The Perceptions of Undergraduate Students in Southern Thailand Regarding Global Citizenship

Abstract

Global citizenship, a concept that basically reflects the interconnectedness and collective responsibility, has been remarkably attracting the attention of the public as well as the academic circles (Biccum, 2020). While there have been a number of studies related to global citizenship and global citizenship education (Habibah & Saproyah, 2021), those focusing on the perceptions of certain groups of people in some particular regions are still modest. This study explored the perceptions of final-year undergraduate students in Southern Thailand regarding cosmopolitan and advocacy global citizenship, with cosmopolitan-type global citizenship including political, moral, economic and cultural considerations; and advocacy-type global citizenship including social, critical, environmental, and spiritual features (Oxley & Morris, 2013). The research involved 141 students in a university in Songkhla, Thailand. The study utilized a survey based on a questionnaire modified from that of The Development Educational Professionals in Southeast Asia (Laws & Thanosawan, 2018), which was built in light of the typology of Oxley and Morris (2013). The questionnaire consisted of 27 items categorized into the two types - cosmopolitan and advocacy – of global citizenship. The results revealed that students in Southern Thailand hold high perceptions of both types of global citizenship, with a stronger inclination toward the cosmopolitan type. These findings suggest that while students are open to cultural exchange and global cooperation, it is recommended that their engagement with activist dimensions of global citizenship should be enhanced. This study adds to the body of research on global citizenship and highlights the importance of fostering a balanced approach that includes both cosmopolitan and advocacy elements.