Date of Conferral

2018

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Katherine Garlough

Abstract

National and international organizations emphasize the importance of teaching global competence in American higher education as a way of preparing students for the rigors of a globalized workforce. Lack of nation-wide educational initiatives aimed at providing institutional guidelines for assessing international relations (IR) courses for this skill acquisition requires colleges to rely on their own resources and ingenuity. Presently, no course assessment methods for gauging global competency attainment exist at Florida College. The purpose of this study was to investigate faculty perceptions of instruction and learning of global competence. Mezirow's transformative learning theory was the conceptual framework that guided this study. The research questions for this study focused on teachers' perceptions of global competence instruction and student skill acquisition, their perceptions of the effectiveness of the INR 2002 Introduction to International Relations course in student global competence learning, and course advantages and disadvantages. An explorative case study design was used to capture the insights of 5 INR 2002 instructors, who have taught the course within the last three years, through individual 45-60-minute interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the gathered data. INR 2002 teachers expressed moderate to high course effectiveness articulating a need for course improvement. The recommendations included the following: (a) create a departmental definition of global competence, (b) employ more classroom discussions into teaching IR, and (c) publish an international IR textbook communally working with non-American universities. This study may impact positive social change by supporting teachers' and administrators' efforts to advance the course curriculum to better equip students with knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for their professional futures.

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