BUILDING AND ENHANCING NEW LITERACIES ACROSS CURRICULUM

GLOBALIZATION AND CULTURAL

AND MULTICULTURAL LITERACIESLEARNING

OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this chapter, you should be able to develop a clear and practical
understanding of the following:

1. Discuss global and multicultural literacy;

2. Illustrate the Global Competence Framework;
3. Explain the dimensions of multiculturalism;
4. Explain on the assessment strategy for global confidence and global understanding;
5. Present effective ways on how to integrate global multiculturalism in the lesson using
appropriate delivery strategies, instructional materials and assessment tools;
6. 6. Draw relevant life lessons and significant values from personal experience
in demonstrating multicultural literacy; and
7. Analyze research abstract on global and multicultural literacy and its implications on the
teaching-learning process8. Draft relevant policy in addressing multiculturalism in school.

CONCEPT As schools cater to diverse students in class, be it in terms of gender,

color, race, nationality, religious affiliations, cultural, beliefs, ethnic
groups, social-economic status, etc., teachers need to understand the concept of multicultural
literacy to come up with appropriate approaches in school.

DISCUSSION PROPER

MULTICULTURAL LITERACY
Multicultural literacy consists of the skills and ability to identify the creators of
knowledge and their interests (Banks, 1996) to reveal the assumptions of knowledge,
to view knowledge from diverse ethnic and cultural perspective, and to use knowledge to
guide action that will create a humane and just world (Boutte, 2008).Multicultural literacy then,
brings attention to diversity, equity and social justice to foster cultural awareness by
addressing difficult issues like discrimination and oppression towards others ethnicities (Boutte,
2008).Accordingly, education for multicultural literacy should help students to develop the 21st
century skills and attitudes that are needed to become active citizens who will work
toward achieving social justice within communities. Because of the growing racial, language
and ethnic diversity in the country, multicultural literacy needs to be transformed in
substantial ways to prepare students to function effectively in the 21st Century (Boutte).
Boutte (2008) reiterated that making small changes within the classrooms can
create big changes globally. As diversity grows, there is a need for the emergence of
multicultural education that is more representative of the students in today's classrooms.
Banks (2003) asserted that teaching students to be advocates of multiculturalism is also a matter
of sending a message of empathy and tolerance in schools to develop a deeperunderstanding of
others and appreciation of different cultures. Developing these attitudes and skills requires basic
knowledge prior to teaching students how to question assumptions about cultural knowledge and
how to critique and critically think about these important cultural issues, which is what
essentially makes multicultural literacy a 21st Century literacy (Banks, 2003).
GLOBAL LITERACY
Global literacy aims to address issues of globalization, racism, diversity and social justice
(Guo, 2014). It requires awareness and action, consistent with a broad understanding of
humanity, the planet, and the impact of human decision on both. It also aims to empower
 BUILDING AND ENHANCING NEW LITERACIES ACROSS CURRICULUM

students with knowledge and take action to make a positive impact in the world and
their local community (Guo, 2014).
According to the Ontario Ministry of Education (2015), a global citizen should possess
the following characteristics: (1) respect for humans regardless of race, gender, religion or
political perspectives; (2) respect for diversity and various perspectives; (3) promote sustainable
patterns of living, consumption, and production; and (4) appreciate the natural world and
demonstrate respect on the rights of all living things.
Interconnecting multicultural and global literacy. Every classroom contains
students of different races, religious and cultural groups. Guo (2014) averred that students
embrace diverse behaviors, cultural values, patterns of practice, and communication, yet they all
share one commonality, which is their educational opportunity. Therefore, teachers should teach
their students that other cultures exist and that these deserve to be acknowledged and
respected. Integrating variety of cultural context into lessons and activities teaches students to
view the world from many angles, creates respect for diversity and enables students to learn
exciting information. As classrooms become increasingly more diverse, it is important for
educators to analyze and address diversity issues and integrate multiculturalism information
into the classroom curriculum (Guo, 2014).

THE OECD GLOBAL COMPETENCE FRAMEWORK

(Source: https://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisa-2018-global-competence.htm)
The framework depicts the four dimensions of global competence encompassing
the development of knowledge, values, attitude and skills that flow along parameters of attaining
such competency.
THE OECD GLOBAL COMPETENCE FRAMEWORK
The desire to participate in interconnected, complex and diverse societies has
become a pressing need. Recognizing the roles of schools in preparing the youth to
participate in the world, the OECD's Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)
developed a framework to explain, foster and assess students' global competence. This design
serves as a tool for policymakers, leaders and teachers in fostering global competence among
students worldwide.
Global competence is a multidimensional capacity. Therefore, globally competent
individuals can analyze and rationalize local, global and intercultural issues, understand
and appreciate different perspectives and worldviews, interact successfully and
respectfully with others, and take responsible action toward sustainability and collective
well-being (OECD publication).
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Global competence refers to skills, values and behaviors that prepare young people to
thrive in a diverse, interconnected and rapidly changing world. It is the ability to become
engaged citizens and collaborative problem solvers who are ready for the workplace.
Promoting global competence in schools. Schools play a crucial role in helping
young people to develop global competence. They can provide opportunities to critically
examine global developments that are significant to both the world and to their own lives.
They can teach students how critically, effectively and responsibly use digital information and
social media platforms. Schools can encourage intercultural sensitivity and respect by allowing
students to engage in experiences that foster an appreciation for diverse peoples, languages
and cultures (Bennett, 1993; Sinicrope, Norris and Watanabe, 2007). Schools are also
positioned to enhance students' ability to understand their place in the community and the world
and improve such ability to make judgements and take action (Hanvey, 1975 in PISA, 2018).
THE NEED FOR GLOBAL COMPETENCE
The following are the reasons why global competence is necessary.
1. To live harmoniously in multicultural communities. Education for global competence
can promote cultural awareness and purposeful interactions in increasingly diverse
societies (Brubacker and Latin, 1999; Kymlicka, 1995; Sen, 2007). People with diverse
cultures are able to live peacefully, respect differences, find common solutions, resolve conflicts
and learn to live together as global citizens (Delors, et al., 1996; UNESCO, 2014b). Thus,
education can teach students the need to address cultural biases and stereotypes.
2. To thrive in a changing labor market. Education for global competence can boost
employability through effective communication and appropriate behavior within diverse teams
using technology in accessing and connecting to the world (British Council, 2013).
3. To use media platforms effectively and responsibly. Radical transformations in digital
technologies have shaped young people's outlook on the world, their interaction with others and
their perception of themselves. Online networks, social media and interactive technologies give
rise to new concepts of learning, wherein young people exercise to take their freedom on what
and how they learn (Zuckerman, 2014).
4. To support the sustainable development goals. Education for global competence can help
form new generations who care about global issues and engage in social, political, economic
and environmental discussions.
DIMENSION OF GLOBAL COMPETENCE: IMPLICATIONS TO EDUCATION
Education for global competence is founded on the ideas of different models of global
education, such as intercultural education, global citizenship education and education for
democratic citizenship (UNESCO, 2014a; Councilor Europe, 2016a)
Despite differences in focus and scope, these models share a common goal of promoting
students' understanding of the world and empower them to express their views and participate
in the society. PISA proposes a new perspective on the definition and assessment of
global competence that will help policy makers and school leaders create learning resources and
curricula that integrate global competence as a multifaceted cognitive, socio-emotional
and civic learning goal (Boix Mansilla, 2016). This definition outlines four dimensions of
global competence that people need to apply in their everyday life just like students from
different cultural backgrounds are working together on school projects.
DIMENSION 1:
EXAMINE ISSUES OF LOCAL, GLOBAL, AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
This dimension refers to globally competent people's practices of effectively
utilizing knowledge about the world and critical reasoning informing their own opinion
about a global issue. People, who acquire a mature level of development in this dimension, use
higher-order thinking skills, such as selecting and weighing appropriate evidence to support
arguments about global developments. Most likely, globally competent students can draw on and
combine the disciplinary knowledge and thinking styles learned in schools to ask
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questions, analyze date and propositions, explain phenomena, and develop a position concerning
a local, global or cultural issue. Hence, globally competent people effectively use and create
both traditional and digital media (Boix Mansilla and Jackson, 2011).
DIMENSION 2:
UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THE PERSPECTIVE OF WOLD VIEWS OF OTHERS
This dimension highlights that globally competent people are willing and capable of
considering other people's perspectives and behaviors from multiple viewpoints to examine their
own assumptions. This in turn, implies propound respect for and interest in others with their
concept of reality and emotions. Individuals with this competence also consider and appreciate
the connections that enable them to bridge in differences and create common ground. They
retain their cultural identity while becoming aware of the cultural values and beliefs
of people around them (Fennes and Hapgood,1997).
DIMENSION 3:
ENGAGE IN OPEN, APPROPRIATE AND EFFECTIVE INTERACTIONS ACROSS CULTURES
This dimension describes what globally competent individuals can do when they interact
with people from different cultures. They understand the cultural norms, interactive styles and
degrees of formality of intercultural contexts, and they can flexibly adapt their behavior
and communication manner through respectful dialog even with marginalized groups. Therefore,
it emphasizes Individuals capacity to interact with others across differences in ways that are open,
appropriate and effective (Barrett, et. al., 2014).
DIMENSION 4:
TAKE ACTION FOR COLLECTIVE WELL-BEING AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
This dimension focuses on young people's role as active and responsible
members of society and refers to individual's readiness to respond to a given local,
global or intercultural issue or situation. It recognizes that young people have multiple
realms of influence ranging from personal and local to digital and global. Globally competent
people create opportunities to get engaged to improve living conditions in their
communities and build a just, peaceful, inclusive and an environmentally sustainable world.

THE ASSESSMENT STRATEGY FOR GLOBAL COMPETENCE

The PISA 2018 assessment of global competence contributes development, while
considering challenges and limitations. It has two components: 1) cognitive test exclusively
focused on the construct of “global understanding”; and 2) a set of questionnaire items collecting
self-reported information and students' awareness on global issues and cultures, skills
(both cognitive and social) and attributes, as well as information from schools and
teachers on activities that promote global competence (OECD,2018).
CURRICULUM FOR GLOBAL COMPETENCE: KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ATTITUDES AND
VALUES
Schools can provide opportunities for students to explore complex global issues
that encounter through media and their own experiences. The curriculum should focus on
four knowledge domains: (1) culture and intercultural relations; (2) social-economic
development and interdependence; (3) environmental sustainability; and (4) global institutions,
conflicts and human rights. Teaching these four domains should stress on differences in
perspectives, questioning concepts, and arguments. Students can acquire knowledge in this
domain by reflecting on their own cultural identity and that of their peers by analyzing
common stereotypes toward people and their community or analyzing related cases of cultural
conflict. Acquiring knowledge in this aspect is important and developing values, such as peace,
respect, non-discrimination, equality, fairness, acceptance, justice, on-violence and tolerance
(OECD, 2018)
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SKILLS TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD AND TAKE ACTION

Global Competence builds on specific cognitive, communication and social-emotional
skills. Effective education for global competence gives students the opportunity to mobilize
and use their knowledge, attitudes, skills and values together while sharing ideas on global issues
in and outside of school or interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds.
A school community that desires to nurture global competence should focus on clear,
controllable and realizable learning goals. This means engaging all educators to
reflect on teaching topics that are globally significant, the types of skills that foster deeper
understanding of the world and facilitate respectful interactions in multicultural contexts, and
facilitate respectful interactions in multicultural contexts, and attitudes and values that drive
autonomous learning and inspire responsible action (OECD, 2018).

KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE WORLD AND OTHER CULTURES

Global competence is supported by the knowledge of global issues that affect lives locally
and around the globe, as well as intercultural knowledge, or knowledge about the similarities,
differences and relations among cultures. This knowledge helps people to challenge
misinformation and stereotypes about other countries and people and thus, results in
intolerance and oversimplified representations of the world.
This can be done through the following strategies (OECD, 2018).
1. Perspective-taking refers to the cognitive and social skills of understanding how
other people think and feel.
2. Adaptability refers to the ability to adapt systems thinking and behaviors to the
prevailing cultural environment, or to situations and context that can prevent new demands
or challenges.

OPENNESS, RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY AND GLOBAL-MINDEDNESS

Globally competent behavior requires an attitude of openness towards people from other
cultural backgrounds, an attitude of respect for cultural differences and an attitude of global
mindedness. Such attributes can be fostered explicitly through participatory and learner-
center teaching, as well as through curriculum characterized by fair practices and an
accommodating school climate for all students.
1. Openness toward people from other cultural backgrounds involves sensitivity
towards curiosity about and willingness to engage with other people in other perspectives
on the world (Byram, 2008; Council of Europe 2016).
2. Respect consists of a positive regard for it someone based on judgment of
intrinsic worth. It assumes the dignity of all human beings and their inalienable right to
choose their own affiliations, beliefs, opinions or practices (Council of Europe 2016a).
3. Global mindedness is defined as a worldview, in which one sees him/herself
connected to the community and feels his sense of responsibility for its members (Hansen,
2010).

VALUING HUMAN DIGNITY AND DIVERSITY

Valuing human dignity and valuing cultural diversity contribute to global competence
because they constitute critical filters through which individuals process information about
other cultures and decide how to engage with others and the world. Hence, people, who
cultivate these values, become more aware of themselves and their surroundings, and
strongly motivated to fight against exclusion, ignorance, violence, oppression and war. Clapham
(2006) introduced the four aspects of valuing equality of core rights and dignity. To wit: (1)
the prohibition of all types of inhuman treatment, humiliation or degradation by one person
over another; (2) the assurance of the possibility for individual choice and the conditions for
 BUILDING AND ENHANCING NEW LITERACIES ACROSS CURRICULUM

each individual’s self-fulfillment, autonomy or self-realization; (3) the recognition that protection
of group identity and culture may be essential for that of personal dignity; and (4) the creation
of necessary conditions to have the essential needs satisfied.

GLOBAL UNDERSTANDING
Understanding is the ability to use knowledge to find meaning and connection between
different pieces of information and perspectives. The framework distinguishes four interrelated
cognitive processes that probability competent students need to use to understand fully
global or intercultural issues and situations (OECD, 2018).
1. The capacity to evaluate information, formulate arguments and explain complex situations
and problems by using and connecting evidence identifying biases and gaps in
information and managing conflicting arguments.
2. The capacity to analyze multiple perspectives and worldviews, positioning and connecting their
own and others' perspectives on the world.
3. The capacity to understand differences and communication, recognizing the importance of
socially appropriate communication and adapting it to the demands of diverse cultural contexts.
4. The capacity to evaluate actions and consequences by identifying and comparing different
courses of action and weighing actions based on consequences.
Thus, globally competent students should be able to perform a wide variety of tasks
utilizing different cognitive processes, such as: reasoning with evidence about an issue or
situation of local, global and intercultural significance; searching effectively for useful sources
of formation; evaluating information to describe the main ideas in an argumentative text or the
salient passages of a conversation; and combining their background knowledge, new information
and critical reasoning to build multi-causal explanations of global or intercultural issues (OECD,
2018).

INTEGRATING GLOBAL AND INTERCULTURAL ISSUES IN THE CURRICULUM

For global education to translate abstraction into action, there is a need to integrate
global issues and topics into existing subjects (Klein, 2013; UNESCO, 2014). In practice, content
knowledge related to global competencies integrated in the curriculum and taught in
specific courses. Therefore, students can understand those issues across ages, starting in
early childhood when presenting them in developmentally appropriate ways (Boix Mansilla and
Jackson, 2011; UNESCO, 2015).
Therefore, Gaudelli (2006) affirmed that teachers must have clear ideas and global
and intercultural issues that students may reflect on. They also need to collaboratively
research topics and carefully design the curriculum while giving students multiple
opportunities to learn those issues. Teachers may also engage in professional learning
communities and facilitate peer learning.
More so, teaching about minority cultures in different subject areas entails accurate
content information about ethnically and racially diverse groups and experiences.
Curricula should promote the integration of knowledge of other people, places and
perspectives in the classroom throughout the year (UNESCO, 2014a), rather than using
a “tourist approach”, or giving students a superficial glimpse of life in different countries
now and then.
Textbooks and other instructional materials can also distort cultural and ethnic
differences (Gay, 2015). Teachers and their students should critically examine textbooks
and other teaching resources and supplement information when necessary.
Connecting global and intercultural topics to the reality, contexts and needs of the learning
group is an effective methodological approach to make them relevant to adolescents (North-
 BUILDING AND ENHANCING NEW LITERACIES ACROSS CURRICULUM

South Centre of the Council of Europe,2012). People learn better and become more
engaged when they get connected with the content and when they see its relevance to their
lives and their immediate environment (Suárez-Orozco and Todorova, 2008).
Pedagogies for promoting global competence. Various student-centered
pedagogies can help students develop critical thinking along global issues, respectful
communication, conflict management skills, perspective taking and adaptability.
Group-based cooperative project work can improve reasoning and collaborative skills.
It involves topic- or theme-based tasks suitable for various levels and ages, in which
goals and content are negotiated and learners can create their own learning materials
that they present and evaluate together. Learners, participating in cooperative tasks, soon
would realize that to be efficient, they need to be respectful, attentive, honest, and empathic
(Barrett et al., 2014).
Class discussion is an interactive approach that encourages proactive listening
and responding to ideas expressed by peers. By exchanging views in the classroom,
students learn that there is no single right answer to a problem, understand the reasons why
others hold different views and reflect on the origins of their own beliefs (Ritchhart, et al., 2011).
Service learning is another tool that can help students develop multiple global
skills through real-world experience. This requires learners to participate in organized activities
that are based on what has been learned in the classroom and that benefit their
communities. After the activities, learners reflect critically on their service experience
to gain further understanding of course content and enhance their sense of role in society with
regard to civic, social, economic and political issues (Bringle and Clayton, 2012). Through
service learning, students not only “serve to learn, “which is applied learning, but also “learn to
serve” (Bringle, et. al., 2016).
The Story Circle Approach intends students to practice key intellectual skills,
including respect, cultural self-awareness and empathy (Deardorff, n.d.). The students, in
groups of 5-6, take turns sharing a 3-minutestory from their own experience based on specific
prompts, such as “Tell us about your first experience when you encountered someone
who was different from you in some ways,”. After all students in the group have shared their
personal stories, students then, share the most memorable point from each story in a “flash back”
activity.
Other types of intercultural engagements involve simulations, interviews, role
plays and online games.
Attitudes and values integration toward global competence. Allocating teaching
time to a specific subject that deals with human rights issues and non-discrimination is an
important initial step in cultivating values for global competence.
Values and attitudes are partly communicated through the formal curriculum and
also through ways, in which teachers and students interact, how discipline is encouraged and the
types of opinions and behavior that are validated in the classroom. Therefore, recognizing the
school and classroom environments' influence on developing students' values would help
teachers become more aware of the impact of their teaching on students (Gay, 2015).

ASSESSMENT

Read the question and instruction carefully. Write you answer on the space provided.
1. What makes a person Filipino? If a person has Filipino parents but born in another country, is
he/she still a Filipino? What about if a person with foreign parents is born and raised in the
Philippines, he/she Filipino? Explain your reasoning.
 BUILDING AND ENHANCING NEW LITERACIES ACROSS CURRICULUM

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2. Have you interacted with people who have a different culture from yours? How was Your
interaction with them? Was it productive? Was it respectful? What could you had done for a better
interaction?
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3. What is your attitude toward people who have a different culture from yours? Do you celebrate
how they are different from you? Do you look down on them?
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4. Consider regional discrimination in the Philippines: If a woman speaks Cebuano or Bisaya in
Manila, she is often assumed to be a maid or yaya; If a man speaks Tagalog with a heavy,
provincial accent, he is often assumed to be a laborer, driver, or involved is some form of manual
or servile labor. What are your own discriminatory practices?
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5. What skills and knowledge do you need to improve in to become multicultural literate?
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6. Why should you as an individual respect and value people who are different from you?
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Read the question and instruction carefully. Write your answer in the space provided.
1. Describe globalization to a peer.
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2. Explain to a peer what multi-cultural literacy is.
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3. With a partner or triad, share answer to the following question: How can you teach multi-
cultural literacy in the classroom?
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4. Interview students in your school who are part of the cultural minority. They could be foreigners
or fellow Filipinos who belong to a different ethnolinguistic group. Ask them about their culture,
their difficulties in adjusting to the mainstream culture, and how students like you can help them.
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SUMMARY

GLOBAL AND MULTICULTURAL LITERACIES

LEARNING REFLECTION

• Multicultural literacy depicts diversity, equity and social justice to foster cultural
awareness on discrimination and oppression toward other ethnicities.
• Global literacy aims to address issues of globalization, racism, diversity and social
justice.
• Global competence refers to the skills, values and behaviors that prepare young
people to thrive in a more diverse, interconnected world, engaged citizens
and collaborative problem solvers who are ready for the workforce.
• Globally competent individuals can examine local, global, and intercultural issues,
understand and appreciate different perspectives and worldviews, interact
successfully and respectfully with others, and take responsible action toward
sustainability and collective well-being.
• The Global Competence Framework is designed as a tool for policymakers, leaders
and teachers in nurturing global competence among young people worldwide with
four salient dimensions.
• In order to attain respect for diversity in the classroom, teachers should
integrate global multiculturalism in the lesson by citing relevant issues to be addressed.

REFERENCES

https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/la-carlota-city-college/operations-management/module-
5-multicultural-and-global-literacy/28582611