Chapter 3: Where is Global Citizenship?: How International Schools Are Fulfilling their Mission

Global citizenship has become a trendy word in the education community worldwide, particularly among international schools. While national factors continue to influence education by promoting the culture and values of individual nations (Pike, 2000), educational systems have not remained static. In the context of globalization, immigration and market integration are two factors among many that have disrupted the balance of nations acting in isolation from the rest of the world (Parker, Ninomiya, & Cogan, 1999). The level and intensity of globalization continues to rise as the populations of nations increase, the efficiency of technology and its impact on accessible worldwide communications heightens, and the interdependence of nations’ economies strengthens (Davies, Evans, & Reid, 2005). Thus, not only is education changing due to the influence of globalization, many schools have shifted to emphasize the global rather than the national in their curriculum (Spring, 2008).