the teachers, eight out of twelve teachers responded to
the survey. The site administrator and four teachers were interviewed and parent
responses from a parent meeting were evaluated for more detailed information. The
information from the respondents was then triangulated with document analysis and the
campus observations to answer the guiding research questions.

Summary of the Findings

The case study was able to identify the curricular elements, the leadership
characteristics and the perceived student outcomes and behaviors of the students and
programs at 21
st
Century Academy. The study allowed for an in depth evaluation of the

95

beginning stages of a school program that focuses on preparing students to be citizens of
the world.
The curricular elements that were found to be essential to the implementation of
the global education was that a standards based instruction was supplemented by learning
about other cultures, global issues, foreign language instruction, an extensive afterschool
program and parent involvement. The curricular aspects of 21
st
Century Academy
encouraged problem solving and applying skills to real world problems.
The leadership characteristic that was identified as a significant element of 21
st

Century Academy was that leadership was seen as a shared responsibility among the staff
members. With the revolving principal position that has not been held by one person for
more than two years, the staff distributed the leadership responsibilities guarantee that the
student needs were being meet. The current principal of 21
st
Century Academy allows
the teachers to have the flexibility of introducing global topics to the students as they see
appropriate and allowing them the freedom to decide how to shape the curriculum
program in their classrooms.
The perceived student outcomes and behaviors were difficult to measure because
so many programs were in their infancy and had recently been implemented and added to
the curricular program. The students exhibited a concern for world events and displayed
humanitarianism by earning money for global disaster funds and developing possible
solutions for global issues. Students were also learning about other cultures and to aid
them in their understanding and knowledge of the world around them.

96

The themes that emerged during this study were that 21
st
Century Academy
encouraged a global and positive environment that prepared the students to be global
citizens, the organizational structure encouraged shared leadership, there is a constant
presence of change at the school site and life long learns are fostered at the school.

Recommendations

Wagner (2008) explains in his studies that global and productive citizens should
possess seven essential skills: Critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and
leading by influence, agility and adaptability, initiative and entrepreneurialism, effective
oral and written communication, accessing and analyzing information, and curiosity and
imagination. For individuals to possess these skills they should be taught and encouraged
from an early age. These skills should be integrated into the education system and
schools’ curriculum best practice.
The qualitative study that was completed at 21
st
Century Academy illustrated that
many important and beneficial programs are being implemented that encourage Wagner’s
seven skills, but there are recommendations on how they can be further implemented in
the curricular program. Students should be exposed more regularly to global issues that
are affecting the world today. Students could investigate topics that they decide are
interesting global issues and they would like to research, analyze and develop solutions
for. The students should collaborate with their peers to write informative pieces and
present the information to others in various forms including oral presentation with

97

supporting visuals. Projects such as these could be adjusted to the students’ appropriate
levels and they would encourage all of Wagner’s seven skills at early ages.

Recommendations for the curricular program
21
st
Century Academy must allocate for the students to have greater access to
technology. The world has been flattened by technology and it is now easier to access
information faster then it has ever been before. It is essential for 21
st
Century Academy
to have functioning laptops for all of the students to work on regularly. Ideally all of the
students would have their own laptops. Technology ought to be used not only by the
teachers to present information, but by the students to inquire about topics and
communicate with others. Children need to be exposed to and be fluent in how to use
technology for their future and the future of our country.
Currently, 21
st
Century Academy is a Kindergarten thru Fifth grade elementary
school program. Though the school program is building the fundamental skills that are
needed for students to be successful for their academic success, it would be beneficial for
the school to expand the curricular program to the secondary level. By adding a
secondary school component that extended from sixth grade through twelfth grade the
students would be able to apply the skills that they learn at the elementary level to more
in depth and applied situations that would encourage them to be more globally minded
and successful for the future of our country.

98

Recommendations for the organizational structure
From the case study it was apparent that the teachers do not have enough time to
collaborate with their colleagues at 21
st
Century Academy. There ought to be a
designated time during the school day that the teachers can collaborate on how they will
implement globalization into their curriculum. The allocated time would allow the
teachers to research, plan, implement and reflect on lessons that address a global
perspective. This time would give teachers the capacity to analyze what they could be
doing in their classrooms and at the school site to further prepare the students to be
citizens of the world.
The staff of 21
st
Century Academy would benefit from professional development
opportunities that cover a wide range of globally focused information. The professional
development should not only be focused on Korea, but on other countries as well.
Workshops on how to successfully integrate global issues and topics into the curriculum
for the elementary grades would highly benefit the teachers.
The school should build partnerships with other schools that have been successful
in preparing students to be globally minded citizens of the world. With such a
partnership the staff from both schools could collaborate and mentor each other to reach
high student success rates.
21
st
Century Academy staff and students would benefit from organized trips for
students to experience places other than their immediate community. Field trips,
weekend trips and extended trips to other countries would help develop citizens of the
world. If the students are able to study areas, and if they were able to experience what

99

they have studied, it would help students personalize and own their learning. Students
can develop fundraising activities that could fund the educational experiences.

Recommendations for student outcomes
The student outcomes were difficult to measure due to the fact that the school had
not previously been implementing the curricular elements that encouraged global
education. It would be beneficial to the school to keep detailed and accurate records of
student behavior referrals. Having this detailed and documented information would
allow for a measurement tool, other than observation, that would assist in analyzing the
effectiveness of the school program in relation to student behavior. The school ought to
keep records on the students as they move through to the secondary schools to evaluate
student drop out rates, college acceptance and overall performance in comparison to
students that do not attend elementary schools that focus a global curriculum.
21
st
Century Academy ought to teach the students to be more green minded.
Students need to be taught about the environmental impacts on the world and what they
can do to help the world and environment. The school should start recycling programs
and environmental clean-up programs to encourage the students to take responsibility for
the world.

100

Recommendations for Further Studies

This study allowed for an in-depth study of a globally focused school in its early
stages. It is recommended that further studies investigate globalized curriculum
programs in elementary and secondary schools. Studies should be conducted that
evaluate student long term outcomes, success and behaviors after they have attended 21
st

Century Academy or schools with similar missions. Further studies should be conducted
that concentrate on the implementation and replication of successful programs that
prepare students to be global citizens of the 21
st
century.

Final Thoughts

21
st
Century Academy is an elementary school in its infancy that focuses on
preparing students to be successful for the 21
st
century. The school program has a great
deal to offer the students that enter its doors. The long term plans for the school will
prepare the students with the essential skills for their academic success. With hard work,
determination, commitment and a strive for excellence from the school staff, students and
parents the students that graduate from 21
st
Century Academy will have the basic
foundations needed to be successful for the interconnected world of the 21
st
century.

101

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

API (Academic Performance Index)
A score given to schools in California based of a variety of student test scores, graduation
rates and test participation rate.

AYP (Annual Yearly Progress)
AYP is part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 that is used to determine if schools
have reached their growth targets in test scores. The AYP increases every three years
until the target of 100% student proficiency is obtained by the year 2014.

Assessment
The use of data to determine abilities and knowledge about a particular topic. Tests are a
common assessment tool used for NCLB.

Curriculum
The set of courses and their contents offered by an institution such as a school or
university.

Globalization
The description of the world being an interconnected community that affects the
economy, politics and communication.

102

International Baccalaureate (IB)
A world wide program that encourages and prepares students to be global members of
our world.

No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
The 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
NCLB creates mandatory testing and improvement for schools and sets minimum
qualification levels for teachers.

Program in International Student Assessment (PISA)
An internationally standardized assessment that assesses in the domains of reading,
mathematics and science. It is administered to 4,500 to 10,000 fifteen year old students
in sixty-five countries around the world. PISA data has been collected in 2000, 2003,
2006 and 2009.
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)
An international assessment that provides data on the mathematics and science
achievement of U.S. 4th- and 8th-grade students compared to that of students in other
countries. TIMSS data has been collected in 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007.

103

REFERENCES

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Asia Society (2002). States institute international education in the schools: Institute
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Bolman, L. & Deal, T. (2003). Third Edition. Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice
and Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five
traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Ltd.

Daggett, W. R. (2005). Globalization—Tipping the scale of economic supremacy.
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Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). The Flat World and Education: How America’s
Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future. New York: Teachers College
Press.

Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). They’re Number. NEA Today. October/November 2010:
30-36.

Denning, P. J. (1983). A nation at risk: the imperative for educational reform. Commun.
ACM, 26(7):467-478.

Friedman, T. L. (2005). The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21
st
Century. New
York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Friedman, T. L. (2008). Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why we need a green revolution and
how it can renew America. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Gall, M. D., Gall, J. P., & Borg, W. R. (2003). Educational research: an introduction (7
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Hanushek, E. A., & Lindseth, A.A. (2009). Schoolhouses, Courthouses, and
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Hughes, C. (2009). International education and the International Baccalaureate
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Jackson, A. (2004). Preparing urban youths to succeed in the interconnected world of the
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st
century. Phi Delta Kappan, 210-213.

Jukes, I. & McCaine, T. (2002). Living on the future edge. InfoSavvy Group and Cyster.

Karoly, L. A., & Panis, W. A. (2004). The 21
st
Century at Work: Forces Shaping the
Future Workforce and Workplace in the United States. Santa Monica, CA:
RAND Corporation.

Levine, M. H. (2005). Putting the World into Our Classrooms: A new vision for 21
st
Century Education. Progressive Policy Institute. www.ppionline.org

Moore, D. (2009). Balancing subject mastery and global competency. International
Educator, 18 (6), 57-59.

National Geographic-Roper (2002). 2002 Global Geographic Literacy Survey.
Washington, DC: Author.

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). (2009). Trends in international
mathematics and science study: 2007 results. Washington, DC: Institute of
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2011, from http://nces.ed.gov/timss/

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). (2008). Education
at a glance: OECD indicators, 2007. Paris: Author.

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). (2007). Programme
for International Students Assessment 2006: Science competencies for
tomorrow’s world. Paris: Author

Parker, W. (2008). "International Education" What's in a Name? Phi Delta
Kappan, 90(3), 196 202.

Patton, M.Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Riley, K. A. (2004). Schooling the citizens of tomorrow: The challenges for teaching
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Stewart, Vivien. (2008). World-smart students. Phi Delta Kappan, 90(03), 203-205.

Stewart, Vivien (2007). Becoming citizens of the world. Phi Delta Kappan, 64 (7), 8
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Suárez-Orozco, M. M. & Qin-Hilliard, D. B. (2004). Globalization: culture and
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106

APPENDIX A: Document Review

This is a comprehensive list including, but not limited to, the following documents for
review.

Curricular Elements
· School site plan w/emphasis on looking for globalization elements in criteria
· District/school level textbooks
· School handbook
· Mission statements
· School’s official website
· Test Scores
· Master Schedule
· Classroom Environment
· SARC (test results)

Organizational Structure
· PTA involvement
· Partnership agreements
· Staff Bulletin boards
· Staff/school/district calendar (to see what activities are being implemented)

Perceived Student Outcomes
· Portfolios
· Projects
· Test scores (API)
· College Acceptance Rate and major selection

107

APPENDIX B: Survey

Please respond using the scale 1 - 4, 1 being the lowest degree and 4 being the highest degree

How do feel your school best addresses its mission of global education?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Curricular Elements

1. Your instruction includes global issues.

1 2 3 4

2. You teach critical thinking/problem-solving skills.

1 2 3 4

3. Students are exposed to international and cultural issues and challenges.

1 2 3 4

4. Textbooks and supplementary materials consider global issues, global connections and global
cultures. Please explain.

1 2 3 4
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

5. Technology is used as an instructional learning tool for global purposes.

1 2 3 4

Organizational Structure

1. A global/international focus is evident in the school’s extracurricular activities.

1 2 3 4

108

2. The school has or seeks partnership(s) with schools outside the United States, another school,
business, or university. If so, describe the extent/context of the partnership.

1 2 3 4
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

3. Teachers are provided professional development opportunities for the purposes of global
education. Please describe.

1 2 3 4
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

4. Staff has time for curriculum planning to include a global perspective. If so, explain.

1 2 3 4
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

5. The interest and involvement of parents in the school enhances global learning.

1 2 3 4

Perceived Student Outcomes

1. Students develop some sense of civic responsibility by identifying specific ways that they can
make some contribution to the resolution of a global issue.

1 2 3 4

2. Students understand cultural points.

1 2 3 4

3. Students have appreciation for diversity and culture.

1 2 3 4

4. Students explore environmental issues.

1 2 3 4

109

APPENDIX C: Observation Instrument
Table C-1: Questions, Suggestions and Key
Research Questions:
· Curricular Elements
· Organizational Structure
· Perceived Student Behavior
Suggestions: While visiting, consider the
following:

• Is there a time to visit that is more useful?
• Consider visiting a day that highlights
professional development.
• Consider the following when observing the
classroom:
• Promotes collaborative learning/project-
based learning
• Look for the integration of 21
st
century skills.
• Examine the use of technology as a tool to
promote globalization.
• Remember to examine textbooks
• Examine assessment-consider performance
based assessments.
• A day that highlights activities that promote
globalization.
Key
+ Highly Evident
√ Mildly Evident
— Not Evident
N/A Not applicable

Table C-2: Observations
School Community Classrooms Interactions
Environment reflects school’s
mission, vision, culture
Environment reflects school’s
mission, vision, culture that
promotes globalization.
Positive interactions are evident

School’s mission/vision is posted
throughout the school.
School’s mission/vision is posted in
classroom.
Staff greets students in hallways

Student work that is displayed
reflects globalization
Course objective/daily lesson
addresses global curriculum
Students greet adults in
hallways-global citizenship
Partnerships are evident Student work that is displayed
reflects globalization
Students integrate with each
other
Front Office-First impression reflects
a focus on globalization
Teacher positively interacts with
students
Are there activities at lunch that
promote integration among
groups
School building and grounds reflect
global themes and ideas that connect
students with what they are learning
around the world
Students read newspapers,
magazines, and books, and listen to
radio and television programs that
relate to intercultural and
international topics
Extra-curricular activities that
promote globalization
Diversity of student body and their
respective cultures reflected in your
buildings and school grounds
Technology is being utilized as a
tool to promote globalization

Is a global/international focus evident
in your extracurricular activities
evident

Is your school community ethnically
and racially diverse?

Do any individuals or groups
representing these ethnic and racial
groups make presentations in, or
assist teachers and librarians in
teaching and learning about other
cultures, global connections, or global
issues?

4 Frames:

4 Frames 4 Frames:

Notes:

Notes: Notes:

110

APPENDIX D: Matrixes

Table D-1: Triangulation Matrix: Globalization and Education

Semi
Structured
Open
Ended
Interview
Guide
Structured
Open
Ended
Interview
Semi-
Structured
Open
Ended
group
interviews
Structured
open ended
group
interviews
(Focus
Groups)
Open Ended
Written
Questionnaires
Principal X X
Assistant
Principal
X X
Counselor X X
Leadership
Team
X X
Department
Chairs
X X
Parents X X
Program
Leads
X X
School
Secretarial
Staff
X
Director
Technology
X X
Grade Level
Chairs
X X

Table D-2: Matrix of Questions Options

Question Focus Past Present Future
Behaviors/Experiences X X
Opinion and Values X X
Feelings/Emotions X X
Knowledge X X X
Sensory X
Background X X X

Asset Metadata

Creator Estevez, Katherine D. (author)

Core Title Preparing our nation’s youth for success in the 21st century: a case study on the implementation of globalization in educational practices and curriculum

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 03/03/2011

Defense Date 02/11/2011

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag 21st Century,curriculum,education,Globalization,OAI-PMH Harvest,practices,Youth

Place Name California (states), Los Angeles (city or populated place)

Language English

Advisor Gothold, Stuart E. (committee chair), Hocevar, Dennis J. (committee member), Love, Laurie (committee member)

Creator Email kdestevez@gmail.com,melsh@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m3682

Unique identifier UC1455075

Identifier etd-Estevez-4364 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-443772 (legacy record id),usctheses-m3682 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-Estevez-4364.pdf

Dmrecord 443772

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Estevez, Katherine D.

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Repository Name Libraries, University of Southern California

Repository Location Los Angeles, California

Repository Email uscdl@usc.edu

Abstract (if available)

Abstract The research literature on globalization suggests that the way the world is functioning economically, politically and socially is changing with the advancement of technology. The approach to education that is currently being implemented in United States educational system needs to be restructured to meet the new demands of the 21st century. The skills that are essential for students to be lucrative for the success of our nation ought to be taught throughout the U.S. educational structure at all levels.