perspectives and challenges of global citizenship education in the iran primary school curriculum: analysis based on an islamic republic context

the purpose of study was to survey the perspectives and challenges of global citizen education in iran primary school curriculum with emphasis on the context of the islamic republic. the research method was mixed and the research sample includes the social studies textbook of grades 4-6. data were collected through primary and secondary sources and fairclough discourse analysis method was used to analyze them. the first finding showed that national preferences have mainly influenced the interpretation of policymakers and curriculum planners about global citizenship education. the second finding is that the level of primary school textbook authors’ attention to the components of global citizenship is very less and partial. the third finding is that the authors selective discourse, on the one hand does not consider a quota for teaching the components of global citizenship, and on the other hand, teaches concepts that are in clear contradiction with this idea. while the young generation of iran seems to need to understand the discourse of issues such as environmental pollution, civil rights, job opportunities and challenges, human equality, technological advances, social tolerance and life skills in the 21st century, the structure of the educational system is mainly influenced by the discourse of the colonial period and the cold war era. therefore, it is suggested that the content of the primary school textbook of iran to be revised according to the realities and necessities of life in the new millennium.