Development Education and Teachers’ Training: European Context (2h)
Overview
In the globalized and interconnected world we live in today, education has become more than just a process of acquisition of knowledge and skills and personal development. It now plays an important role in learning about the global topics, addressing existing and future challenges and raising awareness to cope with them. This Module discusses Development Education as a concept and framework for actions. It introduces the definitions, goals, principles of Development Education and addresses the European Union DE strategies framework and its implementation in Europe. Additionally, the Module covers the topic of teachers’ training in Development Education and presents several success stories of integrating development themes in teachers’ education.
United Nations Millennium Declaration
“We belief that the central challenge we face today is to ensure that globalization becomes a positive force for the world’s people. While globalization offers great opportunities, at present its benefits are very unevenly shared, while its costs are unevenly distributed. We recognize that developing countries and countries with economies in transition face special difficulties in responding to this central challenge. Thus, only through broad and sustained efforts to create a shared future, based upon our common humanity in all its diversity, can globalization be made fully inclusive and equitable.”
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Access the full version of the moduleUnit 1: Concept of Development Education, Aims & Objectives
Introduction
Development education as a concept emerged in the 1970s and has been undergoing changes ever since. It has been subject to a number of interpretations due to plurality of approaches and themes that it covers. This unit gives an introduction into the topic of Development Education (DE) by providing a definition, giving an overview of the development of the concept and clarifying differences between related terms that are used while talking about Development Education. It will also focus on the sweeping power which globalization has brought with its complex consequences, that have both positive and negative effects on our lives. Briefly, this unit concentrates on explaining the main objectives of Development Education as well as its importance in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this Unit participants should be able to:
- Formulate the definition of Development Education
- List major existing approaches and principles of Development Education
- Differentiate between related “education” terms and be able to explain the difference and similarities between them
- Reflect upon the role of Development Education for global social justice
- Identify main objectives of Development Education
- Increase understanding of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Evaluate the degree to which Development Education contributes to the fulfillment of SDGs
Additional material
Unit 2: Development Education and Teacher’s Training in Europe
Introduction
For more than a decade, the European Community of stakeholders has been in process of discussing, shaping and implementing concepts, policies and strategies related to Development Education. This unit discusses the European Development Education strategy framework, referring to the most important existing documents on this topic, issued by the European Union. The Unit gives special attention to the Development education and awareness raising program (DEAR), launched in the EU, and provides examples of its projects. Also, another section of the unit refers to the importance that the European Union places on teachers’ education by implementing numerous projects and training systems to ensure their high quality. Specifically, teachers’ training is an important part of the EU framework Training & Education 2020. In this regard, this Unit addresses the topic of teachers’ training in Europe, analyzing the role of the EU and its initiatives. Moreover, the unit presents the case of Germany as one of the pioneers in integrating Development Education in teachers’ education and training programs.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this Unit participants should be able to:
- Name the main events and documents that facilitated the development of Development Education in the EU
- Discuss the roles of different actors (EU and national) involved in Development Education
- Give examples of DEAR projects and contemplate about their relevance
- Discuss the role the EU plays in teachers’ education and development
- Explain why teachers’ training is an essential part of Development Education
- Gain knowledge about the teachers’ training and integration of Development Education in Germany
- Give examples of successful projects of Development Education integration in schools and universities in Germany
Additional material
Face to Face material
Certificate - Module 2A
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