Social Sciences Political Science and International Relations

Global Educational Policies and Reforms

Description

This cluster of papers explores the global governance of education policy, focusing on the impact of globalization, neoliberalism, and the PISA study. It delves into topics such as public-private partnerships, data visualization, policy borrowing, and digital education governance, reflecting a critical examination of education policies in various national and international contexts.

Keywords

Globalization; Neoliberalism; Education Policy; Comparative Education; Lifelong Learning; PISA Study; Public-Private Partnerships; Data Visualization; Policy Borrowing; Digital Education Governance

Part 2 Introduction: Reframing Comparative Education: The Dialectic of the Global and the Local Chapter 3 1. Technocracy, Uncertainty, and Ethics: Comparative Education in an Era of Postmodernity and Globalization … Part 2 Introduction: Reframing Comparative Education: The Dialectic of the Global and the Local Chapter 3 1. Technocracy, Uncertainty, and Ethics: Comparative Education in an Era of Postmodernity and Globalization Chapter 4 2. Institutionalizing International Influence Chapter 5 3. The State, Social Movements, and Educational Reform Chapter 6 4. Culture and Education Chapter 7 5. The Question of Identity from a Comparative Education Perspective Chapter 8 6. Equality of Education: A Half-Century of Comparative Evidence Seen From a New Millennium Chapter 9 7. Women's Education in the Twenty-First Century: Balance and Prospects Chapter 10 8. Control of Education: Issues and Tensions in Centralization and Decentralization Chapter 11 9. Beyond Schooling: The Role of Adult and Community Education in Postcolonial Change Chapter 12 10. The Political Economy of Educational Reform in Australia, England, and the United States Chapter 13 11. Higher Education Restructuring in the Era of Globalization: Toward a Heteronomous Model? Chapter 14 12. Education in Latin America: Dependency, Underdevelopment, and Inequality Chapter 15 13. Education in Asia: Globalization and its Effects Chapter 16 14. Education in the Middle East: Challenges and Opportunities Chapter 17 15. Russia and Eastern Europe Chapter 18 16. Education for All in Africa: Still a Distant Dream Chapter 19 17. Comparative Education: The Dialectics of Globalization and its Discontents
The text is arranged in a pattern that mirrors Grumet's argument that women who teach make this passage between the so-called public and private worlds daily and that is also … The text is arranged in a pattern that mirrors Grumet's argument that women who teach make this passage between the so-called public and private worlds daily and that is also what we teach children to do. The chapters go back and forth between the experience of domesticity and the experience of teaching, between being with one's own children and being with the children of others, between being the child of one's own mother and the teacher of another mother's child, between feeling and form, family and colleagues.The first and last chapters address the familial relations that fall under the category of reproduction, a frame designed to emphasize the relations of reproduction and their importance to educational theory. The chapters closest to this margin are those that address women's work in schools, and the juxtaposition is chosen to accentuate the dialectical relation of our public and private meanings. The middle chapters are the ones most directly concerned with curriculum, that provisional ground that Grumet is naming as our mediating space, the place where we can heal. The fundamental argument of this text is that knowledge evolves in human relationships.
Rizvi and Lingard's account of the global politics of education is thoughtful, complex and compelling. It is the first really comprehensive discussion and analysis of global trends in education policy, … Rizvi and Lingard's account of the global politics of education is thoughtful, complex and compelling. It is the first really comprehensive discussion and analysis of global trends in education policy, their effects - structural and individual - and resistance to them. In the enormous body of writing on globalisation this book stands out and will become a basic text in education policy courses around the world. - Stephen J Ball, Karl Mannheim Professor of Sociology of Education, Institute of Education, University of London, UK In what ways have the processes of globalization reshaped the educational policy terrain? How might we analyse education policies located within this new terrain, which is at once local, national, regional and global? In Globalizing Education Policy, the authors explore the key global drivers of policy change in education, and suggest that these do not operate in the same way in all nation-states. They examine the transformative effects of globalization on the discursive terrain within which educational policies are developed and enacted, arguing that this terrain is increasingly informed by a range of neo-liberal precepts which have fundamentally changed the ways in which we think about educational governance. They also suggest that whilst in some countries these precepts are resisted, to some extent, they have nonetheless become hegemonic, and provide an overview of some critical issues in educational policy to which this hegemonic view of globalization has given rise, including: devolution and decentralization new forms of governance the balance between public and private funding of education access and equity and the education of girls curriculum particularly with respect to the teaching of English language and technology pedagogies and high stakes testing and the global trade in education. These issues are explored within the context of major shifts in global processes and ideological discourses currently being experienced, and negotiated by all countries. The book also provides an approach to education policy analysis in an age of globalization and will be of interest to those studying globalization and education policy across the social sciences.
In the wake of new forms of curricular policy in many parts of the world, teachers are increasingly required to act as agents of change. And yet, teacher agency is … In the wake of new forms of curricular policy in many parts of the world, teachers are increasingly required to act as agents of change. And yet, teacher agency is under‐theorised and often misconstrued in the educational change literature, wherein agency and change are seen as synonymous and positive. This article addresses the issue of teacher agency in the context of an empirical study of curriculum making in schooling. Drawing upon the existing literature, we outline an ecological view of agency. These insights frame the analysis of a set of empirical data, derived from a research project about curriculum making in a school and further education college in Scotland. Based upon the evidence, we argue that the extent to which teachers are able to achieve agency varies from context to context based upon certain environmental conditions of possibility and constraint, and that an important factor in this lies in the beliefs, values and attributes that teachers mobilise in relation to particular situations.
Abstract The discourses and practices of neoliberalism, including government policies for education and training, public debates regarding standards and changed funding regimes, have been at work on and in schools … Abstract The discourses and practices of neoliberalism, including government policies for education and training, public debates regarding standards and changed funding regimes, have been at work on and in schools in capitalist societies since at least the 1980s. Yet we have been hard pressed to say what neoliberalism is, where it comes from and how it works on us and through us to establish the new moral order of schools and schooling, and to produce the new student/subject who is appropriate to (and appropriated by) the neoliberal economy. Beck (Citation1997) refers to the current social order as the 'new modernities' and he characterizes the changes bringing about the present forms of society as having been both surreptitious and unplanned, that is, as being invisible and difficult to make sense of. In eschewing a theory in which anyone or any group may have been planning and benefiting from the changes, he falls back on the idea of natural and inevitable development, and optimistically describes the changes of the last two to three decades as the inevitable outcome of the victories of capitalism. The authors' approach is not so optimistic, and they do not accept the idea of the natural inevitability of the changes. The approach that is taken in this issue is to examine neoliberalism at work through a close examination of the texts and talk through which neoliberal subjects and their schooling have been constituted over the last two decades. In this Introduction the authors provide their own take on the way the present social and political order has emerged as something that its subjects take to be inevitable. Notes 1. There may be some states that have avoided and will avoid some of the worst excesses of this change. Denmark, for example has maintained its generous social support systems, despite the change to a conservative neoliberal government. 2. As Saul (Citation2005) points out, it takes a great deal of courage for an individual nation to separate itself off from the pressures of global monetary and regulatory bodies and from the colonizing powers of the US. He cites Mahatir in Malaysia as a political leader who refused to be coerced and whose country nevertheless thrived. Others, Saul points out, have been economically shattered by the concerted forces brought to bear in the face of their refusal. Additional informationNotes on contributorsBronwyn Davies Bronwyn Davies is a Professor and a member of the University of Western Sydney Centre for Educational Research. She is well known for her work on gender, classroom research and her writing on poststructuralist theory. More recently she has been working on collective biography, body/landscape relations, critical literacy, and a critique of neoliberalism as it impacts on subjectivities at work. Peter Bansel Peter Bansel is a Senior Research Assistant at the University of Western Sydney. He is working on an Australian Research Council funded project with Bronwyn Davies and Valerie Walkerdine, exploring the impacts of changes in the labour market on worker subjectivity.
Margaret Archer's Social Origins of Educational Systems (SAGE, 1979) has been hailed as a landmark in the sociology of education. It provides a major historical and structural comparison of state … Margaret Archer's Social Origins of Educational Systems (SAGE, 1979) has been hailed as a landmark in the sociology of education. It provides a major historical and structural comparison of state educational systems, and offers the first theoretical framework to account for their national characteristics and the processes of change they have undergone. In this University Edition, Professor Archer has skilfully condensed her large-scale study into a concise textbook, which retains all the force and vigour of the original. The University Edition of Social Origins of Educational Systems will be essential reading for students of the sociology of education, and for all students involved in the comparative and structural analysis of social change.
This paper attempts to clarify the concept of globalization and to specify how globalization affects national education systems. It argues that though globalization represents a qualitative change in the nature … This paper attempts to clarify the concept of globalization and to specify how globalization affects national education systems. It argues that though globalization represents a qualitative change in the nature of national- supranational relations, this does not necessarily imply greater homogeneity of policy or practice in education. The paper's particular focus is the mechanisms through which the external effects on national education systems are carried and delivered. It argues that it is especially important to specify those effects, since they have an independent influence on the ‘messages’ they carry. The main part of the paper is devoted to an elaboration and systematic comparison of eight mechanisms of external effects and the organizations associated with them: borrowing, learning, teaching, harmonization, dissemination, standardization, installing interdependence and imposition.
Teaching and teachers have recently become the centre of attention of policy makers and researchers. The general idea here is that teaching matters. Yet the question that is either not … Teaching and teachers have recently become the centre of attention of policy makers and researchers. The general idea here is that teaching matters. Yet the question that is either not asked or is only answered implicitly is why teaching matters. In this article I engage with this question in the context of a wider discussion about the role, status and significance of the question of purpose in education. I suggest that this is the most fundamental question in all educational endeavours. It is a normative question which poses itself as a multi‐dimensional question, since education always functions in relation to three domains of purpose: qualification, socialisation and subjectification. Against this background I analyse the specific nature of teacher judgement in education and show how the space for teacher judgement is being threatened by recent developments in educational policy and practice that concern the status of the student, the impact of accountability and the role of evidence. I indicate how, where and why these are problematic and what this implies for regaining a space for teachers’ professional judgement.
The last two decades have witnessed an intensification of the push to standardize education and subject it to neoliberal accountability mechanisms and technologies, at least in the advanced capital... The last two decades have witnessed an intensification of the push to standardize education and subject it to neoliberal accountability mechanisms and technologies, at least in the advanced capital...
Preface to the Second Edition - Pierre Bourdieu Foreword - Tom Bottomore PART ONE: FOUNDATIONS OF A THEORY OF SYMBOLIC VIOLENCE PART TWO: KEEPING ORDER Cultural Capital and Pedagogic Communication … Preface to the Second Edition - Pierre Bourdieu Foreword - Tom Bottomore PART ONE: FOUNDATIONS OF A THEORY OF SYMBOLIC VIOLENCE PART TWO: KEEPING ORDER Cultural Capital and Pedagogic Communication The Literate Tradition and Social Conservation Exclusion and Selection Dependence through Independence Appendix The Changing Structure of Higher Education Opportunities Redistribution or Translation?
La profession d'anthropologue depend particulierement des universites ; or ces institutions, dans tout le monde industrialise, ont subi des re-ajustements majeurs pendant les deux dernieres decennies. L'introduction de mecanismes pour … La profession d'anthropologue depend particulierement des universites ; or ces institutions, dans tout le monde industrialise, ont subi des re-ajustements majeurs pendant les deux dernieres decennies. L'introduction de mecanismes pour mesurer la performance educative, la qualite de la recherche et l'efficacite institutionnelle a ete centrale a ces reformes. Prenant l'education superieure en Grande Bretagne comme etude de cas, cet article analyse l'histoire et les consequences des efforts du gouvernement pour promouvoir une culture d'audits dans les universites. Il retrace l'origine de l'idee d'audit depuis ses associations originales avec la comptabilite financiere et son expansion dans d'autres domaines, particulierement l'education. Ces nouvelles technologies d'audit sont typiquement definies en termes de qualite, de responsabilite fiscale et d'octroi de droits, comme si elles etaient vraiment emancipatoires et douees du pouvoir de realisation. Nous critiquons ces presomptions en illustrant certains effets negatifs que les pratiques d'audit tels que les Exercices d'Evaluation de Recherche et les Evaluations de Qualite d'Enseignement ont eu sur l'education superieure. Nous suggerons que ces pratiques signalent une nouvelle forme d'intervention gouvernementale coercive et autoritaire. La conclusion de cet article considere les reponses que les anthropologues peuvent donner aux aspects les plus pernicieux de cet agenda inspire du Nouveau Liberalisme, par la pratique d'une reflection politique.
This article raises questions about current educational reform efforts now underway in a number of nations. Research from a number of countries is used to document some of the hidden … This article raises questions about current educational reform efforts now underway in a number of nations. Research from a number of countries is used to document some of the hidden differential effects of two connected strategies—neo-liberal inspired market proposals and neo-liberal, neo-conservative, and middle class managerial inspired regulatory proposals, including national curricula and national testing. This article describes how different interests with different educational and social visions compete for dominion in the social field of power surrounding educational policy and practice. In the process, it documents some of the complexities and imbalances in this field of power. These complexities and imbalances result in “thin” rather than “thick” morality and tend toward the reproduction of both dominant pedagogical and curricular forms and ideologies and the social privileges that accompany them.
This paper provides a contextualised and critical policy analysis of the Rudd government's national schooling agenda in Australia. The specific focus is on the introduction of national literacy and numeracy … This paper provides a contextualised and critical policy analysis of the Rudd government's national schooling agenda in Australia. The specific focus is on the introduction of national literacy and numeracy testing and the recent creation by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority of the website 'My School', which lists the results of these tests for all Australian schools, including school performance against averages and against the performance of 60 other socio-economically 'like-schools' across the nation. It is argued that we are seeing the emergence of a national system of schooling (including national curriculum) as part of the reconstitution of the nation in the face of globalization and related economisation of education policy. This is the case despite Australia's federal political structure with the States holding the ostensible Constitutional responsibility for schooling. The analysis locates these and associated developments (a national schooling policy ensemble) within considerations of new accountabilities, the restructured state, neo-liberalism, globalized education policy discourses and policy borrowing and learning. The analysis also suggests that, despite the Prime Minister's swingeing critique of neo-liberalism in the context of the global financial crisis and enhanced state intervention in the economy, this national schooling agenda (the government's so-called 'education revolution'), is a hybrid mix of the neo-liberal with social democratic aspirations to do with social justice and schooling.
This article is based on a keynote paper presented to the European Conference on Educational Research (ECER), University College Dublin, 5–9 September 2005. The massification of education in European countries … This article is based on a keynote paper presented to the European Conference on Educational Research (ECER), University College Dublin, 5–9 September 2005. The massification of education in European countries over the last 100 years has produced cultures and societies that have benefited greatly from state investment in education. To maintain this level of social and economic development that derives from high quality education requires continual state investment. With the rise of the New Right, neo-liberal agenda, there is an attempt to offload the cost of education, and indeed other public services such as housing, transport, care services etc., on to the individual. There is an increasing attempt to privatise public services, including education, so that citizens will have to buy them at market value rather than have them provided by the state. Europe is no exception to this trend of neo-liberalisation. Recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reports, including one on higher education in Ireland, (2004), concentrate strongly on the role of education in servicing the economy to the neglect of its social and developmental responsibilities. The view that education is simply another market commodity has become normalised in policy and public discourses. Schools run purely as businesses are a growing phenomenon within and without Europe, and there is an increasing expectation in several countries that schools will supplement their income from private sources, even though they are within the state sector. In this article, the writer presents both a critique of the neo-liberal model of marketised education and a challenge to academics to work as public intellectuals both individually and with civil society organisations to develop a counter-hegemonic discourse to neo-liberalism for higher education.
The authors analyze the rapid worldwide expansion of higher educational enrollments over the twentieth century using pooled panel regressions. Expansion is higher in economically developed countries (in some but not … The authors analyze the rapid worldwide expansion of higher educational enrollments over the twentieth century using pooled panel regressions. Expansion is higher in economically developed countries (in some but not all analyses) as classic theories would have it. Growth is greater where secondary enrollments are high and where state control over education is low, consistent with conflict and competition theories. Institutional theories get strong support: growth patterns are similar in all types of countries, are especially high in countries more linked to world society, and sharply accelerate in virtually all countries after 1960. The authors theorize and operationalize the institutional processes involved, which include scientization, democratization and the expansion of human rights, the rise of development planning, and the structuration of the world polity. With these changes, a new model of society became institutionalized globally-one in which schooled knowledge and personnel were seen as appropriate for a wide variety of social positions, and in which many more young people were seen as appropriate candidates for higher education. An older vision of education as contributing to a more closed society and occupational system—with associated fears of “over-education”—was replaced by an open-system picture of education as useful “human capital” for unlimited progress. The global trends are so strong that developing countries now have higher enrollment rates than European countries did only a few decades ago, and currently about one-fifth of the world cohort is now enrolled in higher education.
No Child Left Behind and other education reforms promoting high-stakes testing, accountability, and competitive markets continue to receive wide support from politicians and public figures. This support, the author suggests, … No Child Left Behind and other education reforms promoting high-stakes testing, accountability, and competitive markets continue to receive wide support from politicians and public figures. This support, the author suggests, has been achieved by situating education within neoliberal policies that argue that such reforms are necessary within an increasingly globalized economy, will increase academic achievement, and will close the achievement gap. However, the author offers preliminary data suggesting that the reforms are not achieving their stated goals. Consequently, educators need to question whether neoliberal approaches to education should replace the previously dominant social democratic approaches.
Why have the established institutional forms of schooling been so stable and why did most challenges fade or become marginalized? We approach these questions by probing a few case studies … Why have the established institutional forms of schooling been so stable and why did most challenges fade or become marginalized? We approach these questions by probing a few case studies of reform, some that lasted to become part of the grammar of schooling and some that did not. We begin by exploring the origins of two enduring institutional forms, the graded school and the Carnegie unit. Next we analyze the history of three transient attacks on the grammar of schooling: the Dalton Plan, the Eight-Year Study, and the new model flexible high school of the 1960s. In each case political and institutional perspectives inform our interpretations. Finally, we reflect on what the case studies suggest about the nature of institutional continuity and change and offer some policy implications for reform today.
This paper examines the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which has become a major and influential component of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) educational work. This … This paper examines the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which has become a major and influential component of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) educational work. This measure of comparative performance of educational systems of member and other nations is based on tests commissioned by the OECD. The paper discusses the role of the OECD in establishing the ‘comparative’ turn and also describes PISA, its management and effects. It provides three examples of the impact of PISA in Finland, Germany and the UK before moving the focus to its impacts at the transnational level, through an examination of how key European policy actors see PISA and its effects. The paper concludes that PISA, through its direct impact on national education systems in Europe and beyond, has become an indirect, but nonetheless influential tool of the new political technology of governing the European education space by numbers.
This article argues that system‐wide excellence in student learning is attainable at reasonable cost, using education policies differing from conventional market‐oriented reform strategies prevalent in many other countries. In this … This article argues that system‐wide excellence in student learning is attainable at reasonable cost, using education policies differing from conventional market‐oriented reform strategies prevalent in many other countries. In this respect, Finland is an example of a nation that has developed from a remote agrarian/industrial state in the 1950s to a model knowledge economy, using education as the key to economic and social development. Relying on data from international student assessments and earlier policy analysis, this article describes how steady improvement in student learning has been attained through Finnish education policies based on equity, flexibility, creativity, teacher professionalism and trust. Unlike many other education systems, consequential accountability accompanied by high‐stakes testing and externally determined learning standards has not been part of Finnish education policies. The insight is that Finnish education policies intended to raise student achievement have been built upon ideas of sustainable leadership that place strong emphasis on teaching and learning, intelligent accountability, encouraging schools to craft optimal learning environments and implement educational content that best helps their students reach the general goals of schooling.
ABSTRACT In this paper the primary emphasis is upon the general and common elements in contemporary, international education policy, but nonetheless the discussion also considers the processes of translation and … ABSTRACT In this paper the primary emphasis is upon the general and common elements in contemporary, international education policy, but nonetheless the discussion also considers the processes of translation and recontextualisation involved in the realisation or enactment of policy in specific national and local settings. A set of generic 'problems' which constitute the contemporary social, political and economic conditions for education and social policy making are adumbrated. The emergence of ideological and 'magical' solutions to these problems is identified and the means of the dissemination of these solutions are discussed. A relationship between the global market and the marketisation of education is suggested and explored.
Since the recent call for a turn towards a “post-critical educational philosophy,” several philosophers of education have aimed at reaffirming the value of education for education’s sake. Rather than wanting … Since the recent call for a turn towards a “post-critical educational philosophy,” several philosophers of education have aimed at reaffirming the value of education for education’s sake. Rather than wanting to imply that education is apolitical, this shift is defended as itself a necessary political move in the context of contemporary educational research and theory. We agree that there is a problematic tendency of instrumentalizing education for political and economic gain. However, we argue that a more fine-grained and nuanced analysis is necessary in order to be able to distinguish between different political takes on education. We argue that not all ways in which education is described, analyzed or conceived of in political terms are equally problematic cases of instrumentalization and that there lies an immense danger in such over-generalization. Exploring the contemporary historical case from Sweden regarding the shifts in the understanding of the compensatory task of schooling, sheds light on the relevance we see in a contemporary philosophical discussion of the aims of education in terms of both aims goals and distribution goals. While we agree that education and acute political issues need to be kept at a reasonable distance from each other, we believe that some of the arguments formulated in the call for post-critical pedagogy need to be reworked in order to avoid that it turns into a naïve gesture of strengthening tendencies of the status quo which cover over current injustices and contribute to increasing social inequality. We cannot lose sight of the difficulty of ensuring and safeguarding the conditions of possibility of education to be for education’s sake. In a spin on Bernstein’s famous quote, we suggest that while education cannot compensate for society, we need society to compensate so that education can be for education’s sake. For this, we need an educational philosophy which can adequately and critically articulate and describe societal and political questions as they pertain to education.
The notion of diversity is widely accepted as a positive value in Europe and beyond. However, in the context of current capitalist relations in general, diversity has long since developed … The notion of diversity is widely accepted as a positive value in Europe and beyond. However, in the context of current capitalist relations in general, diversity has long since developed into a marketable slogan and has been customised as a technology of corporate management. Under the formula “customised diversity?”, this special issue addresses a core ambivalence of capitalist markets. In this regard, the educational context is particularly interesting as Big Tech and for-profit educational industries are pushing into the ed tech (educational technology) sector, seeking to install mono-cultures of digital infrastructures of teaching and learning. This issue brings together different traces of capitalism in the digital age through all types of education and media and across several European countries. The empirical and theoretical contributions examine how capitalist logics shape educational technologies, policies, and research practices, often prioritising datafication, measurability, and optimisation. They ask how media education can support democratic, equitable, and sustainable futures, and how researchers can challenge the reproduction of capitalist structures in education through critical, utopian, or subversive practices.
In 1994, I first wrote about an education-industrial complex that was emerging in the United States. The education-industrial complex was defined as networks of ideological, technophile and for-profit entities that … In 1994, I first wrote about an education-industrial complex that was emerging in the United States. The education-industrial complex was defined as networks of ideological, technophile and for-profit entities that sought to promote their beliefs, ideas, products and services in furtherance of their own goals and objectives. In the years since, the education-industrial complex has grown into a global phenomenon and has become a major force among powerful players (i.e., mega-corporations, international interest groups, and government officials) to influence education policy. This paper describes the present global education-industrial complex and concludes with a call to monitor and study its further evolution.
Abstract Teacher education is essential for improving Liberia’s education system, particularly in rural areas where qualified teachers are scarce. Liberia’s Rural Teacher Training Institutes (RTTIs) play a crucial role in … Abstract Teacher education is essential for improving Liberia’s education system, particularly in rural areas where qualified teachers are scarce. Liberia’s Rural Teacher Training Institutes (RTTIs) play a crucial role in addressing this shortage, yet several challenges undermine their effectiveness. This study identified key barriers to effective teacher preparation in RTTIs and explored how targeted reforms can enhance educational outcomes. A narrative review was conducted using Guskey’s professional development model as the theoretical framework. The findings revealed that misaligned curricula prevent trainees from developing essential 21st-century skills. Financial shortfalls further limit access to modern teaching resources and practicum opportunities, while weak policy implementation and inadequate professional development for teacher educators reduce instructional quality. These gaps create a disconnect between theoretical knowledge and practical classroom application, leaving preservice teachers unprepared for modern teaching demands. Recommendations include realigning the curriculum to integrate modern teaching competencies, expanding practicum experience through stronger partnerships, and increasing financial support to improve teacher training infrastructure. Enhanced policy coordination and ongoing professional development for teacher educators are also essential for improving instructional quality. This study contributes to the field by identifying key barriers in Liberia’s teacher training programs and applying Guskey’s model to explain how these challenges undermine the effectiveness of Liberia’s RTTIs. It proposed targeted reforms to enhance teacher preparation and improve educational outcomes in resource-constrained settings. Implementing these reforms will strengthen RTTIs’ capacity to prepare 21st-century teachers, thereby improving student learning and supporting Liberia’s educational development.
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Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which social justice principles are integrated into Thailand’s teacher education programs and assess the preparedness of future educators … Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which social justice principles are integrated into Thailand’s teacher education programs and assess the preparedness of future educators to address inequality, diversity, and inclusion in their classrooms. The research seeks to identify gaps between policy and practice, understand the challenges faced by teacher educators and candidates, and propose actionable recommendations for enhancing social justice-oriented teacher training. By focusing on marginalized populations, including ethnic minorities and LGBTQ + students, this study aims to contribute to a more equitable and inclusive education system in Thailand and beyond. Design/methodology/approach This study employs a qualitative case study approach to explore how social justice principles are integrated into Thailand’s teacher education programs. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 teacher educators and 25 teacher candidates from public and private institutions across urban and rural areas, focus group discussions, and document analysis of curricula and policy frameworks. Thematic analysis was used to identify key barriers, practices, and opportunities for fostering equity and inclusion. A content analysis of syllabi and policy documents provided further insight into the alignment between policy directives and pedagogical practices in teacher education. Findings The findings reveal a significant gap between policy directives on social justice and their practical implementation in teacher education. While curricula include theoretical discussions on equity and inclusion, there is limited emphasis on actionable strategies for addressing classroom inequalities. Teacher educators report inadequate training and institutional support for teaching social justice principles. Inconsistent understandings of social justice and insufficient focus on marginalized groups, such as ethnic minorities and LGBTQ + students, further hinder effective integration. However, experiential learning opportunities, such as community engagement projects, demonstrate potential for bridging theory and practice, offering practical ways to enhance teacher training for equity and inclusion. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to a small number of teacher education institutions, which may not fully represent the diversity of teacher training programs in Thailand. Additionally, the focus on qualitative data limits the generalizability of findings but provides in-depth insights into participant experiences and institutional contexts. Future research could explore broader geographic and institutional contexts and incorporate quantitative methods to validate findings. The study’s implications emphasize the need for a unified national framework for social justice education and expanded professional development for teacher educators to address gaps in preparing future teachers to foster equity and inclusion. Practical implications The study highlights actionable strategies to improve social justice integration in teacher education. Recommendations include revising curricula to embed equity and inclusion as core components, enhancing professional development opportunities for teacher educators, and expanding experiential learning initiatives such as community engagement projects. Teacher training institutions are encouraged to focus on marginalized populations by incorporating modules on culturally responsive teaching and inclusive classroom practices. These practical reforms aim to better equip future educators to address inequalities, support diverse learners, and create inclusive educational environments aligned with Thailand’s national education reform goals and international standards. Social implications By addressing systemic gaps in social justice education, this study contributes to fostering a more equitable and inclusive educational system in Thailand. Strengthening teacher training to prepare educators for supporting marginalized populations, including ethnic minorities and LGBTQ + students, can help reduce discrimination and promote social cohesion. Educators equipped with social justice principles can act as agents of change, challenging structural inequalities and creating inclusive learning environments. The study’s focus on aligning teacher education with broader social justice goals supports Thailand’s commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in achieving inclusive and equitable quality education for all. Originality/value This study offers a unique contribution by examining the integration of social justice principles in the context of Thailand’s teacher education programs, an area that has received limited scholarly attention. By bridging theory and practice, the research identifies critical gaps and opportunities for fostering equity and inclusion in teacher training. The study’s focus on marginalized groups, including ethnic minorities and LGBTQ + students, adds depth and relevance to global conversations on social justice in education. The findings provide actionable recommendations for policymakers, institutions, and educators, highlighting innovative practices such as experiential learning to enhance the preparation of socially just educators.
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to establish whether the educational systems and policies in Africa were enabling or suffocating the development of the talent that the world expects. … Purpose: The purpose of the study was to establish whether the educational systems and policies in Africa were enabling or suffocating the development of the talent that the world expects. This was triggered by a notable unanimity in the extant literature that Africa could be a game changer in the global economic landscape for the next 100 years given its young age and the adoption of SDG-4 on education. Methodology: The study utilised an integrative literature review design to collect and analyse the data. A sample of 12 records that met the inclusion criteria was reviewed. To ensure quality appraisal of the sources, an assessment of the methodological quality of each record using Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) Qualitative Checklist was done. Findings: The study explicitly notes facilitative efforts to talent development such as growth of the education sector, increased funding, increase in the quantity and quality of teachers, improved educational infrastructure and facilities, and increased learner enrolment, among others. In spite of these observed facilitative efforts, there are debilitating misses and barriers that appear to stifle talent development like inadequate funding, weak physical infrastructure and facilities, inadequate staffing, weak school curricula, high dropout rates, and low completion rates and learning outcomes. The education systems and policies in Africa continue to nurture inequitable access to educational opportunities, and most low quality and relevant education that does not appear to effectively meet the global labour market needs. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy, and Practice: At the theoretical and conceptual level, the study locates the debate in the theories of talent development to attract educational scholars and policy makers to view education as an imperative to talent development. It recommends that governments and educational sector stakeholders in Africa allocate adequate funds to meet the planned educational requirements and promote more effective policy implementation to ensure successful talent development that meets the global labour market needs. This study makes a significant contribution to the scholarship and practice of education as an imperative to talent development that Africa will need to leverage its population dividend and become a respectable global partner.
This study explores the influence of neoliberal policy agendas on curriculum reform at Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia. Using Legitimation Code Theory, it examines how the neoliberal policy agenda prioritizes vocational … This study explores the influence of neoliberal policy agendas on curriculum reform at Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia. Using Legitimation Code Theory, it examines how the neoliberal policy agenda prioritizes vocational knowledge and job-oriented skills, often marginalizing critical thinking and holistic learning. Through a qualitative case study approach, the research analyzed higher education policy documents, Bahir Dar University’s strategic plan, and interview data. Purposive sampling was employed to select nine experienced academics as study participants, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results revealed a significant shift toward vocational knowledge and increasing disparities, both of which reflect the influence of neoliberal policies. The study recommends re-evaluating curriculum reform to ensure that workforce preparation encompasses critical engagement, social equity, and civic responsibility. It calls for curriculum frameworks that integrate vocational knowledge with liberal arts and critical thinking to prepare students not only for professional success but also for lifelong personal and societal fulfillment.
The study adopts a case study design to explore whether collective capacity and school culture policies support or impede the adoption of sustainable school leadership (SSL) in the Ethiopian educational … The study adopts a case study design to explore whether collective capacity and school culture policies support or impede the adoption of sustainable school leadership (SSL) in the Ethiopian educational system. Sources of data are policy documents such as education and training policy, education sector development programs, primary school standards, and policies of selection and placement of school principals. We select these sources based on the criteria that they are official documents, have relevant content, and are functional at the time of the study. We analyze data with a combination of thematic and content analysis. The finding of the study indicates that some collective capacity and school culture policies support the materialization of SSL, whilst others undermine, or at least do not support, its implementation. Although policies appear to support SSL adoption, in practice, certain key collective capacity and school culture policies have a substantial undermining influence, and others lack mechanisms for practical implementation. We conclude that collective capacity and school culture policies largely undermine rather than support the materialization of SSL. We recommend to the Ministry of Education, among other things, the improvement of the policy of qualification level of teachers and the field of qualification of principals, and the provision of a manual to support the creation and maintenance of school culture.
Heather Sharp | Cambridge University Press eBooks