Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching - National University

Similarly, their actions or what goes on in their own environment could have an effect on others.
War or poverty in other countries, for instance, should not be quickly dismissed as having
nothing to do with the individual. It could lead to an influx of refugees or immigrants that might
generate job scarcity, food shortage, crime, and insecurity or even incite nationals to go to war
too if suffering from the same injustices. Surely the above will affect many, even in a country of
peace and affluence.
Universal Values
For people to live in peace and global understanding there must be respect for universal values.
In every culture or society, important values are upheld, including human dignity and respect for
all; truth, honesty, and justice; love, compassion and empathy; sacrifice and the welfare of the
needy; striving for excellence; and the dignity of labor. Global education helps build a system of
values that focuses on the human personality as well. It speaks to human emotions and
conscience, preparing students to be responsible toward others and all creation by being effective
members of the family, community, nation, and world. These positive personality traits will
definitely minimize the incidence of such social ills as fraud, embezzlement, greed, oppression,
cheating, apathy, killing, and egocentricity. Such ills have been known to generate conflict
within and between families, communities, and whole nations. From the perspective of Landorf,
Rocco, and Nevin (2007), self-examination and experiencing values and attitudes such as
tolerance and respect toward others become critical for students who need to cultivate a culture
of universal human values. Because there is no evidence of this in the regular school curriculum,
a global approach to teaching offers a unique opportunity to address this aspect of global
education.
Critical Thinking/Leadership Skills
Most often, the focus of education is success in exams and the development, of critical thinking
skills is minimized. Evidently, education must also seek to enhance the language of critical
thinking which includes truth seeking, being self-critical, and taking a systematic approach to
information processing. Students should also be educated to have an open mind and sound
judgment to be able to analyze, interpret, and evaluate information. They should be able to draw
inferences and transfer information to different contexts. A student who sees self as capable of
good reasoning will form independent opinions on global issues based on knowledge, make the
right choices, and question the status quo if need be. He or she will be more aware of various
options for participation and of his or her responsibility and capability of bringing changes
locally, nationally, and internationally to improve the state of the world. A critical thinker will
think of the future and want to protect or improve on the present.
One who thinks critically is more creative and resourceful, has strong skills in the
languages, math, science, and ICTs; develops love for lifelong learning and a drive for
excellence; understands the importance of a strong work ethics for success; works well both
independently and in a group; possesses leadership skills; has a better understanding of world
geography and politics; has a better appreciation for the differences among people; has a good
understanding of his or her country in the global context; and is more flexible, democratic, and
eager to build bridges of respect and cooperation across national and international boundaries.
With such global competence, the individual is endowed with problem-solving skills vital for
survival in today’s complex world.
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