Developing Global Competency Skills Among Preservice Childhood Educators Using Diverse Children’s Storybooks

Abstract

The cultural and linguistic diversity of PreK-6 students in the regional school districts surrounding our universities has been increasing over the years, yet existing teacher education programs often address global competency in elementary STEM contexts only at surface levels or as isolated add-ons. This action research study targets the development of global competency skills among undergraduate preservice teachers through redesigned STEM education methods courses. Global competency skills encompass the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values needed to understand and engage with a diverse and interconnected world, fostering critical thinking, empathy, and effective communication across cultures. Preservice teachers (N=111) participated in modeled inquiry-based STEM lessons integrating children's storybooks with diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic, or ability-diverse representation. These storybooks served as vehicles for exploring science concepts while broadening teachers' understanding of global diversity. Each lesson aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, encouraging consideration of values, beliefs, resources, and practices from different cultural contexts. Data were collected through pre- and post-surveys across two semesters. Quantitative analysis revealed significant findings for four of five questions, showing growth in self-analysis of global competency skills. Qualitative analysis revealed shifts from surface-level cultural awareness to deeper pedagogical understanding, increased family and community engagement considerations, and movement toward lifelong learning orientations. The findings suggest that integrating global competency development within undergraduate STEM methods courses using accessible tools like diverse children's storybooks can effectively inform global dispositions and competencies among future teachers.