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International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

Open Access Journal

ISSN: 2222-6990

Global Citizenship and Ecological Citizens among Multi-Ethnic Youth through Education: A Climate for Change in Malaysia

Nur Atiqah Tang Abdullah, Anuar Ahmad

http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v11-i12/11880

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Within the contemporary phenomenon of globalization, education is required to respond to it and prepare students to engage more effectively and actively in the global community. Since the youth are increasingly influenced by other parts of the world, it is necessary that they learn not only cognitive knowledge, but also non-cognitive elements such as the values and attitudes needed to contribute to their own and others’ well-being as well as the environment. This shift in educational discourse has led to the call to include comprehensive components in education whilst addressing global issues as climate change. This article aims to explore the perception of global citizenship and ecological citizenship as part of global competencies which inculcates values and civic responsibility with respect to climate change among multi-ethnic students in Malaysia. It further aims to assess how the impact of competing and common ‘nations-of-intent' on multi-ethnic students towards global environmental issues such as climate change. The primary data for this research come from a questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews with selected individual students. The questionnaire was administered to a representative sample of 238 students (122 Malay students and 116 Chinese students) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). It is suggested that the Malaysian nation needs a more explicit citizenship education and clear-cut statement of intent about its vision and direction of its youth towards upholding the principles of a Malaysian in its true meaning. The concept of citizenship and citizenship education in Malaysia is prompting only of form ‘nation-of intent’ available in the country, whereas, there are other nations as well, apparently. An implication of it is that the concept of citizenship and thus, promoting ecological citizens in Malaysia is still fraught with confusion.

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In-Text Citation: (Abdullah & Ahmad, 2021)
To Cite this Article: Abdullah, N. A. T., & Ahmad, A. (2021). Global Citizenship and Ecological Citizens among Multi-Ethnic Youth through Education: A Climate for Change in Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(12), 1390–1408.