Comparative & International Education

Keynote: International Comparisons in the Improvement of Education

by David Hebert

Hebert, D. G. (in preparation for 2012, invited/based on keynote speech for Theory for Practice in the Education of Contemporary Society, Riga, Latvia). “Keynote: International Comparisons in the Improvement of Education,” Journal of Pedagogy and Psychology “Signum Temporis,” 4.

Keynote Speech, “International Comparisons in the Improvement of Education,” presented by invitation at the Sixth... more Keynote Speech, “International Comparisons in the Improvement of Education,” presented by invitation at the Sixth International Scientific Conference: Theory for Practice in the Education of Contemporary Society, Riga Teacher Training and Education Management Academy [Riga, Latvia] (March 29-31, 2012) [http://www.rpiva.lv/index.php?mh=teorija_praksei].


Imperfections – such as inequality and inefficiency of learning – are perennial problems for education despite a diversity of foundations on which national systems are established, which range from the idealistic vision of fostering a utopian society to the utilitarian objective of producing skilled workers capable of engendering economic growth. Despite sharing many common conditions and fundamental values, educators rarely learn valuable lessons from the successes and failures of highly relevant initiatives in distant nations. This problem may be attributed to several factors, not the least of which includes the entrenchment of local traditions and ethnocentric assumptions, but surely the quality and relevance of international-comparative research – and the way its results are disseminated – are issues that must also be taken into careful consideration. What are the unique lessons to be learned from international comparisons, and what are the prospective risks for how such comparisons may be misinterpreted and misused in educational settings? How can international comparative research be made more relevant, with tangible applications that may be recognized and effectively used by school teachers? How can international comparative education meaningfully examine subjects beyond the reach of standardized testing, in such domains as the fostering of creativity, talent, and ethical sensibilities, for example? These themes will be presented through discussion of both research findings and anecdotes from the personal experience of working for universities on four continents. Specific topics will include the challenges of accounting for conceptual equivalency and representing cultural differences, sampling and generalizability, reconciling the diverging aims of economic, anthropological, sociological, and psychological research, as well as grappling with the ambivalent discourse of globalization, multiculturalism, post-colonialism, and other social movements.

History Teaching, Imperialism and Decolonization in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (1945-1958)

by Iris Seri-Hersch

PhD dissertation defended on May 17, 2012 at Aix-Marseille Université. Written in French.

Situating the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan in the wider frame of British imperial history, this dissertation investigates... more Situating the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan in the wider frame of British imperial history, this dissertation investigates school history in late colonial Sudan. Didactic materials, prescribed contents and pedagogic practices are analyzed against the background of five major developments of the 1945-1953 period: the shifting of British imperialism in Africa towards “paternalist-progressive” policies aiming at preparing colonial peoples for self-government; the polarization of British and Egyptian positions on the Sudanese issue; mounting rivalries between the independentist and unionist wings of Sudanese nationalism; the hasty unification of Northern and Southern Sudan after more than half a century of separate rule; and Northern Sudanese policies of Arabization and Islamization in the South as a tool for achieving “national unification”.
In a second part, the innovative character of post-WWII history teaching in Sudan is assessed by examining earlier patterns of Sudanese school history. History teaching in late colonial Sudan is then compared with history teaching in other territories of the (ex-)Empire (Uganda, North Rhodesia, Nigeria, Egypt, India, Great Britain). Two central postcolonial issues are further explored, namely the decolonization of school historical narratives after independence (1956) and the role of history teaching in fuelling the North-South conflict in Sudan.

The international space of the Danish testing community in the interwar years

by Christian Ydesen

Misyurov D.A. Dialectical formulas based on the binary notation as the development formulas // Credo New. 2012. №2

by Dmitry Misyurov

The article suggests dialectical formulas based on the binary notation as the development formulas: formula with... more The article suggests dialectical formulas based on the binary notation as the development formulas: formula with dominant and the non-dominant elements; universal formula; formula with symbolic weight of elements; tautological formula. For example, it suggests an opportunity to use the dialectical formulas for modeling and artificial intelligence creation, etc.

Explaining Technological Pedagogical Change: A comparison of pedagogical technologists in schools

by David Woo

Paper abstract for CESA 2012

This paper explores the role of selected pedagogical technologists and examines what they do to impact schools’ ways... more This paper explores the role of selected pedagogical technologists and examines what they do to impact schools’ ways of working with and through technology.  In particular, it investigates the characteristics of the pedagogical technologists’ interactions with other school stakeholders, particularly teachers.
A pedagogical technologist helps teachers and other stakeholders in a school to use technology to best support student learning, taking into account technological, pedagogical content knowledge. A pedagogical technologist is neither a teacher in a traditional sense, nor a technician. In examining the pedagogical technologist, the paper employs a qualitative, multiple-case study research strategy with the pedagogical technologist role being the case unit of analysis.  The study adopts an iterative, grounded approach to data collection and analysis. Grounding data collection and analysis entails initial data collection and analysis informing subsequent data collection and analysis in terms of development, primacy and validation of concepts. Data is collected by observing, interviewing and interacting with selected pedagogical technologists and other school stakeholders. Balance and variety are emphasized in the development of the study and the presentation of findings.
Some persistent qualities of interactions between pedagogical technologists and other school stakeholders are illustrated in the data. The preeminent interaction characteristic is the pedagogical technologist explaining technological pedagogical change to others in a way that they can understand. The content of this explaining includes the sharing of technological pedagogical practice or solutions, and the sharing of the technological pedagogical beliefs, values and assumptions which underlie the practice and solutions. The form of this explaining often incorporates technological pedagogical knowledge, other knowledge, interpersonal skills and metaphorical language. The significance of this interaction characteristic on teacher education is discussed.  Other implications for practitioners, organizations and researchers are discussed.

Pursuing things that work in European higher education governance

by Marta Shaw

Comparative and International Higher Education 4(1)

Efforts to develop coherent indicators to compare higher education systems in Europe open up the possibility for... more Efforts to develop coherent indicators to compare higher education systems in Europe open up the possibility for researchers and practitioners alike to escape nationalistic tunnel vision. This article argues that to realize the potential of its new tools, the field of international higher education must go beyond a synchronic and passive analysis of higher education systems. For the field to have real impact, it must heed the call of its founding father to “pursue the things that work” (Clark, 2007, p. 319). With this aim in mind, the present article briefly traces the landscape of governance change in European higher education and critically assesses emerging pathways of future research.

Commentary: Translating as Nudging Teachers toward “Best Practice.” ZDM Mathematics Education 42 (3-4), 2012.

by Kathryn Anderson-Levitt

This commentary is a response to five articles appearing in the same issue: “Assessing elemental validity: the... more This commentary is a response to five articles appearing in the same issue: “Assessing elemental validity: the transfer and use of mathematical knowledge for teaching measures in Ghana,” by Yaa Cole; “A validation study of the use of mathematical knowledge for teaching measures in Ireland,” by Seán Delaney; “Analysis of psychometric properties as part of an ongoing adaptation process of MKT items for use in other countries,” by Janne Fauskanger, Arne Jakobsen, Reidar Mosvold and Raymond Bjuland; “To change or not to change: Adapting Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) measures for use in Korea”, by Minsung Kwon, Mark Hoover Thames and JeongSuk Pang; and “Using the MKT measures to reveal Indonesian teachers’ mathematical knowledge: challenges and potentials,” by Dicky Ng.

From ‘Red and Expert’ to Market Socialism and the Knowledge Consumer: The Political Economy of Education and Inequality in China.

by Ian Wash

Postgraduate Dissertation

Julius Nyerere (1922-1999), an African Philosopher, Re-envisions Teacher Education to Escape Colonialism

by Thalia Mulvihill

Co-authored with Thenjiwe Major

Published in New Proposals: Journal of Marxism and Interdisciplinary Inquiry
Vol. 3, No. 1 (October 2009) Pp. 15-22

Julius Nyerere (1922-1999), an African Philosopher,
Re-envisions Teacher Education to Escape Colonialismmore Julius Nyerere (1922-1999), an African Philosopher,
Re-envisions Teacher Education to Escape Colonialism
Thenjiwe Major and Thalia M. Mulvihill
Ball State University

ABSTRACT: Before the introduction of the Western system of education into Africa (18th century), the aim of indigenous education was to preserve the cultural heritage of the family, the clan, and the larger groups. Indigenous education was meant for every member of the society because it was believed that every member of society had a role to play in educating the child, thus the proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.” This paper addresses the philosophy of self-reliance as advocated by Julius Nyerere (1922-1999) when he became president of Tanzania in 1962. Nyerere was highly critical of the social, political, economic and cultural value system imposed on his country during the period of colonization, and he worked relentlessly to go back to the traditional African values. He believed that the Africans should decolonize their minds in order to accept themselves as Africans. He believed that the education system introduced by the British in 1900, when they colonized Tanzania, did not address the needs of the Tanzanian people, therefore Nyerere advocated for education that he believed was more culturally relevant. Nyerere’s philosophy of education has had a great impact on many African countries. This paper explores his educational philosophy of self-reliance and the impact of African Socialism on the African education system today. Furthermore, the paper critically discusses the reasons for the downfall of Nyerere while reemphasizing the power that educational ideas hold for transforming societies.

What symbols

by Dmitry Misyurov

This article contains 12 questions about the symbols. What are your thoughts in response? This article contains 12 questions about the symbols. What are your thoughts in response?

Cultural Diversity and Transnational Flexible Delivery

by Christopher Ziguras

Bildung und Kultur. Ästhetische Grundlagen der Vergleichenden Pädagogik, in: Manuel Fröhlich et. al: Bildung und Kultur - Relationen, Jena 2012, pp. 53-80

by Karsten Kenklies

Between Faith and Science: World Culture Theory and Comparative Education

by Iveta Silova

with Steve Carney and Jeremy Rappleye

World culture theory seeks to explain an apparent convergence of education through a neoinstitutionalist lens, seeing... more World culture theory seeks to explain an apparent convergence of education through a neoinstitutionalist lens, seeing global rationalization in education as driven by the logic of science and the myth of progress. While critics have challenged these assumptions by focusing on local manifestations of world-level tendencies, such critique is comfortably accommodated within world culture theory. We approach the debate from a fresh perspective by examining its ideological foundations. We also highlight its shift from notions of myth and enactment toward advocacy for particular models, and we show that world culture theory can become normative, while obscuring our view of policy convergence. Finally, we critique the methods and evidence in world culture research. We argue that such research, while failing to support its own claims, actually produces world culture, as its assumptions and parameters create the very image of consensus and homogeneity that world culture theorists expect scholars to accept—in faith—as empirically grounded.

Research in International Education

by Nadine Dolby

Brüggemann, C. & Kling, J. (2012) National Roma Integration Strategies: a critical review of education indicators in selected European Union countries. In Development & Transition (19).

by Christian Brüggemann

Forthcoming

In order to fight the exclusion and marginalization of Roma minorities in contemporary Europe, the European Union (EU)... more In order to fight the exclusion and marginalization of Roma minorities in contemporary Europe, the European Union (EU) has recently called the member states to design National Roma Integration Strategies (NRIS) including a “robust monitoring mechanism to ensure concrete results’.  The integration strategies – which are currently under revision – are intended to cover goals based on ‘comparable and reliable indicators’ in four key areas: education, employment, health care and housing.  However, the European Commission does not define which characteristics an indicator needs to have in order to be ‘comparable and reliable’ nor does it give concrete examples of such indicators. Here we look at the NRIS submitted by Hungary, Romania and the Slovak Republic, with particular emphasis on their education initiatives, and show to what extent education indicators have the potential to contribute to monitoring and evaluating them.

Brüggemann, C. & Škobla, D. (2012) Special schooling in Slovakia: a long way to go for desegregation policies. In Development and Transition (19).

by Christian Brüggemann

Forthcoming

Given the political commitment to avoid disproportionate streaming of Roma in special education settings, this paper... more Given the political commitment to avoid disproportionate streaming of Roma in special education settings, this paper explores the extent of ethnic segregation in education in Slovakia using household research data. Based on UNDP household surveys in Slovakia,  we compare 2005 and 2010 data on the number of young Roma enrolled in special education settings. We pay particular attention to the influence of settlement type and mother tongue on disproportionate streaming of Roma in special schools and classrooms.  Finally, we argue that institutional change is necessary to prevent unfair treatment, especially of those Roma with an insufficient command of the language of school instruction.

Study of school-level implementation of the South African school funding norms: perspectives of principals

by Erin Raab

A review of the literature suggests that school fees can impede the right to education and the achievement of other... more A review of the literature suggests that school fees can impede the right to education and the achievement of other national development goals by restricting access for poor learners, or by diminishing the quality of education. While the issue of school fees has been hotly debated in South Africa, there is little information about what is actually happening in schools. This research, conducted in a peri-urban area outside of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, is designed to explore the perspectives and experiences of principals with regards to the school fee policy. Eleven principals were interviewed: nine from relatively poor schools and two from a wealthier area, and their experiences with regards to the implementation of the school fee policy were compared and analysed.

The findings suggest the implementation of the policy tends to be similar across schools of similar financial standing, but that there are considerable differences between the experiences of principals from poor and wealthy schools. The wealthier schools implemented the policy 'to-the-letter' and had hired staff and created systems to ensure all rules were properly followed. All of the poorer schools found parts of the policy impossible to implement in their schools and had adapted the policy in similar ways to better fit their situation. For example, amongst other adaptations, they allowed parents to apply for an exemption by simply discussing their circumstances with the principal, or obtaining an affidavit from the police, instead of making everyone fill out an official application form.

Part of the problem is that the policy is based on assumptions which are not consistent with the reality of the South African context in that there are many different 'realities' faced by schools, yet there is only one rigid policy. Many schools find parts of the policy's processes to be impractical or irrelevant at best, and actually decreasing the quality of education they are able to provide at worst. Areas within which policy assumptions and reality did not match include: the implications of the distribution of income in South Africa on school financing; the power and access to information of parents and SGBs, and the ability or desire of parents to pay fees and/or be involved in the oversight of their children's education; and, the ability of provincial Departments of Education to properly support poor and/or Nonsection 21 schools. Additionally, Non-section 21 schools were found to be at an economic disadvantage compared with Section 21 schools.

Another issue is that there are currently adverse incentives built into the policy. Amongst other effects these incentives encourage principals to minimise the number of exemptions approved, and for parents to either not pay at all, or to provide information to principals that underestimates their annual income. The significant contrasts in experiences between experiences of poor and wealthy schools and the adverse incentives built into the policy suggest the right question to ask may not be whether or not schools are implementing the policy correctly, but whether the policy is correctly designed to achieve the goals of the South African education system within the current context.

‘Communicability’ in English as career investment: an ethnographic study of young Malay speaking media professionals in Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

by Airil Haimi Mohd Adnan

(2009) - research paper.

Regional Conference on the Humanities: Managing ASEAN's Future (RCH 2009) / May 18th and 19th, 2009, Petronas University of Technology (UTP), Main Campus, Perak, MALAYSIA.

Regional collaboration and industrial linkage by academics in Malaysian institutions of higher learning: myth or reality?

by Airil Haimi Mohd Adnan

(2009) - research paper, featured presentation.
Co-authored with Nurulhayati Ilias.

Regional Conference on the Humanities: Managing ASEAN's Future (RCH 2009) / May 18th and 19th, 2009, Petronas University of Technology (UTP), Main Campus, Perak, MALAYSIA.

Constructing identities through language: a cross-national study of Malaysia and Indonesia.

by Airil Haimi Mohd Adnan

(2010) - research paper.

International Conference on Minority and Majority: Language, Culture and Identity / November 23rd and 24th, 2010, Hilton Kuching, Sarawak, MALAYSIA.