Salisbury, Tonya

Abstract: It is vital for future generations to clearly grasp what it means to be global citizens in order for them to be successful and for America to maintain its status as a world leader. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to measure and describe the growth of global attitudes and intercultural sensitivity that fourth-grade students acquire through reading and discussing globally significant children's literature which honors and celebrates diversity worldwide, in terms of culture, race, language, religion, and social status. According to Rosenblatt's transactional theory, readers experience aesthetic transactions with the text leading to an understanding of the world around them. The research question involved whether the use of globally significant children's literature created aesthetic transactions and would result in significant changes in fourth-grade students' intercultural sensitivity and global attitudes. Using literature as a catalyst for group discussions and personal responses related to global issues, 23 fourth-grade students participated in a 12-week study. Qualitative data included participants' personal reading response journals and audio taped group literature circle discussions, which were reviewed and coded for evidence of growth in intercultural sensitivity based on Bennett's developmental model of intercultural sensitivity. Two surveys were developed by the researcher to gather quantitative data. A dependent samples, two-tailed, t test at the p <.05 level was used to test the hypothesis that students' global attitudes and intercultural sensitivity would increase after participating in these literature circles. The statistical data gathered showed gains in both areas. It is recommended that teachers at all grade levels utilize globally significant literature and encourage literary exchanges to promote cultural understandings among their students. Developing a mindset of cultural sensitivity in elementary students can have a positive impact on the relationships between individuals and groups representing diverse cultures.

Key words: Education, Elementary, Global attitudes, Global citizenship, Intercultural sensitivity, Literature circles, Transactional theory

总 结：

1、对下一代来说是至关重要的是清晰把握什么是全球公民，这个混合法研究的目的是测量和描述全球态度的发展和跨文化敏感度,四年级学生获得通过阅读全球重要的儿童文学和, 讨论荣誉和庆祝多样性,文化、种族、语言、宗教和社会地位。

2、据Rosenblatt事务理论、读者与文本审美经验交互而理解周围的世界，所涉及的研究问题是否使用全球重要的儿童文学创造审美将导致在四年级学生跨文化敏感性和全球态度方面的重大改变，23个四年级的学生参加了一个为期12周的研究。

3、文章定性数据包括参与者的个人阅读响应期刊和音频录音组文学圈讨论, 基于贝内特的跨文化敏感度的增长发展模式的跨文化敏感度的综述和编码。

4、两项调查是由研究者收集定量数据。依赖样本,双尾t检验,在p <0.5级是用来测试的假设学生的全球态度和跨文化敏感度将在参与这些文学圈时增长，收集统计数据证实了这个假设。

5、建议各年级的教师利用全球重要的文学和鼓励文学交流,促进学生之间的文化理解，培养一个心态文化敏感性的小学生对全球化能有积极的影响。

来源：Walden University. Feb 2011, ISBN: 9781124116877. 174p