Comparative Education Comparative Education Studies: Studies: Current Trends around Current Trends around the World the World Mark Bray Director, UNESCO-IIEP President, WCCES
Dec 27, 2015
Comparative Education Comparative Education Studies:Studies:
Current Trends around the Current Trends around the WorldWorld
Mark Bray
Director, UNESCO-IIEP
President, WCCES
Comparative Education Comparative Education Studies:Studies:
Current Trends around the Current Trends around the WorldWorld
Mark Bray
Director, UNESCO-IIEP
President, WCCES
IntroductionIntroductiono My own background and
perspective
o UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)
o World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES)
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Headquarters in Paris, and with global network of regional bureaus, cluster and national offices
Established 1945
UNESCO’s Education-Sector UNESCO’s Education-Sector InstitutesInstitutes
• International Bureau of Education (IBE); Geneva, Switzerland
• UNESCO Institute for Education (UIE); Hamburg, Germany
• International Institute for Educational Planning
• Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE); Moscow, Russia
• International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America & the Caribbean (IESALC); Caracas, Venezuela
• International Institute for Capacity-Building in Africa (IICBA); Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The IIEP Created in 1963 on an innovative model100 staffheadquartered in Paris Buenos Aires branch opened 1997
Three main domains Three main domains of of IIEP work:IIEP work:
Training Research Operational
activities
Enrolment RatesFounded 1970
Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) (USA)Comparative Education Society in Europe (CESE)Japan Comparative Education Society (JCES)Comparative & International Education Society of Canada (CIESC)Korean Comparative Education Society (KCES)
The WCCES and its Member The WCCES and its Member SocietiesSocieties
Enrolment Rates
Now 35 societies:27 national and sub-national6 regional2 language-based
The WCCES and its Member The WCCES and its Member SocietiesSocieties
Enrolment Rates
World Congresses, every 3 years1998: South Africa (Africa)2001: Korea (Asia)2004: Cuba (Latin America)2007: Bosnia & Herzegovina (Europe)
WCCES ActivitiesWCCES Activities
WCCES MembershipSome regions are better represented than others
Location of WCCES MeetingsThe locations of meetings influence which societies can attend, and so whose voices are heard
Balances and Opportunities in the Balances and Opportunities in the Operation of a Global BodyOperation of a Global Body
Changes over timeThe field is making important progress, but needs further strengthening and leadership
The evolving field of The evolving field of comparative educationcomparative education
Comparative education scholars in different parts of the world have different focuses and emphases: different themes for research
different theoretical frameworks
different countries (and other units) chosen for analysis
Comparative Comparative EducationEducation
International International EducationEducation
Foci of EnquiryFoci of Enquiry
Overlapping fields
Dominance of countries
Also much focus on continents/world regions
Units of Analysis in Units of Analysis in Comparative EducationComparative Education
A cube for multilevel comparison
Units of Analysis in Units of Analysis in Comparative EducationComparative Education
UK Journal: Comparative Education
A pair of benchmarksA pair of benchmarks
1977 special issue
2000/01
millennial special issue
follow-up special issue
Growth of the field
Stronger optimism
New tools, e.g. in information technology
New themes, e.g. globalisation
More varied and multi-level units of analysis
Some salient points:Some salient points:
Heavily dominated by social sciences, and therefore influenced by shifts in paradigms.But limited use of social-science tools. Many studies based on literature review; relatively few based on survey; almost none based on experimental methods.
Methodology and Focus in Methodology and Focus in Comparative EducationComparative Education
Qualitative studies more common than quantitative onesBut different emphases in different parts of the world: Comparative Educations
Methodology and Focus in Methodology and Focus in Comparative EducationComparative Education
Methodology and Focus in Methodology and Focus in Comparative EducationComparative Education
Paulston (1997):
Plurality in the field partly arises from paradigmatic differences between different groups of scholars.
Differences may be exacerbated when those scholars are from different countries and work in different languages.
Methodology and Focus in Methodology and Focus in Comparative EducationComparative Education
ConclusionsConclusionsComparative education is an exciting field in which we can learn from each otherMuch needs to be done to improve quality of scholarship and to promote networkingIn this, we can each play a role!