Ethical Global Citizenship Education for the Common Good

Purpose: This article examines the role of Global Citizenship Education (GCE) within UNESCO’s education sector, where it is positioned as a means to cultivate the values and knowledge necessary for students to become well-informed and responsible global citizens. The paper proposes ethical GCE as a pedagogical framework that promotes the common good—understood as the shared conditions and values that benefit all members of society—by fostering learners’ ethics of care, global moral consciousness, ecocritical perspectives, and humanity empowerment. Method: This research project used a qualitative approach consisting of a literature review to analyze key frameworks, pedagogical models, and normative goals associated with ethical GCE. Results: The research identifies how ethical GCE can function as a transformative educational approach that fosters public value by encouraging learners to critically reflect on global challenges and engage in actions that contribute to equity, sustainability, and social justice. Conclusion: the article argues that ethical GCE can cultivate public value in education by empowering learners to actively engage in the co-construction of more equitable and sustainable societies.