From Virtual Exchange to Local Action: Advancing Global Citizenship Education through Transnational Telecollaborative Projects in Latin America
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30564/jiep.v8i1.11458Abstract
This study investigates how transnational telecollaborative projects can advance Global Citizenship Education (GCE) in Latin American secondary schools by linking virtual exchange with locally grounded civic action. Using a mixed-methods case study design, the research examines two projects developed through a six-week teacher training program in Argentina, implemented with partner schools in Peru and Mexico. Data were collected through pre- and post-project surveys, teacher reflections, student-created digital artifacts, and reflective discussions, and analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic coding guided by UNESCO’s GCE competency framework, with triangulation across sources to ensure reliability. Findings indicate that in the inequality project (Argentina–Peru), 87% of students reported increased awareness of how discrimination operates across cultural contexts, while 91% expressed stronger commitment to ethical digital behavior. In the climate action project (Argentina–Mexico), 73% of participants adopted new sustainability practices and reported greater confidence using English for authentic intercultural communication. Across both initiatives, 85% of students indicated feeling more responsible for contributing to social or environmental change, while teachers reported professional growth in digital pedagogy, project-based learning, and intercultural facilitation. The results highlight the transformative potential of transnational telecollaboration in developing the cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral competencies essential to Global Citizenship Education (GCE). They also show that low-cost, technology-enabled models can overcome barriers to traditional exchange and offer scalable, inclusive strategies for action-oriented global learning in underrepresented contexts.
Keywords:
Transnational Telecollaboration; Global Citizenship Education (GCE); Latin America; SDGs; Teacher Training; Intercultural LearningReferences
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