A Good Education?
A descriptive study of the implementation of critical thinking, international cooperation and sustainable development in Gy11 and SAMSAM01b
Gy11SAMSAM01bEducationSocial studiesGlobal developmentOperating environmentCritical thinkingInternational cooperationSustainable developmentKnowledge theory
This thesis provides a descriptive study from a pedagogic perspective that analyzesobjectives, directives and content related to the social science core class, SAMSAM01b, atGothenburg public high schools. The purpose is to further explore the role of education inrelation to global development and international relations. The study is built aroundcurriculum representation and course implementation of three aspects considered importantfor global development and knowledge of the operating environment: critical thinking,international cooperation and sustainable development. Knowledge theory and likemindedideas of what constitutes a good education form the core of the study?s theoreticalperspective. Empirical data used to analyze the implementation of these in Gy11 andSAMSAM01b includes relevant curriculum objectives and directives, five sets ofSAMSAM01b examination material, two semi-structured informant interviews withSAMSAM01b teachers, and two teacher commentaries from SAMSAM01b teachers.Significant results reveal that SAMSAM01b courses appear to make great efforts to moldstudents? critical thinking skills. Implementation of aspects of international cooperation andsustainable development, on the other hand, is often sidelined. A main reason for thisexclusion appears to be an overload of required course content combined with a lack of timeamong teachers. Implications for SAMSAM01b students include a risk of flawed holisticperspectives of the operating environment, which may cause poor reflections on globaldevelopment. This in turn may impede the intellectual exchange of knowledge and ideasamong future global and international actors.