Teachers’ perceptions on addressing global issues in upper secondary vocational education and training in Finland
Keywords:
vocational education and training, teachers, global citizenship, sustainability, global citizenship educationAbstract
Sustainability and responsibility affect every worker in the 2020s. This study examines the perceptions of teachers in initial vocational qualifications on addressing global issues in upper secondary vocational education and training (VET) in Finland. The data consist of teachers’ responses (N=187) to an online survey in the spring of 2022. In the analysis, descriptive statistics as well as thematic analysis were used and the results were reflected against the theoretical framework, earlier research on global citizenship education and VET. The results indicate that global citizenship education is implicitly present in upper secondary VET in Finland. The current qualification requirements do not support structured, in-depth exploration of global issues in VET. Yet, global issues emerge in the everyday life of educational institutions, and they are mainly addressed through spontaneous discussions in connection to teaching and guidance work. Teachers perceive the importance of global issues above all in terms of understanding multiple perspectives, diversity and interdependence, relevance for the world of work in the future and acting as a responsible citizen. According to teachers, global issues affect all professions, and their importance will increase in the future. Educational equity would require that also vocational students have the possibility to learn competences necessary for societal participation and get acquainted with global issues during their education. Global citizenship education can provide both theoretical and practical tools for this.
