Episode 11: Global Citizenship Education: A Journey from Korea to Argentina with SangA Angela Back

Jul 9
2 min read

Updated: Aug 2

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode, SangA Back, a primary school teacher, shared her experiences and challenges in global citizenship education during an interview. She discussed the importance of empowering students to become global citizens and the challenges faced in South Korea, such as a lack of teacher interest and the perception that global citizenship issues only pertain to developing countries. She also shared her experiences in Peru and Argentina, where she was involved in developing global citizenship education materials for Korean students abroad.

EPISODE NOTES

In the eleventh episode, SangA Angela Back, a Korean primary school teacher currently teaching in Buenos Aires, Argentina, shares her experiences and insights on global citizenship education (GCE). SangA has been actively involved in various projects related to GCE and has been developing GCE materials for Korean and Argentine students since 2022.

She started her teaching career in South Korea and has since taught in various locations, including Peru and Argentina. She believes that the slogan 'think globally, act locally' is taken seriously in Korea in terms of GCE. However, she also acknowledges that many teachers in Korea are not well-versed in GCE, which she sees as a significant challenge.

Her teaching approach involves integrating real-world contexts into her lessons. She believes that no matter how great the educational content is, it's useless if it's not delivered properly considering the learners' level. This realization led her to study GCE at an academic level. In Peru, she worked as a voluntary assistant teacher, helping students understand international geography and environmental issues. She also guided students in their International Baccalaureate research papers. In Argentina, she is currently developing GCE materials with the support of the Korean government. These materials are designed to expand the students' identities and enhance their innate capability to be global citizens.

SangA believes that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how interconnected the world is in many aspects such as health, education, and environment. At the end of the episode, she emphasises the importance of not just delivering knowledge but also provoking actions to change the world.

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