www.jsser.org Journal of Social Studies Education Research Sosyal Bilgiler Eğitimi Araştırmaları Dergisi 2019:10 (4), 26-57 26 Preservice teachers’ perceptions and preparedness to teach for global mindedness and social justice using collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and communication (4cs) Lydiah Nganga1 Abstract The present study examined preservice teachers’ (N=47) perceptions and preparedness to teach for global mindedness and social justice. A phenomenological approach helped the researcher to gain deeper understanding of participants’ perceptions of the effectiveness of instructional practices used in a social studies methods course. Of particular interest were instructional practices that preservice teachers perceived as promoting 4Cs. Data collected from discussions, in-class written reflections and feedback from open-ended questions showed that although learners were initially uncomfortable exploring global and social justice issues, they eventually gained essential multiple perspectives. Consequently, this study affirms the importance of using 4Cs in teacher education programs to teach essential knowledge and skills in global mindedness and social justice. Key Words: Global mindedness, preservice teachers, teacher education, social studies, social justice, 4Cs. Introduction Globalization or the world interconnectedness in economic, political, cultural and social systems is an old phenomenon. What is unique in contemporary globalization, however, is the use of modern technologies that have transformed the world into a "village" (Nganga & Kambutu, 2015). Because advances in technology have virtually eliminated the physical and cultural barriers that previously hindered global interactions, people of different cultural backgrounds are now interacting physically and virtually at rates and speeds never imagined, thus turning the world into a place of increased interactions, interdependence and interconnection (Wiarda, 2007). Faced with this reality, people need to master skills in intercultural communications. Regrettably, colleges in the U.S. are typically ill prepared to teach for cultural pluralism and complexities such as racial, ethnic, and linguistic differences (Bittman & Russell, 2016; Landorf, Rocco & Nevin, 2007). As a result, it is necessary to explore not only the knowledge and skills 1 Prof Dr. University of Wyoming, Laramie Wyoming, USA, email: Lnganga@uwyo.edu mailto:Lnganga@uwyo.edu Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2019: 10 (4), 26-57 needed to effectively navigate global issues, but to also examine best ways to teach for global mindedness and social justice. Teaching for global mindedness and social justice has multiple dimensions. For example, while learning about global competencies such as information, skills, and cultural attitudes (McCabe,1997) is essential, an education for social justice is necessary because it examines, disrupts and replaces existing unjust and oppressive societal structures (Sleeter & Grant, 2009). Essentially, an education for social justice is learning that supports and promotes basic human rights and dignity (Banks, 2001). Thus, it embraces multiple perspectives. Bleicher and Kirkwood-Tucker (2004) were especially in favor of an education for social justice because it helps learners to understand and appreciate multiple perspectives especially in the context of diversity appreciation. Combined, education for global mindedness and social justice promotes intellectual curiosity that transcends national and cultural borders (Merryfield, 1997; Nganga, 2016). Such an education can be implemented while using a variety of instructional practices. An array of instructional practices, both teacher and learner-centered can promote the acquisition of knowledge and skills essential to global mindedness and social justice. Learner- centered instruction focuses on “learner's needs” as well as “conditions for learner development” (Kolman, Roegman, & Goodwin, 2017, p. 94). In a learner-centered environment, the teacher draws on students’ experiences in order to develop curricula that foster individual growth (Dewey, 1938; 1956; Schiro, 2013; Vygotsky, 1978). Notwithstanding the benefits inherent in curricula for growth, teacher education programs in the U.S. rarely implement learning for multiple perspectives in areas of global mindedness and social justice (Yeung, 2015). Equally problematic is the current lack of data that examine pre-service teachers’ perceptions about the need to acquire knowledge and skills essential to global mindedness and social justice in social studies classrooms. Therefore, I (researcher) designed this study to address this problem. Specifically, I was interested in examining preservice teachers’ level of preparedness to teach for global mindedness and social justice using collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and communication (4Cs) skills as recommended by the National Council Social Studies framework (NCSS, 2013). Literature Review and Theoretical Framework Modern globalization is affecting human interactions in multiple ways. As a result, institutions of learning have a responsibility to teach knowledge and skills essential to global mindedness and Nganga social justice. And while there is a whole breadth of such knowledge and skills, I argue in support of an education that helps learners to understand and appreciate current global cultural interconnectedness and interdependence because what happens in one community is affecting distant groups. Therefore, an education for global mindedness and social justice should focus on helping learners to develop understandings of the existing interdependence among nations (Banks, 2001). As a result, I argue that such an education could be implemented through the use of critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration (4Cs). Using the 4Cs as a framework in social studies The National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) framework for 21st century learning describes the 4Cs as “essential skills for success in today’s world,” (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2009, np.). Consequently, the National Education Association (NEA, n.d) recommended that educators complement all content areas with “the “Four Cs” in order to prepare young people for citizenship and the global workforce.” NCSS framework is especially supportive of teaching and learning based on the 4Cs because it helps students to develop deeper understanding and appreciation of pertinent knowledge and skills. A brief description of each of the 4Cs is provided below. Creativity is an essential skill to develop because it eases the process of managing the complexities of globalization and social justice. While there are different views about creativity, Beghetto (2006) described it as “the ability to offer new perspectives, generate novel and meaningful ideas, raise new questions, and come up with solutions to ill-defined problems” (p. 1). When using creativity as an instructional practice, an educator could encourage discourse that permits students to speculate, say for example, about “a connection made between a historical event and a theme of a highly popular futuristic video game” (Beghetto, 2006, p. 1). To Beghetto, creativity is not necessarily about accuracy and relevancy. Rather, it entails allowing learners the freedom to make mistakes while thinking freely and divergently. In essence, then, creativity is a preferred teaching and learning approach because it supports learning that permits students to make their own meaning, and in doing so, new knowledge is constructed (Urbani,et al., 2017). Notwithstanding the importance of creativity, it is seldom implemented because of the current emphasis on standardized and test-based education (Kampylis, Berki & Saariluoma, 2009). Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2019: 10 (4), 26-57 Similar to creativity, critical thinking is understood in multiple ways. For example, Paul (1988) viewed it as the ability to reach sound conclusions based on observed information. But to other scholars, critical thinking is simply the ability to assess the authenticity, accuracy and worth of knowledge claims in order to make informed decisions (Beyer, 1983; Iskandar, 2009; Lafer, 2014; Walters, 1989). Ennis (1987) and Norris (1985a) pointed to the need for reflective thought as a way to foster deeper observation, examination and judgment of situations. In doing so, learners are able to develop informed alternatives. Hager and Kaye (1992) favored critical thinking because it equips learners with essential problem-solving skills; an essential disposition relative to addressing global and social justice issues. Therefore, an education that promotes critical thinking helps learners to achieve deeper understanding. Consequently, Hager and Kaye (1992) recommended critical thinking education to be used in every classroom, along with communicative and collaborative learning activities. Having effective collaborative and communication skills is essential in the current reality of cultural interconnection and interdependence. Mastery of effective communication and collaborative skills enables people to explain their thinking, beliefs, and expectations clearly. To that end, Lawley, Moore and Smajic (2014) highlighted the important roles that communication and collaboration plays in the process of building an ideal work place. So, in the current age of globalization that is characterized by constant mixing and interactions of people of different cultures, all educators should help their students develop essential communication and collaborative skills by creating space and opportunities for their students to practice interpersonal communication and collaboration skills (Liliane & Colette, 2009). Generally, student-centered instructional practices such as discussions, problem/project-based learning and a myriad of cooperative teaching strategies such as think-pair share, jigsaw, student team’s achievement divisions, mix-pair-share and all-write-consensus (Arends, 2015) are known to enhance communication and collaboration skills. Because acquiring these essential skills is important for global mindedness and social justice, pertinent learning outcomes should be incorporated in social studies courses in teacher education programs. Further, instruction based on 4Cs would be most beneficial especially when it creates space to model for preservice teachers how to teach pertinent knowledge and skills. Nganga Context of study Using purposive sampling (Bernard & Ryan, 2010), the researcher invited three cohorts (n= 47) of preservice teachers to participate in this study that was situated in a rural university in the Rocky Mountain region of the U.S. The researcher was professor-on-record for all three cohorts taught during three different semesters. All participants except one learner were female, and were all enrolled in a social studies methods course that ranged in class sizes from 12 to 20 students. Among other goals, the course examined instructional methods and materials used to teach social studies education. Also, it focused on developing social studies units that were original, meaningful, and engaging to both teachers and their students. To teach to these instructional goals, the researcher used inquiry process (Dewey, 1933; Zarrillo, 2004), classroom discussions (Duplass, 2008), role-play and mock trials (Bloom, 1997), and threaded discussions. The following is a brief analysis of the value of each of these instructional strategies: Inquiry process- In considering the benefits of inquiry process, Zarrillo (2004) identified its focus on a problem/s that is/are identified either by students or teachers as critical to informative learning. To develop solutions, Zarrillo recommended formulation of hypotheses, followed by gathering and analyzing data. Dewey (1933) had a similar approach in his recommendation for reflective thought. Adhering to Zarillo’s (2004) recommendations, the researcher developed and used during instruction a graphic organizer (see figure 1) that focused on the intersection between Columbus and Native people in the U.S. Hypothesis: ___________________________ Problem/s Causes Effect/s Solution A. B. C. ____________________________________________________________ Overall solution____________________________ Figure 1: Christopher Columbus versus Indigenous People Classroom discussions- I structured small and large group classroom discussions around cooperative learning activities. First, I randomly divided preservice teachers into groups of four. But to allow the participants an opportunity to collaborate with different students during the Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2019: 10 (4), 26-57 semester, I regularly changed group membership. Additionally, I ensured positive interdependence through assigned roles, and promoted individual accountability (Duplass, 2008). In terms of social skills, I expected effective communication during all group learning activities (NCSS, 2016). Then, I circulated among different groups during discussions to assess learning, take notes and ask questions that clarified learners’ thinking and assertions (Duplass, 2008). Among many learning activities, one of the assigned small group project required preservice teachers to develop a collaborative unit on a randomly selected foreign nation. The first step in this unit required a research study of a randomly selected foreign nation before writing a comparative paper that addressed the similarities and differences between the studied nation and the U.S. in areas of culture, education and global resources (see appendix 1). The study of a foreign nation unit was grounded on NCSS (2010, p, 68) standards that required the integration of topics that “focus on specific cultures or nations … as a means of introducing students to the geography, history, economic relationships, and cultures of other countries”. Instructional topics with a global focus are especially relevant to social studies curriculum because they help learners to gain knowledge of world cultures, and understand the historical, geographic, economic, political, cultural, and environment relationships among world regions and peoples (NCSS, 2010, p. 58-59). To culminate this learning activity, preservice teachers prepared informative presentations, and selected and evaluated children’s books related to their unit of study for different types of bias (see appendix 3). Role-plays and mock trials- Role-play is a popular instructional approach in elementary education social studies courses because it utilizes both cognitive and affective domains (Duplass, 2008). Duplass postulated that learners are likely to develop objective solutions to a problem when they possess deeper cognitive understanding of it (problem), while also identifying with the problem and solution on personal levels (affective process). In addition, role-plays and mock trials give learners opportunities to dialogue in order to develop objective solutions to identified problems (Bloom, 1997; Schwartz, 2010). Given the aforementioned benefits, I developed and used two role-plays and mock trial units that included a trial of Christopher Columbus by indigenous peoples (appropriate for 4th and 5th grades) and a role-play that enacted the Montgomery Bus Boycott promoted by Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat in a bus during segregated times in the U.S. (appropriate for 1st through 5th grade). To prepare students for role-plays, I used Duplass (2008, p. 339) recommendations as follows: a) Start with Nganga an introduction explaining the task and goals of the lesson, b) Prepare role-plays by explaining roles and responsibilities, c) Keep all students focused while role-playing is taking place, and d) Allow students to share ideas and relate the reenactment to their own lives. As a result, I required preservice teachers to prepare for mock trials and role-plays by conducting comprehensive reviews of pertinent literature using primary sources. For Columbus trial, I divided the participants into two sides- one side supported Columbus’ actions while the other defended the plights of Indigenous People (during trial, learners served either as judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, witnesses for prosecution, witnesses for defendant, bailiffs and/or jury (Bloom, 1997). As a result of this learning activity, participants expressed shock after learning for the first time the atrocities committed against Native people by Columbus and his men. The second role-play involved an enactment of the Montgomery Bus Boycott that was sparked by Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up a seat in a bus for a white person at a time in history when buses were segregated in the U.S. This role-play is appropriate for 1st through 5rd grades (but content and children’s books should be assessed for appropriateness). Before commencing the role-play, preservice teachers read the book; “Walking for freedom: The Montgomery Bus boycott” by Richard Kelso (2001). Additionally, they watched the following two videos: a) Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott by (n.d), and b.) The Montgomery Bus Boycott by (n.d). Then, using Shapiro and Leopold (2012) recommendations, I designed the following rubric that helped participants organize their ideas: a) Topic of the role-play should be intellectually rigorous and relevant to participants, b) Role-play activity should invoke higher order thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation, and c) Role-play should invite divergent perspectives. After accessing essential background information, participants organized a town-hall meeting as part of role-play. While some students acted as supporters of the bus boycott, others played opposition roles. During role-play, I expected all my preservice teachers to use essential critical thinking skills, collaboration, communication and creativity (4Cs). In addition, I invited observers from the African American community because of their lived experiences with unequal and unjust treatment in U.S. based on race. As a result of this role-play, participants developed strategies to fight for justice for all people. Additionally, this learning activity enabled participants to understand the events leading to the bus boycott, thus allowing them to see that Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2019: 10 (4), 26-57 Rosa Parks did not act alone. Rather, other unrecognized heroes of the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. participated. Finally, this role-play provided ideal learning space for learners to explore multiple perspectives, and in doing so, they developed informed autonomous choices and solutions to a potentially controversial social justice issue. Threaded Discussions-Weekly online threaded discussions extended classroom discussions on various selected key topics. After posting discussion questions/prompts/topics (see appendix 2), I expected all preservice teachers to respond to my prompts within a week, and to also respond to a minimum of two responses from their peers. Threaded discussions created a “safe” place for learners to share thoughts that they could not contribute freely during face-to-face classroom discussions. Therefore, as I read my students’ responses, I clarified misconceptions, assumptions, questions and viewpoints. Additionally, I intentionally scrutinized learner acquisition of knowledge and skills essential to global mindedness and social justice from a 4Cs framework. Methods Data collection This study used a phenomenological-interpretative framework to explore the perceptions of preservice teachers relative to teaching for global mindedness and social justice in social studies. Phenomenological studies require total researcher participation in the studied phenomenon. Therefore, the researcher served as a participant and observer (Moustakas, 1994). Also, because phenomenological studies are interested in how people perceive and talk about objects and events (Moustakas,1994; Taylor,1985), the researcher used open-ended questions/prompts to encourage participants to share details regarding their learning experiences and perceptions of applied instructional approaches (Giorgi, 2012). Specifically, the researcher explored the effectiveness of the instructional practices used in a social studies method course that the participants were enrolled in. In particular, the researcher examined the effectiveness of using collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and communication (4Cs) in helping preservice teachers develop knowledge and skills critical to understanding and appreciating global mindedness and social justice (NCSS, 2016). Finally, the researcher applied Ryan, Heineke & Steindam’s (2014) recommendation for teacher educators to document their instructional approaches in order to support other teacher educators. As a result, the researcher designed this Nganga study to enrich the existing literature by illuminating the perspectives of preservice teachers relative to teaching for global social justice using the 4Cs framework. The researcher collected data from small and large group classroom discussions, written reflections, online discussions and role-play activities. A pre and post assessment for a unit on the study of a foreign nation (see appendix 2) provided additional essential data regarding participants’ misconceptions (see appendix 1). The following two research questions guided the study: a) What instructional practices do preservice teachers perceive as important while developing global mindedness and social justice perspectives? and b) What instructional practices promote the use of 4Cs in teacher education? To help document the effectiveness of the instructional strategies used, participants responded to the following prompts at the end of the semester. 1. At the beginning of semester, how comfortable were you teaching issues of global mindedness and social justice? 2. As the semester progressed, what changes did you experience in your level of comfort? 3. At the end of semester:  Describe your experiences with instructional strategies used in this course in relation to teaching for global mindedness and social justice issues  What instructional strategies were most helpful to you and why?  What were your experiences with collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and communication (4Cs) in relation to teaching global and social justice issues?  Explain which of the 4Cs you might use in your future classroom to teach global mindedness and social justice issues. Analysis Data were analyzed qualitatively (Bogdan & Bilken, 1982). Also, I applied interpretative phenomenological approach to identify patterns and themes within data (Moustakas, 1994). To Braun and Clarke (2006) a thematic analysis is critical because it helps to organize and describe data in a detailed manner. After coding and studying data carefully, several minor themes immerged that I then juxtaposed and melded into the following five themes: a) Importance of teaching about other cultures, b) Studying a foreign nation, c) Exploring multiple perspectives, d) Instructional strategies that promote 4Cs, and e) Teaching global citizenship from a social justice perspective. A detailed analysis of each of these themes is discussed in the results section. Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2019: 10 (4), 26-57 Validity and reliability To decrease the chance of participants responding in ways that they thought were desirable to me, I informed them that I was interested in personal perspectives based on their experiences and understandings as preservice teachers. Using Patton’s (2002) guidance for studies involving purposeful sampling, I established clear study boundaries, explained the purpose and nature of the study, promised confidentiality, and assured the participants that their participation or lack thereof would not affect their academic grades in the course whatsoever. Additionally, I assured participants that they were fully entitled to their opinions. Thus, I encouraged them to be open-minded and receptive during classroom and online threaded discussions. To Barak and Levenberg (2016) an open-minded student learns from other students, is fully involved during teamwork, is receptive to multiple perspectives, and is able to handle conflict proactively. All participant conducted member check to ascertain valid representation of their perspectives. Results Importance of teaching about other cultures: Studying a foreign nation Data showed that the participants in this study developed an appreciation for comparative cultural studies. Specifically, they favored studying a foreign nation and comparing what they learned with what they already knew about the United States. Because of this learning activity, learners reported a deeper understanding of the commonalities between nations as well as differences. Additionally, after completing a unit on a foreign nation and presenting it to peers, participants reported that the new knowledge helped to clarify existing misconceptions about other nations as is evident in the following feedback from one participant: “During presentations, I was surprised to learn that even though the U.S is a developed nation, we are behind in education and healthcare when compared to other developed nations, let alone some developing nations.” Perhaps because of this new knowledge, the participants showed an interest in learning more about global and social justice matters. Data showed that at the start of semester, participants were generally uninterested in global and social justice issues. Instead, a majority of participants not only expressed limited knowledge of global education and social justice issues, but they also were less interested in engaging in pertinent topics, and when they did, they did so from limited and simplistic knowledge levels. Nganga For example, when discussing issues of nations from which immigrant came from, participants tended to blame the affected groups. The following quote shares this viewpoint: I think we should not let Syrian refugees into the USA because we have not seen positive things from them. When you do not see positive things it is kind of hard to trust them. Also, I think most of people who want to come from such places are moving away from poverty and therefore are poor and will depend on our (US) government if they come over here taking from taxpayers. Most governments where these immigrants come from are to blame for chaos and poor conditions. What was evident in the simplistic responses was a lack of critical understanding of the dynamics involved that lead to poverty and “chaos” such as the link between poverty and experiences with colonization/neocolonialism, natural calamities, and marginalization in political, economic, and military activities (Sleeter, 2003). What were equally baffling were participants’ ideas about possible solutions to issues of poverty. Equally evident is a leaning towards ethnocentrism (Bennett, 2004). By the end of the semester, however, summative data gathered from the unit on a foreign nation suggested that most of the participants had developed a better understanding and appreciation of global issues, especially in terms of the existing disparities in global resources as well as contributing factors (see appendix 1 and 2). Consequently, participants were able to see the existing global interconnections and interdependencies relative to problems of social justice. The following scripts from an online discussion demonstrate a change in thinking: Students need to understand that their actions and those of people in their community or country impact the lives of people on a global scale and vice versa. One way that students can gain a better understanding of the concept of interdependence is by learning about students can learn how our economy is affected by the global economy and how our economy affects the global economy. While learning about global economies, students would also need to learn about geography so that they could connect the information about various economies with their corresponding global locations. I liked the activity we did in class on global resources. It made me think about how some nations have so much, yet others have so little. Yet, we compare these nations as if they were the same. Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2019: 10 (4), 26-57 Well, I knew the US has many resources compared to other parts of the world, but I was not sure to what extent. I mean there is so much we need to learn as teachers. I like how you spoke about using the classroom as a base to teach about global citizenship. I think it is easy for students to overlook a connection to an individual from outside the US, but by using something they know and modeling good relationships with one another we are learning to become better global citizens. I liked the treaty writing simulation. My group took a current global issue, discussed it and then developed a treaty/solution to the issue. Other reflections showed that studying a nation that was culturally different than the United States helped participants to get a better understanding of other cultures as well as remove misconceptions that they previously held as is evident in the following quote. Doing my research and learning about China was intriguing. Although I knew they have a large population, I did not know by how much- 1.4 billion people compared to US 320 million is a big difference. I also learned how China is committed to education and has more university students than the US and Europe combined. China is also one of the largest world economies. A misconception I had was that being a communist nation, they do not practice a market economy. When we hear of Communist China in the news, we are not told the US has many companies in China. At least I did not know they did. I also learned that China has many ethnic minorities. That was an interesting fact. Shocking though was learning about social injustice for migrant workers. In one website they stated that “Migrant workers endure long working days, work seven days a week, many without an employment contract and face constant discrimination.” This made me think about migrant workers in the US and those labeled as illegal migrants and long hours that they work. I think we need to teach student some of the things we never see on text books as they are important for them to become well informed. In our state we get migrant workers in the farming communities. The above findings suggested that preservice teachers perceived the study of topics that infused learning about other nations as critical to developing better understanding of global issues, as well as helping leaners to see connections in global problems such as those related to immigrants and their treatment. To participants, then, teaching about such topics is helpful because they might not be included in textbooks. Consequently, data showed that after experiencing learning Nganga for global and social justice perspective, the preservice teachers in this study were ready to explore global topics, and develop and implement-teaching units that could help their students understand and appreciate other cultures. To capture this apparent transformation, a participant responded: I came into this course without any knowledge of what global education meant or any idea of how similar nations are. I have now learned how interconnected and interdependent all nations are. To help students understand that they are global citizens they first need to experience a caring environment. Students need to be cared about in order to show that care to others. They also need a chance to make decisions and be part of an active pro-social behavior that is they need to know what it means to be giving, helping and sharing for harmonious group relations. Students can become global citizens by becoming knowledgeable about other parts of the world. They can research problems to better understand other countries and they can also pen-pal other students from different walks of life. Students need to "see" others' ways of living and know what it means to have empathy so that they are globally connected to one another. In conclusion, the study of a foreign nation (see appendix 1) enabled preservice teachers to gain knowledge and skills that are critical to teaching for global and social justice issues. As a result, participants deemed topics that explored similarities and differences between nations as important in that endeavor. Exploring multiple perspectives Data showed that the use of role-play, as well as discussions and reflections around role-playing helped the participants to explore, analyze and evaluate evidence in different scenarios that were presented during the study of global and social justice issues. For example, in the study of Christopher Columbus, a role-play that considered both the explorers and Native Americans’ perspectives enabled participants to learn and think critically about how likely it is for information sources to shape purpose and meaning. When addressing role-play learning activities, all participants argued that these activities helped them link ideas as well as structure argument and counter-arguments; all skills that helped them to recognize incongruences in topics that they explored. The following selected reflections address this important finding: The most important information I gained from this discussion was the truth about Christopher Columbus. In elementary school, I learned about Columbus from a positive Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2019: 10 (4), 26-57 view. I didn’t learn about the malicious crimes he committed, but rather that he was an explorer who found “new land” for the Spanish. Truthfully, Columbus arrived at this “new land” and tortured the natives, or those he called “Indians”. He was ignorant towards the many people who lived here first, and claimed the land as his own, giving him wealth and power. The mock trial was very helpful. I think having the instructor assign random roles was good because we had to think of how to act like that role/character and come up with supportive ideas, arguments and counter arguments. Being one of Columbus men, I had to research his journals and those of his men and then put myself in that role. Supporting Columbus was difficult after hearing what the other side – Native Americans had to say about his atrocities against them. I was amazed to learn that Native Americans for the most part took care of people who then turned around and persecuted them. Evident in the above reflections is the potential benefit of using critical thinking education and collaborative discussions as teaching practices. As these participants responded to the online discussions, for example, they not only thought critically about the knowledge gained about Columbus, but they also benefited from the multiple perspectives that each student shared regarding different topics. In the presence of multiple perspectives, learners are able to develop a fuller and more comprehensive view of history. Learners are then likely to personalize the knowledge gained and apply it in the process of constructing new meanings (Brookfield, 1986; Okukawa, 2008). Addressing the significance of accessing multiple perspectives in order to make learning personal and meaningful, two participants in this study stated that: Everyone has a different background and different experiences, and even when presented with the same stimuli, will think about different things. People will come up with an idea you've never thought of, or help add on to an idea that you bring up. People with more or less experience can give advice and ask questions. Additionally, if the way you see something is confusing, someone else might be able to explain it to you in a better way for your understanding. I think students should be given the opportunity to learn different things and to share ideas freely. By giving us time to discuss our perspectives on different topics I learned ways in which I could implement similar topics in my future Nganga classes. I liked the roleplay activity a lot. It is something that students would really get to enjoy doing in such a constructive environment. Healthy argument is good for students and will provide them with practice on their critical thinking skills. It is important to have students know that global citizenship is not global allegiance as we need to have our own set of moral laws and values first, guiding us to follow the laws in place by government. Global citizenship is about being aware of local and global issues and how they are interconnected. For example, we could look at real world problems such as poverty and how that connects with the U.S. The U.S. has so much wealth and sometimes a lot goes to waste. Looking at how much wasted food we have and how we have millions going without food around the nation and the world can help students see why we need to be less wasteful as global citizens. In summary, the above findings point to the need of providing learning opportunities that support using multiple perspectives in teacher education programs. A majority of the preservice teachers in this study reported that instruction that promotes multiple perspectives nurtures healthy discussions, and promotes understanding of views that may contradict one’s own viewpoints. According to UNESCO (2012), “Multiple-perspective analysis helps students to understand the points of view of others who live in their community or across the world” (p. 6). This findings support these views. Instructional strategies that promote the 4Cs When asked to identify the instructional practices that helped the participants the most in practicing the 4Cs, they indicated that role-playing, writing reflections (online and in-classroom), small group collaborative activities, and in-classroom discussions were most helpful. On role playing, one student reported that it was a: Challenge because it required us to develop, implement and communicate our ideas to others. We also had to make sure each group member had a part in the roleplay. We needed to collaborate and be creative. Other findings showed that role-playing helped participants think about activities that they might do in their future classroom. This finding is evident in the following script. Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2019: 10 (4), 26-57 I think a good lesson for a fifth grade class could involve a mock debate, similar to what we did in class. A question for debate could relate to current events, global event, past events in the United States, or even issues occurring in the classroom. This lesson would require objectivity, open-mindedness, flexibility, intellectual honesty, and respect for other viewpoints. Students could investigate open ended questions or questions that have a valid answer that they are unaware of. This would be good for this grade level because students are old enough to discuss topics, as well as research what they are unknowledgeable about. The teacher can assign roles in the debate. Group learning activities were equally identified as helpful in promoting collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking (4Cs). Data showed that role-play and discussions assisted participants in developing all 4Cs. Reflecting on the benefits of discussions, two pre-service teachers provided the following illustrations: In-class discussions in small groups were very helpful, in terms of understanding children’s literature. It was great to see so many perspectives – especially ones we may not have considered initially. It was also good to talk with peers about future classroom plans and ways of integrating diverse pieces as it really widens our own personal idea capacity and sparks even more ideas of things we can do with our future classes in terms of teaching diversity. As a white, female preservice teacher in the US, I am in the majority. Therefore, I don’t come from the same background(s) in which s some of my students might come from. However, I want to really reach out to each and every student and provide equal learning opportunity in the classroom. Knowing how to review books will help me select anti-biased materials in my class. That is why I found discussions with peers on this topic to be very helpful. Online discussions were great because they encouraged us to communicate in more details than we would in class discussions. We also responded to other people’s post. It was a great way to share our thoughts. Another thing was how these posts helped us to reflect on our individual ideas on topics that we worked in collaboration. It was interesting for example to see when we did the study of a foreign nation in small groups, but did individualized reflections on how we could use the information, people had different ideas. This greatly helped to learn about new ideas and thoughts. Nganga Equally helpful in the process of developing 4Cs were creative projects such as critical viewing of class videos and selection of class materials. Reflecting on the benefits of critical viewing of class videos and selection of class materials, participants reported lack of prior knowledge on how to critically view and select materials using a social justice lens (see appendix 3 for criteria used to assess children’s books). For example, when asked what considerations they would make when selecting children’s movies, the number one consideration was “the movie should be fun.” None of the participants indicated that one should look for bias. After taking part in discussions and activities on selecting anti-bias learning materials, participants reported noting bias in books and videos that previously looked appropriate to use. As a result, one participant responded thusly: The use of video/movies and providing a critical analysis as to why certain movies/video were helpful or not helpful to teaching about a certain issue was helpful. I never thought about evaluating a movie. When I watched Mulan, for example before this class, I did not think about gender issues. It was just a fun movie. But when we were taught how to look at information using a critical lens, I watched the movie. I started noticing little things that I had not seen before. Why was Mulan seen as not fit to go to fight to represent her family? Why was bringing a man home important? These were things that were showing that females might not be as good as men in war or their place was to get married. After acquiring essential evaluative skills, a different participant took the risk to evaluate “Freedom Writers,” a movie in which a teacher inspires her student in planning their future. Reflecting on her position relative to using this movie, this participant reported that: This is one of my favorite movies. Students would be able to see that not all students are treated the same or have the same opportunities as others. Students will learn about different environments in which there is shortage of supplies and resources in schools. Along with this, students can see that if you believe in something, you need to fight for what you think is right; like the teacher did in the movie. I would use this in a 4th or 5th grade classroom. Reflecting on the value of creative activities such as role-playing and reviewing teaching movies and videos, a participant reported that role-playing was “new to me. It was such fun and I learned a lot. It showed me how to be creative and how I can help my students learn though such a fun activity.” For other participants, the use of town hall meetings and mock trials were creative Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2019: 10 (4), 26-57 learning activities that they planned to use in their future classrooms to teach about global and social justice issues. Commenting on the value of mock trails, one participant responded thusly after experiencing a mock trial of Christopher Columbus: As a Native American, I am frustrated that there is a holiday to celebrate a man that was so cruel to my people. He came to my land and took it away from my ancestors. He kidnapped them and did horrible things to them. He committed horrendous crimes towards my people and it seems this holiday is a celebration of that. It is time to let people know who Columbus really was. Other findings from participants showed that activities that involved creating global education units during the social studies methods course (study of a foreign nation) promoted development of critical thinking. The following are scripts from pre-service teachers when asked how they would help their learners develop critical thinking for different grade levels: In order to teach intellectual curiosity, open-mindedness, flexibility and respect for other viewpoints I would allow my students to trade papers/presentations/ideas, etc. and have a partner assess them upon a checklist. I believe this could take students out of their comfort zones to take in others’ ideas critically by providing one another with feedback. I think this type of activity could be done in the intermediate grades. I think it is important for students to reflect upon one another and I cannot think of a better idea to take in new ideas by being flexible and open-minded than by reviewing others work and providing feedback to support their ideas. If I were to teach 5th graders a lesson on human rights, I could focus on South Africa and the United States. There are a lot of parallels in what happened to Blacks in South Africa and Blacks in the US. In South Africa, I would focus on apartheid. The considerations that I would have to make when teaching this is how to make it culturally relevant and relatable to my students. This could be done by comparing apartheid in South Africa to the segregation and the Civil Rights Movement within the United States. As students will already have a general understanding of the Civil Rights movement within the U.S., I could conduct a lesson comparing and contrasting the similar topic of apartheid within South Africa. After reading books about each issue from the two countries, each student can then write two journal entries from the point of view of a black person experiencing Nganga segregation in the U.S. during the 1950's-1960's and also of a black person experiencing apartheid in South Africa during the 1940's-1990's in South Africa. A children's book I could read on apartheid would be The Soccer Fence and a children's book we could read on segregation would be One Crazy Summer. These books are about young children and the hardships of growing up during apartheid and segregation. In summary, the above findings suggested that the participants in this study perceived instructional strategies that promoted communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity as relevant to teaching for global mindedness and social justice knowledge. Additionally, data showed that different learning activities modeled for participants’ ways to develop and enact learning activities that support 4Cs. As a result, participants are likely to implement similar instructional practices in their future classrooms. Teaching global citizenship from a social justice perspective In terms of teaching practices that helped participants develop essential global and social justice knowledge and skills, data showed that the participants found in-classroom small and large discussions were most helpful. Additionally, critically analysis children’s books and learning materials was very helpful. As a result, they were able to not only discover hidden messages in movies and children’s books that they discussed, but they also developed possible teaching and learning activities. The following selected written reflections address this important finding: Our small group discussion of the movie “Freedom Writers” was helpful. It is a great movie to use to teach global/moral concepts; I wonder if this would be better suited for middle or high school levels students with the emotionally heavy topics? After watching the video “Starting Small”, our group discussed how the video showed that it is never too early to discuss social justice and global issues with children. Watching how one teacher used a “peace corner” for children to go and resolve simple conflicts was amazing. I like how the teacher tied this with resolving national and international conflicts. We discussed some lesson ideas and came up with an activity that we could do with young children that would look at holidays from anti-bias perspective. This would be a good topic for December and January when there are many holidays around the world. We thought identifying common themes in the holidays and discussing why people celebrate or not celebrate holidays would be a good idea. This is something I have never thought about. Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2019: 10 (4), 26-57 During discussions, I liked how the instructor defined common humanness. It was very simple and to the point; students would have an easy time understanding how it was explained (Referring to cultural universals). I also really appreciate that the instructor explained that global citizenship is not global allegiance as having our own set of moral laws and values first, guiding us to follow the laws in place by government. From the above excerpts, it is evident that in-class discussions have value especially when teaching about global mindedness and social justice issues. Discussions and Conclusions The current study examined preservice teachers’ perceptions regarding teaching for global mindedness and social justice. Additionally, the researcher explored the instructional strategies that preservice teachers perceived as helpful in promoting the 4Cs (collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity). A theoretical framework of the 4Cs has not been previously used with preservice teachers, thus this study could be useful to other educators in teacher education programs while investigating instructional strategies that promote global mindedness and social justice. As noted elsewhere in his study, modern globalization and increased world interconnectedness and interdependence in economic, political, cultural and social systems present diverse opportunities and challenges. Therefore, educational institutions have a responsibility to help students’ master knowledge and skills critical to functioning effectively in contexts of modern globalization. Mastering knowledge and skills for global mindedness and social justice is especially important, but before educators are able to teach pertinent knowledge and skills, they should first be introduced to such knowledge and skills. Educators thus prepared are likely to teach using a global conscious lens, and to implement instruction for social justice in social studies (Merryfield, 1993; 1997; Merryfield & Subedi, 2001). To that end, findings from this study suggest that teacher educators should include multiple instructional strategies while preparing preservice to teach for global and social justice issues. In addition, data from this study revealed that preservice teachers found incorporation of social studies themes that exposed them to other nations critical to development of multiple perspectives. Equally helpful to participants were instructional strategies that aligned well with competencies and skills essential to development of skills collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity (4Cs). After Nganga developing skills in 4Cs, data showed that participants were generally receptive to teaching for multiple perspectives. The ability to accept other people’s views is consistent with Grant and Secada’s (1990) recommendations for an education that promotes understanding and appreciation of societal issues in order to build a more socially just world. This in itself reflects critical thinking skills which according to Kennedy (1991) help learners to be open-minded and considerate of other people. An education for social justice is especially important because it intentionally grapples with questions about causes of societal inequalities (local and global) and solutions to such problems (Cochran- Smith, 2010). An effective education for social justice is grounded on collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity (4Cs). Data in this study showed that before the participants experienced learning for social justice that was informed by 4Cs, they blamed the poor for their conditions. However, after experiencing social justice education, they developed a better understanding and appreciation of the problematic nature of systems of inequalities. Thus, they were willing to confront issues of poverty and other social justice problems using objective information. Similarly, other data showed that learning based on 4Cs challenged many misconceptions and preconceived notions about global and social justice issues that the participants held. Thus, they were willing to confront, using a social justice lens, similar issues that their future students could hold. The participants’ readiness to teach for social justice was consistent with Norris (1985b) views that once a learner experiences critical thinking, he/she is likely to “apply everything they already know and feel, to evaluate their own thinking, and especially to change their behavior” (p. 40). It should not be surprising, therefore, that the participants in this study showed evidence that after experiencing the 4Cs, they not only started to examine their thinking about their prior knowledge and positions on global mindedness and social justice issues, but they also were open to developing new perspectives on how to teach such content in their future classrooms. This was an important finding because as Misco and Shiveley (2016) argued, teaching for global mindedness and social justice calls for educators to be open minded, appreciate diversity, and commit fully to critical thinking and social justice. Role-play activities in which students were expected to think creatively and critically were also found to be very helpful during the implementations of the 4Cs. Role-play and problem solving teaching strategies indirectly promote critical thinking dispositions like open mindedness, fair- Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2019: 10 (4), 26-57 mindedness, perseverance and empathy among students” (Rashid & Qaisar, 2017, p. 198). The role-play activities used in this study were developed by participants. As a result, data showed that participants found them relevant and meaningful in helping them understand how to develop role-play activities that they could use in their future classrooms. As a result, data from this study confirm the importance of using instructional strategies and activities that model best instructional practices for pre-service teachers. In summary, data from this study indicate that effective teaching for global mindedness and social justice is likely when collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and communication (4Cs) skills are utilized. Further, data showed that discussions, mock trials, role-plays, and written reflections supported learners’ use of 4Cs. As a result, this study recommends the use of these important teaching strategies especially when instructing for global mindedness and social justice. Nevertheless, the researcher encourages further examination of instructional strategies that advance knowledge and skills for global mindedness and social justice in teacher education programs because after all, educators have the all-important responsibility of preparing learners for full and productive lives. An education that helps future educators to master knowledge and skills essential for global mindedness and social justice is a necessity because it situates them well to prepare their future students for dreams and possibilities in a globalized world. Limitation and Future Research This study was conducted in a teacher education program situated in a rural setting. Therefore, it is highly likely that findings could only apply to similar teacher education programs. As a result, the researcher recommends a more robust study that could be easily generalizable. A second limitation delves into the possibility of response bias. Although the researcher requested participants to provide unbiased responses, it is highly probable that student/teacher power dynamics motivated participants, perhaps unconsciously, to respond in ways that affirmed instructor’s research goals. To mitigate this limitation, a study involving neutral investigators, preferably in collaborative teaching settings is warranted. Finally, this study does not document whether participants implemented in their future classrooms the knowledge and skills they reportedly gained. Therefore, the researcher recommends a longitudinal study that follows pre- service teachers into their classroom in order to investigate and document transferability of the 4Cs skills learned in teacher education programs. Such documentation would be helpful in Nganga making curricular decisions that would positively impact teacher education, particularly in preparing teachers who are globally and social justice minded. Notwithstanding the identified limitations, however, data from this study have motivated the researcher to utilize content and instructional practices that promote collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and communication (4Cs) skills. Evidently, mastering skills in 4Cs is likely to empower future teachers to teach for global mindless and social justice in their future classrooms. References Arends, R. I. (2015). Learning to Teach, 10th edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Banks, J. (2001). 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The Curriculum Journal, 26 (4), 553-578, DOI: 10.1080/09585176.2015.1053818 Zarrillo, J.J. (2004). Teaching elementary social studies. New Jersey, Pearson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHFPH79Iaoo http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002154/215431E.pdf Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2019: 10 (4), 26-57 Appendix 1 Unit: Study a foreign country Develop a unit about a foreign nation that is randomly selected. Pre-assessment 1. What do you know about your nation? 2. Would you visit that nation? Explain why or why not. 3. What is your understanding of global education and why is it relevant in social studies? Unit guidelines Part 1 a. You are expected to research your country outside of class time and develop a unit. b. Write a 6 pages (double spaced) paper that summarizes your country’s education system, geography, history, culture & economic activities. c. How your country does compares to U.S.A (similarities and differences)? d. Develop two abbreviated lessons/activities that could be taught to 3rd grade and up based on this unit. e. Develop a scoring guide that is appropriate evaluating your activities. Consider the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) themes; Culture, individuals, groups, an institutions and global connections (NCSS, 2010). f. Present your activities to your peers and share what similarities and differences you found in your nation of study and the U.S. g. During presentations bring two children’s books (about your country or another country) that you might use when teaching about foreign cultures in your future class for discussions & reflections. Threaded discussion questions: 1. In two paragraphs summarize most important learning from your study of a foreign nation. Explain why these learning were important to you? 2. What are the benefits of including of global cultures and histories in social studies? 3. Respond to two posts with reflective thoughts. Nganga Appendix 2: Post- assessment Threaded discussion 1. What misconceptions did you have at the beginning of the semester about the nation you studied? 2. What views changed after researching and developing a unit on your “nation”? Why? 3. Based on the study of a foreign nation, how did your views change regarding your understanding of global education and its relevance in the social studies? 4. What similarities and differences did you find between the nation you studied and the United States? Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2019: 10 (4), 26-57 Appendix 3 Assessing materials Analyze a children’s or young adults’ book of your choice that has a diversity or global theme. Title of book and author/s: Illustrators if any: Grade level for which your book is appropriate: A short summary of the themes covered in the book: If the book has pictures/illustrations do they- Include representation of diverse populations? Yes No Contain diversity represented within cultural groups? Yes No Include characters depicted realistically and genuinely? Yes No Avoid reinforcing societal stereotypes? Yes No Story, characters and theme Criteria Yes or No Explain Story accurately reflects the values inherent to the culture being depicted The book avoids offensive expressions, negative attitudes, or stereotypical representations Events, situations and objects depicted are historically accurate Book avoids any suggestion that there is a single cause or simple answer to the socio-historical dilemmas Nganga of the culture being represented Promote an understanding of all aspects of our diverse society Represent cultural settings realistically Story acknowledges the diversity of experiences within a particular cultural group Characters are depicted realistically and without stereotypes Include females as well as males in leadership and/or non-traditional roles Represent people from a variety of cultural groups, age ranges and sizes, including some with disabilities Does the book reflect a variety of settings realistically? Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2019: 10 (4), 26-57  urban, suburban and rural a. Would you use this book in your social studies teaching? Explain. b. How would you rate this book on a scale of 1 to 5? Where 1 implies that the book is not appropriate for teaching global and social justice themes, 3 = could use it but it is limited in scope of covering these themes, and 5 = book is very appropriate and addresses several global and social justice themes. Explain your rating: c. On a scale of 1 to 5- rate yourself in regard to how well you feel prepared to teach for global and social justices topics in your future classroom. Where 1 = not at all prepared, 3 = kind of prepared but requires additional preparation and 5= feels well prepared. Explain your rating: