Developing Students’ Global Citizenship through Feminist Pedagogy in Thai EFL classroom: A Higher Education Context

Abstract

This study explores how feminist pedagogy fosters global citizenship (GC) among Thai postgraduate students in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. While global citizenship education (GCE) is increasingly emphasized in higher education, it often remains shaped by Western-centric and neoliberal paradigms. Moreover, there is limited empirical research examining how feminist pedagogy can be applied to develop global citizenship in non-Western EFL contexts, particularly in Southeast Asia. Feminist pedagogy rooted in empowerment, dialogue, and reflexivity offers a transformative alternative that promotes ethical awareness and social justice. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected from three MA students through student–teacher dialogues, reflective journals, and classroom observations over a 15-week course. Thematic analysis revealed that feminist pedagogy enhanced students’ cognitive awareness, affective openness, and behavioral engagement—the three core dimensions of GC. Students developed confidence to express their voices, critically analyzed inequality, and engaged in collaborative advocacy projects addressing gender and social bias. These findings demonstrate that feminist pedagogy can encourage more inclusive and participatory EFL classroom interactions that connect language learning with ethical and civic engagement. The study contributes to contextualizing critical GCE within Southeast Asian higher education.