Politics of Quality in Education Jaakko Kauko, Risto Rinne, Tuomas Takala / Jaakko Kauko, Risto Rinne, Tuomas Takala
2018, 20180511, 2018-05-11
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The question of quality has become one of the most important framing factors in education and has been of growing interest to international organisations and national policymakers for decades. ...Politics of Quality in Education focuses on Brazil, China, and Russia, part of the so-called emerging nations’ BRICS block, and draws on a four-year project to develop a new theoretical and methodological approach. The book builds a comparative, sociohistorical, and transnational understanding of political relations in education, with a particular focus on the policies and practices of quality assurance and evaluation (QAE). Tracking QAE processes from international organisations to individual schools, contributors analyse how QAE changes the dynamics in the roles of state, expertise, and governance. The book demonstrates how national and sub-national actors play a central role in the adaptation, modification, or rejection of transnational policies. Politics of Quality in Education will be of great interest to academics, researchers, and postgraduate students engaged in the study of comparative and international education, as well as educational policy and politics. It should also be essential reading for practitioners and policymakers.
Zhang analyses the phenomenon of private supplementary tutoring from a global perspective. The expansion of such tutoring alongside schooling is among the striking global shifts since the turn of the ...century. In many countries over half of the relevant cohorts of children receive private tutoring, with that proportion in some locations exceeding 80%. The sector has far-reaching implications for social inequalities, (in)efficiencies in educational processes, study burdens on students, family finances, innovation, and employment. Yet greatly-needed government regulations have typically been slow to catch up with the phenomenon. Commentary in the volume juxtaposes countries with strong regulations with counterparts having weak regulations. Conceptually, the book considers forces changing the roles of multiple stakeholders, including governments, entrepreneurs, teachers, families and students. A useful read for students and researchers interested in comparative education and governance.
This article provides an introductory commentary to the papers in this
Prospects
special issue on inclusive education. In so doing, it stresses the need to be cautious as we read accounts of ...inclusive education from other parts of the world: whilst lessons can undoubtedly be learned from the accounts in this special issue, they must be adopted with care. There is no doubt that evidence of various kinds can help in identifying the barriers facing some learners and the resources that can be used to overcome these difficulties. However, efforts to promote inclusion and equity within education systems should be based on an analysis of particular contexts. To that end, this article outlines a research-based framework that can be used to carry out such contextual analyses. The article concludes by arguing that an emphasis on inclusion and equity can potentially improve the quality of education for all young people within a national education system.
This study examines shadow education research in Asia using bibliometric indicators and Scopus data. It uncovers this field’s leading scholars, scientific origins, and progression through various ...analyses, including co-citation, bibliographic coupling, co-authorship, and co-occurrence. H-classics publications are also reviewed to highlight impactful contributions. Mark Bray was identified as a key figure, and China, Hong Kong, and South Korea emerged as leading contributors, forming collaborative networks. Network analysis reveals thematic clusters aligning with diverse dimensions of shadow education, including economic, sociological, political, linguistic, and psychological aspects. The main themes in the corpus include the tangible benefits of private supplementary tutoring (PT) in achieving high scores during critical educational transitions, the impact of PT on the dynamics of mainstream schooling as demonstrated by the behaviour of some tutees and teachers, and the role of PT in exacerbating educational and social inequalities in Asia. Concerns about corruption in tutoring practices are also noted. This study depicts the multifaceted nature of shadow education, emphasising the importance of considering the soft benefits of PT and enhancing the quality of teaching in mainstream schooling, as well as implementing effective PT regulatory measures.
•This study examines shadow education research in Asia using bibliometric indicators and Scopus data.•It uncovers this field’s leading scholars, scientific origins, and progression through various analyses, including co-citation, bibliographic coupling, co-authorship, and co-occurrence.•H-classics publications are also reviewed to highlight impactful contributions.•Mark Bray was identified as a key figure, and China, Hong Kong, and South Korea emerged as leading contributors, forming collaborative networks.•The study underlines the impact of shadow education on the dynamics of mainstream schooling as demonstrated by the behaviour of some tutees and teachers, and its role in exacerbating educational and social inequalities in Asia. Concerns about corruption in tutoring practices are also noted.•This study depicts the multifaceted nature of shadow education, emphasising the importance of considering the soft benefits of private tutoring and enhancing the quality of teaching in mainstream schooling, as well as implementing effective tutoring regulatory measures.
This note is an invited post-scriptum where the 'script' is the articles in this volume. No effort will be made to summarise the articles. The intent is contemplative: to mull over how comparative ...education changes and, within that broad motif, to think about the role of 'our' foreigners. The mulling is self-indulgent, somewhat under-referenced - precisely because it is a mulling; but it is not inchoate. One theme that is visible in all the papers has been exaggerated, organised, and slightly extended. Within comparative education: what is 'a foreigner' and what is important about them? The article discusses the ways in which 'foreigners' are useful within university-based comparative education and, sometimes, of major importance to it. Surprisingly, this motif - asking about 'foreigners' and the intersection of personal and professional (auto-) biographies - begins to raise uncomfortable questions about the sociology of comparative education knowledge. No crisp 'conclusion' is possible but a very distinguished historian, writing about the difficulties of attaining an historical perspective, illuminates how this Special Issue may be making an unusual contribution to future histories of comparative education.
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