Global citizenship skills among Qatar University students

Global citizenship education (GCED) has become a strategic priority internationally, highlighted by UN initiatives and SDG 4.7, reflecting the growing importance of preparing learners to engage with global interdependence. In Qatar, despite national efforts to modernize education and promote global competencies, limited empirical research has assessed university students' global citizenship levels. This study investigates the level of GCED among Qatar University students and whether the university instills global citizenship, addressing challenges such as shifting from local to global mindsets and equipping students with skills for diversity, human rights, and conflict negotiation. The study's purposes are to provide a theoretical basis for global citizenship in current literature, identify students' concepts of global citizenship skills (belonging to a global community and responsibility for its well-being), apply a framework of social responsibility, global competence, and global civic engagement (Morais & Ogden, 2011), and generate actionable insights for educators and policymakers. Research questions: RQ1 assesses the level of global citizenship skills (GCS); RQ2 examines differences in GCS by demographics (gender, nationality, age, occupation, family origin, academic year, college, income); RQ3 evaluates relationships among social responsibility, global competence, global civic engagement, and overall global citizenship.

The literature situates global citizenship as a sense of belonging and responsibility beyond national boundaries, grounded in shared humanity and collective responsibility for justice, peace, and sustainability (Dower, 2003; Cabrera, 2010; Schattle, 2008). Global citizenship involves recognizing diversity, respecting differing viewpoints, and engaging with issues like poverty, inequality, climate change, and human rights through personal choices, community actions, and advocacy. Globalization challenges the traditional nation-state model of citizenship by weakening territorial centrality, destabilizing distinct national cultures, and accelerating cross-border movement (Castles & Davidson, 2000). Consequently, a broader conception of citizenship is needed to address global interdependence and cultural diversity, drawing on cosmopolitanism and normative ethical frameworks that promote inclusion and rights beyond state boundaries (Hartung, 2017; Aydin & Cinkaya, 2018; Reysen & Katzarska-Miller, 2013). In Arab countries, GCED is complex and context-dependent. While initiatives promote intercultural dialogue, human rights, and sustainability, strong nationalist discourses can prioritize national identity over global identity (Kiwan, 2014; Gani, 2019). Nonetheless, regional examples demonstrate active global citizenship practices (e.g., Alwan wa Awtar in Lebanon; Teach for Qatar; Green the Camps in Palestine/Jordan). The UN supports GCED in the Arab region through curriculum integration, teacher training, youth-led initiatives, and intercultural exchange (UNESCO Office Beirut, 2022). GCED, with a history of over 50 years, aligns with citizenship education but is approached via different ideological agendas (radical, transformational, neoliberal) that variously emphasize agency against global structures, equitable inclusion, and mobility across borders (Shultz, 2007). Many countries (e.g., NZ, Australia, UK, Canada, US) integrate GCED in social studies, emphasizing technology proficiency, intercultural dialogue, environmental awareness, and global knowledge (Schattle, 2008). UNESCO frames GCED along cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral dimensions and recommends integrating local/global perspectives, fostering respect for diversity, awareness of interdependence, communication skills, and social responsibility (UNESCO, 2014). In Qatar, policy frameworks such as Qatar National Vision 2030, the National Development Strategy 2018–2022, and National Curriculum Standards underscore integrating GCED to develop a knowledge-based, sustainable society, with GCED embedded across subjects and grade levels (Government Communications Office, 2022; Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics, 2019).

Design: Cross-sectional quantitative survey using a modified version of Morais and Ogden's Global Citizenship Scale (GCS). Instrument: 43 items across three components: Social Responsibility (SR: 13 items, SR1–SR13), Global Competence (GC: 13 items, GC14–GC26), and Global Civic Engagement (GCE: 17 items, GCE27–GCE43). Response scale: 5-point Likert (1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree). Instrument adaptation included contextual modifications for Qatar University students. Reliability and validity: Cronbach's alpha SR 0.609, GC 0.792, GCE 0.914, overall GCS 0.900 (N=43 items), indicating acceptable to excellent internal consistency; validity assessed with Pearson correlations showing significant positive inter-scale correlations. Procedure: Google Forms survey distributed via Qatar University's Student Affairs (late March 2022); data collection completed by May 2022. Instrument validated by expert judgment and a pilot (30 cases). Sample: N=323 invited; analytic sample N=317 (response rate 98.7%) from 10 colleges (Engineering, Medicine, Dental Medicine, Pharmacy, Arts & Sciences, Education, Sharia Islamic Studies, Law, Business and Economics, Health Sciences). Demographics: 74.6% Qatari, 25.4% international; 80% female, 19.2% male; age groups 18–25 (62.5%), 26–30 (16.8%), 31–35 (11.4%), 36–40 (9.2%); majority full-time (77.5%). Analysis: Descriptive statistics (means, SDs), Pearson correlations among SR, GC, GCE, and overall GCS; MANOVA and follow-up ANOVAs to test effects of gender, age, nationality, family origin (Bedouin vs non-Bedouin), college, occupation (student vs student/employed), and monthly income categories on SR, GC, GCE. Software: SPSS.

RQ1 (Levels of GCS): On a 1–5 Likert scale, mean scores (SD) were SR 3.22 (0.44), GC 3.66 (0.53), GCE 3.30 (0.71), overall GCS 3.40 (0.44). Students on average scored above the midpoint for all components, indicating generally positive perceptions of global citizenship attributes. RQ2 (Demographic effects): - Gender: MANOVA significant (Wilks' Lambda(3,310)=0.940, p<0.001). Univariate ANOVAs: SR F(1,313)=5.315, p=0.022, eta2=0.032 (females higher: M=3.25, SD=0.44; males M=3.11, SD=0.42); GC F(1,312)=0.009, p=0.922 (ns); GCE F(1,313)=13.606, p<0.001, eta2=0.078 (females higher: M=3.36, SD=0.69; males M=2.99, SD=0.76). - Age: MANOVA not significant (Lambda(3,309)=0.958, p>0.05). ANOVAs: SR F(3,313)=3.283, p=0.021, eta2=0.030; Tukey HSD showed 36–40 lower than 26–30 (p=0.015). GC F(3,312)=0.146, p=0.932 (ns); GCE F(3,313)=0.697, p=0.554 (ns). - Nationality (Qatari vs non-Qatari): MANOVA not significant (Lambda(3,310)=0.990, p>0.05). ANOVAs: SR F(1,313)=0.436, p=0.509 (ns); GC F(1,312)=0.920, p=0.338 (ns); GCE F(1,313)=2.269, p=0.133 (ns). - Family origin (Bedouin vs non-Bedouin): MANOVA not significant (Lambda(3,309)=0.991, p>0.05). ANOVAs: SR F(1,312)=0.015, p=0.901 (ns); GC F(1,311)=0.479, p=0.489 (ns); GCE F(1,312)=2.125, p=0.146 (ns). - College: MANOVA significant (Lambda(24,876.5)=0.880, p=0.026). Univariate ANOVAs: SR F(8,305)=1.26, p=0.266 (ns); GC F(8,304)=0.825, p=0.581 (ns); GCE F(8,305)=2.58, p=0.010, eta2=0.064 (significant differences among colleges for GCE). - Occupation (student vs student/employed): MANOVA not significant (Lambda(3,312)=0.984, p>0.05). ANOVAs: SR F(1,315)=1.004, p=0.317 (ns); GC F(1,314)=5.062, p=0.025, eta2=0.016; GCE F(1,315)=1.572, p=0.211 (ns). - Income (monthly categories): MANOVA not significant at alpha 0.001 (Lambda(18,849)=0.907, p>0.001). Univariate ANOVAs showed significant main effects: SR F(6,303)=5.12, p<0.001, eta2=0.09; GC F(6,302)=7.62, p<0.001, eta2=0.13; GCE F(6,303)=3.15, p=0.005, eta2=0.06. Post-hoc tests found no significant pairwise differences among income brackets at alpha 0.05. RQ3 (Correlations): Significant positive interrelations among components and with overall GCS. SR with GC r=0.396, p<0.01; SR with GCE r=0.415, p<0.01; GC with GCE r=0.459, p<0.01. Overall GCS correlated strongly with SR r=0.680, p<0.01; GC r=0.743, p<0.01; GCE r=0.891, p<0.01. Reliability: Cronbach's alpha SR 0.609, GC 0.792, GCE 0.914, overall GCS 0.900.

Findings indicate Qatar University students generally endorse global citizenship attributes, with above-midpoint scores across social responsibility, global competence, and global civic engagement, and especially strong alignment of GCE with overall global citizenship. The strong correlations among components and with overall GCS highlight their interdependence, suggesting that effective GCED should address all three dimensions holistically rather than in isolation. Gender differences favoring females (notably in GCE and SR) and college-level differences for GCE imply that both learner characteristics and program context influence GC development. The lower relative SR scores suggest a potential area for curricular and co-curricular enhancement, including targeted pedagogies to cultivate ethical responsibility, solidarity, and community contributions. The limited effects of nationality and family origin reflect a broadly similar global citizenship profile across student backgrounds within Qatar University. Age differences observed in SR (lower among 36–40) and modest occupation and income effects warrant further exploration to understand experiential or resource-related influences on GC dimensions. Practically, results can inform curriculum internationalization, inclusive pedagogies, faculty professional development, and assessment frameworks aligned with UNESCO’s cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral GCED domains. Strengthening GC may also augment civic engagement and broaden social responsibility, reinforcing a virtuous cycle of global awareness and action.

This study provides the first empirical assessment of global citizenship skills among Qatar University students using a validated, context-adapted GCS framework encompassing social responsibility, global competence, and global civic engagement. Students demonstrate generally positive global citizenship profiles, with civic engagement relatively strongest, social responsibility relatively lower, and global competence in the middle range. Strong intercorrelations among components and with overall GCS underscore the coherence of GC as a multidimensional construct in this context. The study contributes evidence from the Gulf/Arab region where empirical GCED research remains limited, offering actionable insights for educators and policymakers to refine curricula, co-curricular initiatives, and faculty development. Future directions include expanding GCED through international exchanges, workshops, seminars, and research collaborations; longitudinal and multi-institutional studies to examine development over time and generalizability; and targeted interventions to bolster social responsibility and equity-oriented engagement.