REPRESENTATIONS OF GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP IN A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

Shonda Gibson
Stephen Reysen
Texas A&M University-Commerce
ABSTRACT
This study examine instructors’ awareness and attitudes regarding global citizenship and
the influence of message framing on students’ antecedents, identification, and outcomes of global
citizenship. In Study 1, college instructors reported less knowledge and motivation to include
global citizenship compared to other topics (e.g., diversity, culture). Faculty who indicated
lacking awareness of global citizen identity rated their degree of normative environment (valued
others prescribe the identity), global awareness (perceived knowledge of and connection to the
world), and global citizenship identification significantly lower than faculty who indicated
awareness of global citizen identity. In Study 2, descriptions of global citizenship (based on
faculty responses from Study 1) as being globally aware or framed with a disparaging connotation
were presented to students.
Students exposed to the awareness framed description of global citizenship (vs.
disparaging connotation) reported significantly greater global citizenship identification and
academic motivation. A structural equation model analysis showed that framing global citizenship
in terms of global awareness predicted viewing valued others as prescribing the identity, which
then predicted global citizenship identification, which led to endorsement of prosocial values (e.g.,
intergroup empathy, social justice). Overall, the results highlight instructors’ influence to
engender global citizen identity in students.