About global learning

In a fast changing, globalised world, education needs to help people understand the wider world around them and make the global connections between issues such as poverty or climate change and their own lives. It should prepare them to live and work in a global society and economy and engage them to make the world a better place.

Think Global defines global learning as education that puts learning in a global context, fostering:

• critical and creative thinking;
• self-awareness and open-mindedness towards difference;
• understanding of global issues and power relationships; and
• optimism and action for a better world.

This is a broad concept, and Think Global encourages educators to think about the global learning needs of their students, which will be different in different contexts.

There are eight overlapping concepts that are at the heart of global learning:

• Global citizenship
• Interdependence
• Social justice
• Conflict resolution
• Diversity
• Values and perceptions
• Human rights
• Sustainable development

Educators will bring these out in different ways depending upon the context.

Think Global's Global Dimension website offers teachers a wide range of curriculum relevant global learning resources and teaching ideas.