Learning to unlearn: moving educators from a charity mentality towards a social justice mentality

Educators hold a potentially pivotal role in promoting a just and sustainable world for current and future generations. However, in reality, for many schools and educators global learning begins with charity and fundraising and does not reach beyond this ‘charity mentality’. This limitation of learning has the potential to distort people’s perceptions of other countries or peoples, particularly those in the Global South. The aim of the research discussed within this chapter was to explore the potential of one of the six aims of the Global Learning Programme (GLP)—a schools programme in the UK that aimed to enhance global learning in the classroom—to move educators from a ‘charity mentality’ towards a ‘social justice mentality’. Utilising a transformative approach to teacher Continuing Professional Development (CPD), Learning to Unlearn, the action research developed a process to engage teachers in changing their perspectives and understanding of global learning. It sought to clarify the terms of charity and social justice mentality within the context of teaching and assess the potential impact of a social justice approach on teachers’ practices to ensure a more equitable educational response to global issues.