AREA OF CONCENTRATION
Comparative and International Education

INTRODUCTION:

By 2050, the U.S. census bureau predicts that the United States will look vastly different from what it is today. Current trends indicate that the non-Hispanic white population will drop from a current 73% to 50% by mid-century.  This means that the current national teaching force, which is predominately white at 89% is not keeping pace with this population shift. While more teachers are now beginning to learn about the cultures of their students, children of color still lack equal access to information about their own heritage since the majority of teachers have only superficial knowledge about cultures other than their own. If all children are to have a quality  education, we must have educators who are significantly more knowledgeable about their students' cultural beliefs and values than at present. It is therefore necessary that all of our teachers acquire intercultural competencies to fully utilize the talents of all Americans in meeting the challenges of the 21st century.

As the United States and Southeast Missouri continues to increase in its diversity from the growth of international companies in the region to the continued infusion of new immigrants along the I-55 corridor, employees with knowledge of education in other cultures will also be sought by governmental agencies, voluntary and non-governmental organizations, and community-based educative programs and services.

Therefore, this area of concentration prepares students to become knowledgeable about educational practices and pedagogy on a global scale, give them direct experience in an international setting, either in a classroom and/or an international education organization depending on their major, and additional opportunities to work, study, and live in other countries.

Programs focusing on comparative and international education are now recognized as contributing an important element to the overall education of students. This is supported by the following sources of commitment to develop and shape global curriculum in the university, college, and department:

• Southeast's strategic plan "A University for the New Millennium" identifies globalization (academic programs that reflect the importance of globalization and encourage foreign language study, foreign exchange, and opportunities for foreign travel for students and faculty) as a priority for its development in the 21st century.

• In April 1997, the Task Force on Campus Internationalization further articulated the university's priority in one of its five goals: "Encourage academic programs to seriously review their curricula with respect to globalization."

• As an NCATE-approved institution, the College of Education has among its goals, the enhancement of nine NCATE standards pertaining to diversity. Of particular relevance and importance to this program are two: That the conceptual framework of the teacher education program should reflect multicultural and global perspectives, and that the professional and pedagogical studies should include well-planned sequences of courses or experiences that develop understanding of learners from diverse backgrounds.

• The Renaissance Group, of which Southeast is a member, has nine categories of action related to educational diversity. Those pertinent to this program are: the active support of faculty to create gender-fair multicultural teacher education programs, the establishment of an interdisciplinary approach to gender-fair multiculturalism in all teacher preparation studies, and the inclusion of multicultural and sex equity education components in all introductory, assessment, and instructional methods courses.

Goals and Objectives:

Students who complete this area of concentration will be able to demonstrate knowledge, understanding, and appreciation for: (1) the philosophical and ideological perspectives that frame education throughout the world, (2) the historical, political, economic, and social forces at work which impact education globally, (3) the pedagogical practices of diverse cultures, (4) the roles that administrators, faculty, students, and parents play in education throughout the world, and (5) the role that formal, non-formal, and informal education has in various societies.

Competencies, Knowledge, and Skills:

This area of concentration will enable students to: (1) develop and implement culturally appropriate, effective, and equitable intercultural programs in classrooms, organizations, agencies, (2) identify cultural variables and conditions necessary for equitable education and act on this knowledge, (3) identify own cultural beliefs and those of their students to utilize this knowledge effectively, (4)analyze and evaluate cultural appropriateness of programs, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment tools, (5) identify and utilize theories of comparative and international education in their work environments.

Structure of the Area of Concentration:

The structure of the program includes three core courses on diverse cultures, both in the United States and abroad; a choice of practicum experiences either in a classroom in another culture or with an international organization; a course in comparative culture; and an elective to be selected from among courses in TESOL, foreign languages, anthropology, and history or civilization of other cultures.

CORE (9 hours)

PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE (6 hours)

              COMPARATIVE CULTURE (3 hours)

ELECTIVE (3 hours)

N.B. This Area of Concentration (AOC) is currently not recognized as a certification endorsement area by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), but may be taken along with any other endorsement area.