A Systematic Self-Review of Global Dimensions in L1 School Textbooks (2003-2006) with Implications for Contemporary Curricula

Abstract

This study conducted a systematic review of the author’s research on the integration of global themes into the national school textbooks in L1 context. A corpus of six studies published between 2003-2006 was organized into four thematic clusters: local and global dimensions in Saudi textbooks, global dimensions in international curricula, forward looking curriculum design, and cultural and global education in L1 and heritage language contexts abroad. A unified four dimension framework consisting of global systems, current global issues, human values, and world history, was used to analyze all the textbooks and design the global education course model. Findings from Saudi history and reading textbooks revealed an almost complete absence of global themes, with only 1.5% of content across the nine history textbooks and a similarly negligible representation in reading textbooks. The early 2000s Saudi curricula were oriented toward national identity formation, moral instruction, and local cultural narratives. In contrast, the Singaporean social studies textbooks showed between 35%-64% of the textbooks integrated global themes across the secondary grades. This comparison highlights how national priorities and educational philosophies shape the presence, or absence, of global dimensions in L1 school education. The author’s proposed global education course for Grades 7–12 translates the four dimension framework into a coherent 13 unit curricular model. This forward looking course model illustrates how global systems, human values, contemporary global issues, and world history can be embedded across grade levels to support both national identity and global citizenship. Additionally, the study on teaching Arabic and Islamic culture to Arab children living abroad extends the analysis into diaspora contexts, showing how L1 loss in foreign environments leads to weakened cultural continuity, reduced access to religious and historical texts, and erosion of communal belonging. Taken together, the four clusters present a multilayered picture of how global themes are conceptualized and operationalized across national, international, and diaspora settings. Global education in L1 contexts is shaped not only by curricular design but also by national priorities, global mobility, and identity politics. This SR establishes the first unified evidence base for integrating global themes into L1 curricula, providing a foundational framework for future textbook reform and globally responsive curriculum design.