Annual Review of Comparative and International Education 2014: Volume 25

Subject:

Table of contents

(29 chapters)
Abstract

The Annual Review of Comparative and International Education 2014 provides an opportunity for reflection and debate of current issues in the field. Central among these is how comparative and international education (CIE) is defined by scholars and practitioners, and how these understandings contribute to the field’s sense of professional and academic identity. The work of teachers and teaching in classrooms worldwide comprises much of the CIE field’s technical core and focus of policymaking as well as other relevant activity. As a result, the education of teachers and their professional development are key, and often undervalued, components. Based upon this foundation, the 2014 Annual Review highlights ways that teacher education and professional development impact CIE research and professional activity, and vice versa.

Abstract

This discussion essay explores trends and issues in the teaching of comparative education. We argue that the field of Comparative and International Education (CIE) must give more attention to the aspect of teaching, as comparative education courses are increasingly being affected by diminishing devotion to social foundations of education programming in many institutions of higher education and schools. Ironically, despite growing pluralism, the rise of economic utilitarianism has led to technicist-driven curriculum and less inquiry about philosophical, historical, and cultural assumptions underlying educational policy and practice. Another challenge in the teaching of comparative education is that students are often ill-prepared to understand and utilize the most basic social science concepts. Recognizing that teaching and research in CIE are inevitably linked, it is argued that a transformational model that advances CIE across disciplines, schools, and departments may reinforce its importance and ensure that the benefits that comparative inquiry affords – namely critical reflexivity, insight about school–society relationships, and possibilities for educational improvement – are addressed and safeguarded in tertiary and teacher education. An understanding of cultural and national contexts is important to educational reform and enables educators to view globalization in terms of how it benefits or undermines humanistic aims, namely the importance of individuals and the uniqueness of cultures.

Abstract

Research and debate on the value and deployment of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) has become contentious. While many agree that it is something that is both threatened and valuable, there are enormous conceptual difficulties encountered in framing what, exactly, it is that IK proponents should be fighting to preserve. This chapter uses insights from James C. Scott’s work on legibility and Bruno Latour’s work in the sociology of knowledge to privilege what we call relative epistemological performativity. This framework stands in contrast to attempts to privilege problematic essentialist views of “indigenous,” “Western,” or “scientific” knowledge. With this framework we are able to challenge some of the “antipolitics” implicit in educational development agenda that promote cultural and cognitive homogeneity as well as find space for hybrids like using ICT to strengthen IK. Finally, we conclude that the profound differences in conceptualizing the epistemology and ontology of IK should not detract from widespread agreement on the need for pedagogical practices that protect threatened local languages, cultures, and ecological knowledge.

Abstract

This essay addresses the issue of incorporating comparative and international education research into teacher education by addressing how the field of comparative education is defined, the essential skills and knowledges that students must have in order to properly “consume” comparative research, the degree to which teacher education is presently equipped to effectively incorporate comparative research into its programming, and the changes needed to bring comparative research more squarely into the domain of teacher education. I argue that the study of comparative education research necessitates a foundational base, formed through serious and rigorous engagement with core courses in the social sciences and humanities as well as social foundations course in education. I advance that without this base, we run a greater risk of seeing comparative research become appropriated into a technocratic paradigm that governs much of what presently constitutes teacher education. The essay calls for the introduction of comparative education research into teacher education simultaneously with the advancement of the other social foundation courses, along with aggressive advocacy for a broader liberal arts core.

Abstract

Comparative education and international education are central themes in the field of information and communication technology for development (ICT4D). Policies, projects, and practices around technology are often created and enacted based on best practices compared across multiple contexts and disciplines. As such, ICT4D research is at the nexus of understanding how youth can be empowered through technology, teacher pedagogy can be enhanced through technology, and how marginalized communities can leverage technology to leapfrog into the 21st century. In this essay, the authors explore these themes as a way to enforce the synergies among scholars in the fields of ICT4D and comparative and international education.

Abstract

Inclusive Education promotes access to quality education, as well as participation and achievement opportunities for all learners in heterogeneous settings, particularly for those who are vulnerable, have been marginalized, discriminated against, labeled, and segregated in separate schools for “special needs.” Key issues include equal opportunity, and systemic change to accommodate diversity. This discussion essay addresses the question of how comparative and international education research advances understanding of these issues. As a key strategy for school reform adopted by UNESCO for its millennium development goal of universal education, implications for research and professional development of inclusive education policy and practices are discussed.

Abstract

The Global Mathematics Education Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) provides a forum for researchers and practitioners from around the world to discuss theory, practices, and techniques for mathematics learning from early childhood to tertiary education. Teacher education and professional development is a significant focus of the SIG’s conversations. This chapter discusses and current and future impact of CIE research on teacher education and professional development in global mathematics. A range of factors can undermine students’ performance in mathematics. In many contexts, teacher shortages result in underqualified teachers; teachers trained in other subjects are assigned to teach mathematics; or teacher training lacks adequate focus on teaching mathematics for understanding. While these factors exist in many contexts, they are most acute in low-income countries and communities. Mathematics is widely recognized as a mechanism for economic growth, at individual and system levels. However, low-income countries and marginalized populations perform poorly in cross-national assessments. As a result, lower-performing countries may emulate policy and practice of the higher-performing countries. In such cases there is a risk of superficial “fixes” that ignore contextual factors. There are ways to reduce such risks by combining such assessments with more contextual studies, or by using cross-national assessments as catalysts for examining what is happening locally. Looking forward, there is reason for optimism about the recognition of the importance of early-grade numeracy; recognition of the intersections of mathematics, culture, and language; and potential for reaching across CIE areas and methodologies to develop a more measured and nuanced view of assessment results.

Abstract

This essay examines the field of comparative and international education (CIE) and its implications for the policy and practice of teacher education and the teaching profession in Asia. Initially, it explores the state and problems in offering CIE in higher education institutions as well as research activities in the field. Afterwards, the contribution of CIE in terms of teacher education policy and practices as well as the development of teaching profession are discussed. The conclusion considers implications for CIE-relevant research and its impact on teacher education and professional development.

Abstract

The dynamics of teacher education in Africa are complex. To understand their complexities, one has to plow through multiple layers of players that provide funding, policy direction, curricula, teaching methods, and technologies to teacher education systems grounded in divergent philosophies and histories. There is a need to understand how ideas regarding teacher policies and practices are filtered between countries and how those ideas are shaped to fit unique contexts in which they are introduced. Considering the roles played by multinational and bilateral international organizations, national governments, colleges, universities, teacher unions, the private sector, and civil society, it is imperative that data is collected and evaluated to measure impact of reforms and policies that guide teacher training for novices and in-service for professional teachers. As such, the critical role comparative and international teacher education research plays cannot be understated. Comparative and International Education (CIE) relevant research serves to advance understanding of teacher education and professional development by highlighting best practices, issues, inputs, outputs, gaps, and differences, the relationships with student learning outcomes, and standardization and harmonization of teacher education curricula in a very crowded arena. CIE relevant research provides the necessary data for examining policies and initiating reforms that lead to positive student learning outcomes. In addition, the research provides benchmarks in novice teacher training and professional development that contribute to teaching efficacy and teacher effectiveness.

Abstract

In this chapter I address three questions, posed by the editors of the Annual Review of Comparative and International Education 2014, drawing from my research and practitioner work in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Sudan, Palestine, and Qatar. The questions dealt with international education, teacher education, and the Middle East. First, I set the context of the region before delving into the answering the questions. In examining how comparative and international education (CIE) research has influenced policy reform of teacher education and professional development, I touch on three main trends taking place in the region whose influence is double-edged: positively influencing policy and reform on the one hand, but also resulting in negative consequences on the other hand. I then discuss how CIE research has influenced the ability of teachers to promote youth citizenship by discussing my own experience as teacher. Understanding the history of a country or a community is important to inform the development of an education system, especially in the development of its cadre of teachers. In conclusion, I argue that the region needs to take control of its own reforms and fully understand what works and does not work in its own community. The region should better understand where it wants its own citizens to be within a globalized society and let that inform its own policies and reforms. There is no “one size fits all” approach as the region is littered with examples of how such reforms do not and cannot work.

Abstract

This discussion essay provides an overview of teacher preparation programs in South Asia, detailing current innovative practices, challenges and trends regarding teacher education in the region. The chapter presents initiatives in several South Asian countries in terms of the design and implementation of in-service teacher trainings, pre-service teacher education programs, and distance education programs in South Asia. The main concept of the essay is to provide a comparative perspective to learn from field-based initiatives with the aim of improving the quality of the programs. It also highlights new trends such as the English education programs and ICT-based teacher training programs. It acknowledges that culture and context form a large part of the success for any education initiative. While doing so, a more holistic approach to improving teacher quality is emphasized. Finally, the essay concludes by sharing some ideas on developing conducive teaching–learning environments in the schools to support teachers. This essay should benefit policy makers and practitioners to: (a) obtain an overview of teacher quality programs in South Asia; and (b) comparatively learn from the experiences of countries in South Asia that have both numerous similarities and some differences.

Abstract

Teacher training and professional development have been among recurrent issues in public discourse in Greece. International evidence has been systematically utilized in policy making, yet mainly in the form of comparative argument rather than as an element of rational planning. To a large extent, this could be attributed to the limited domestic research infrastructure in comparative education and the marginal presence of the field in university curricula. On the other hand, international research evidence, mainly from international organizations, has been interpreted a la carte by policy makers to support pre-conceived policy decisions. To the detriment of this state of affairs, the acute financial crisis the country is going through has turned public concern, academic research and policy priorities to more urgent matters.

Abstract

There has been a resurgence of interest in comparative and international research on teacher education that has been driven, in large part, by the emergence over the past two decades of comprehensive international studies of student achievement supported by (1) the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and (2) the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Widely published country rankings that set benchmarks for student achievement suggest the importance of understanding more fully what specific characteristics set highly ranked countries apart, especially quality of teaching and teacher education.

Recent literature on comparative and international teacher education is reviewed, focusing on special issues of Prospects (Vol. 42, March 2012, “Internationalization of Teacher Education”), sponsored by the UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE) in Geneva, Switzerland, and the International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education (Vol. 11, August 2013, “International Perspectives on Mathematics and Science Teacher Education for the Future”), sponsored by the National Science Council of Taiwan.

A conceptual framework for describing the complexity of teacher education in comparative and international context is presented, adapting an approach used for understanding educational change and reform in emerging democracies. The chapter concludes with a discussion of theoretical perspectives that have been applied to teacher education in comparative and international education with recommendations for new directions that might inform scholarly understanding as well as practice.

Abstract

Recent developments in neuroscience have generated great expectations in the education world globally. However, building a bridge between brain science and education has been hard. Educational researchers and practitioners more often than not hold unrealistic images of neuroscience, some naively positive and others blindly negative. Neuroscientist looking at how the brain reacts and changes during mental tasks involving reading or mathematics usually discuss education as some constant and undifferentiated “social environment” of the brain, either assuming it to be a “black box” or evoking an image of perfect schooling and full access to it. In this review, we claim that a more productive and realistic relationship between neuroscience and the comparative study of education can be thought about in terms of the hypothesis that formal education is having a significant role in the cognitive and neurological development of human populations around the world. We review research that supports this hypothesis and implications for future studies.

Abstract

Using Singapore as a case study, this chapter analyzes how the internationalization of teacher education can take place amidst strong national obligations. It discusses qualitative and quantitative data from a study that sought out the features, strategies, and expected outcomes of internationalization in Singapore. Institutional key actors (i.e., institutional leaders, faculty members, administrative staff, and student teachers) from Singapore’s sole teacher education institution, the National Institute of Education, participated in this study.

Findings reveal that the internationalization of teacher education is perceived to be important for its expected academic, economic, sociocultural, and political benefits. However, due to teacher education’s strong national obligations, the integration of international dimensions is limited and guided by local priorities. As a result, a hybridized form of localization and internationalization can be seen in Singapore’s teacher education. This is a significant finding as teacher education – traditionally known to be nationally local – is now interested to incorporate internationalized perspectives.

Abstract

This chapter focuses on a study, which investigates the question: How do teacher education policies match teacher education practices in Anglophone West Africa? Teacher education policy in this chapter refers to action statements in verbal or written form made by national education authorities/agencies about teacher education, while teacher education practice refers to the work that teachers do. Using the method of research synthesis, multi-layered, purposeful sampling of various data sources, Boolean and non-Boolean search strategies, qualitative and quantitative analytical procedures, the study identified over a hundred documents. Out of these, 77 documents met the criteria for inclusion in the study. The distribution of research outcomes by Anglophone West African countries were as follows: 18.2% were on Gambia, 27.3% were on Ghana, 10.4% were on Liberia, 24.7% were on Nigeria, and 19.5% were on Sierra Leone. From this research synthesis, it is evident that there is a gap between teacher education policy and practice in Anglophone West Africa. Most teacher education policies are “add-on,” meaning that they were formulated as part of a larger national policy framework on basic, secondary and tertiary education. In addition, the research synthesis found that Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone are very similar in terms of their pre-service teacher training models, but differ in their in-service and professional development systems, while Liberia has a slightly different in-service model with varying durations. The limitations and implications of the findings for further comparative and international education research are discussed in the chapter.

Abstract

Global governance has granted international organizations a political role of utmost importance. As the search for research-based best practices is the spearhead of these nongovernmental organizations, national decision-makers tend to accept their recommendations willingly. The way decision-makers use research-based evidence has been amply investigated, but few researchers have interrogated how the same international organizations, that claim to establish a bridge between research and policy, use such evidence. This prompted us to analyze the pedagogical discourse of UNESCO, an organization that recently reminded the international community that improving teacher quality is now a major issue for all those who are preoccupied with improving the quality of education (UNESCO, 2014). Teaching and learning: Achieving quality for all. EFA global monitoring report. Paris, France: UNESCO). How does UNESCO deal with the issue of teaching practices? What is the content of its pedagogical discourse? To answer these questions, we analyzed the Organization’s publications on teachers in the past 15 years (N = 45) and conducted interviews with a number of its strategic members (N = 5). The results of our analyses of this dataset indicate a tension between the content of the publications and what the interviewees had to say. While the publications timidly but recurrently promote learner-centered constructivist approaches, the interviewees argued that pedagogical orientations are a matter of national sovereignty; that UNESCO should not cross this line. As an intermediary between research and policy and a think tank, UNESCO seems caught in this contradiction. In matters of pedagogy, shouldn’t the Organization be more forceful in counseling its member States by referring to research-based evidence on teaching effectiveness?

Abstract

Against a broader global and regional shift toward “quality education for all,” the chapter explores education policy developments and trends related to teacher education and professional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. We examine how multilateral education policy circulation and regional horizontal cooperation has guided these education policy developments. The chapter is organized into three parts. It first provides a discussion of educational multilateralism and new forms of horizontal cooperation, as it relates to educational development efforts. We argue that these new forms of multilateralism and horizontal cooperation guide the development of policies that seek to enhance both educational equity and quality education, particularly through advancing teacher education and professional development. The second section explores several recent education policy trends that relate to teacher education and professional development in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the challenges that Ministries of Education face when designing and implementing programs of teacher education and professional development. Lastly, the chapter examines the role of regional organizations in promoting new forms of regional horizontal cooperation specific to teacher education and professional development, focusing on the example of Organization of American States’ (OAS) Inter-American Teacher Education Network (ITEN).

Abstract

This chapter examines the similarities and differences in teacher education between Botswana and Lesotho to unravel “best fit” strategies specific to the needs of teacher education in different locals or populations within these two countries. We begin with an overview of the social, political, and economic contexts of each country as a lens by which to understand some of the current challenges teachers face within each country. We review the research literature to understand what teacher preparation looks like at the tertiary level and how teachers in the field maintain current knowledge and pedagogical skills in regard the content they teach. We will argue that when teaching pedagogy at the tertiary level maintains an authoritarian model of teaching with content centered, didactic instruction, and teacher-centered pedagogy there is little ability for national change in education. Likewise, if teacher education does not embed the concept of life-long learning and is not supported by both a national and local commitment to support teacher’s continued professional development the ability to sustain any change in education is thwarted.

Abstract

The focus and goal of this chapter is to systematically detail how the “cascade” system is organized and how it operates by coordinating current research. To do so, this chapter first builds an understanding of the historical conditions that forged the “cascade” system, then turns to how the system operates – charting its affordances and limitations through others’ research – and then discusses what opportunities can be leveraged to support teachers’ work. In doing so, this chapter provides relevant information and documentation about the “cascade” system so that readers can understand how this system currently works and what is possible. Two interpretations are made from the analysis of current research. First, the “cascade” is overwrought with voices, and the participants overwhelmed; and second, the “cascade” fosters an untenable view of how people learn and what constitutes teaching. Increasingly, teachers and their education are being widely recognized as central to the fortunes of schoolchildren. In India, a significant amount of attention is being paid to teacher education more than ever before. For example, the recent 5-year planning and operations budget is being touted as the “Teacher Education Plan.” Thus, probing the existing system and its norms and practices is vital to ensuring this attention isn’t frittered away and is put toward helping teachers step up to the challenge of providing all students rich opportunities to learn.

Abstract

Teacher Education has been transforming throughout the world to cater to the emerging needs of quality education. Significant developments have taken place nationally and internationally in political, economic, and cultural fields, influencing education in general and teacher education in particular. The quality of education depends to a great extent on the quality of teachers. And, the quality of teachers depends on the way they are educated and trained. Pakistan has a vast education sector and a huge teaching force but teacher education in the country has not been keeping pace with modernization and development globally. Teacher education curricula, dissemination, evaluation and implementation revolved around traditional models for decades. However, there has been a growing realization to reform the teacher education system lately. The education policy (2009) of Pakistan indicates such realization on the part of the stakeholders. This chapter reports on an important teacher education reform program, which is based on collaboration between the government of Pakistan and the USAID. The Teacher Education Project (TEP), assisted by USAID, is a reform initiative that aimed at restructuring and modernizing teacher education in Pakistan. This chapter aims to provide insights into the objectives, importance and achievements of the project in terms of shaping the future direction of teacher education in Pakistan. It reports on the substantial structural and policy changes that took place in teacher education under the project. This chapter also highlights the possible challenges in the way of useful implementation and sustainability of this and similar education reform initiatives in Pakistan.

DOI
10.1108/S1479-3679201425
Publication date
2014-08-26
Book series
International Perspectives on Education and Society
Editors
Series copyright holder
Emerald Publishing Limited
ISBN
978-1-78350-453-4
eISBN
978-1-78350-454-1
Book series ISSN
1479-3679