The term ‘international education’ brings together many aspects that 21st century education should aim for. One of the most important principles of an international approach to education is international mindedness. It involves a relationship between oneself and the environment, intercultural understanding and critical thinking.
In schools, the application of a curriculum with its objectives, contents and assessment tools is an easy task compared to the implementation of an approach to international-mindedness. That is why leaders need to be aware of the importance of being visionary and open to new possibilities.
State schools should offer diverse opportunities to monocultural children for them to have enriching experiences and develop international skills, attitudes and values. International-mindedness shows promise of “narrowing the achievement gap for students in schools that do not have access to world traveling experiences and provides a framework for school leaders to reduce the access and equity gap” (Vooren and Lindsey, 2012, p. 26). These students of local communities have to be prepared for life in a global society.
Teachers must obviously be internationally-minded themselves. Students are great imitators so it is impossible to teach children to behave in a particular way if teachers do not have those skills. Then, the most essential thing is to value, appreciate and know their own culture and identity in order to remain open to other perspectives different from the “self”. The International Baccalaureate includes in the learner profile, some attributes that students should develop to become “responsible members of local, national and global communities” (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2007, p. 2).
Another aspect all educators should work on is cultural proficiency linked to global citizenship, which is together with international-mindedness, one of the principles of international education. Diversity has to be regarded as an enriching element in the classroom, to which all the members of the community have to adapt. Individual and group identities should be embraced, valued and integrated into the community.
Finally, teachers should be responsible with their own actions and be careful, taking into account that their behaviour and attitudes are often imitated by students.
In conclusion, in order to implement an international-mindedness philosophy in schools, leaders must be mindful, risk-takers and aware of a wider world. Their motivation as engaged citizens is essential because they provide students with experiences in local and global contexts. This philosophy is the best way to find policies and practices that ensure equity and access for all students, no matter what their socioeconomic or cultural contexts are.
