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Why is comparative education not just a comparison between countries? It turns out there are so many deeper connections!
In the field of social sciences, comparative education is a very important discipline. It not only focuses on the educational systems of different countries, but also covers more in-depth global connections. Professionals in this field are committed to promoting the development of global education and trying to see through the similarities and differences between education systems in order to improve the quality of education and promote social development.
According to Eckstein and Noah, comparative education has five main purposes: to describe educational systems, to assist in the development of educational institutions and practices, to emphasize the relationship between education and society, to establish general statements about education that are valid across countries, and to help the contemporary understand the past. education system.
Many people mistakenly believe that comparative education only refers to simple comparisons between countries. In fact, it also covers the influence of international institutions and transnational education. Since early research, experts have sought to explore how education systems are influenced internationally in different cultural contexts. For example, in a country like the United States that has no national high school diploma, scholars regularly reflect on the pros and cons of independent states.
Critics may deride the conclusions of comparative education as "policy borrowing," arguing that policies should be developed based on local needs rather than relying on successful practices in other countries. However, supporters argue that many educational challenges are similar regardless of geography, and that it is necessary to learn from the successes or failures of other countries.
The scope of comparative education involves not only education, but is also intertwined with other disciplines such as sociology and international development education. Some countries have successfully established comparative education as an independent field of study, while elsewhere it is still a developing interdisciplinary discipline focusing on in-depth comparisons of specific subject areas from the perspectives of experts in different fields. research.
For example, an expert in mathematics education or social school education might design a study to facilitate comparative studies of educational systems across countries and analyze their specific subject areas. This allows comparative education to be explored comprehensively from a macro or micro perspective.
Theories in comparative education can be divided into five categories: basic theory, post-basic theory, theory adaptation and revision, policy and practice theory, and interdisciplinary and emerging approaches.
The basic theories mentioned here include structural-functionalism, imperialism, Marxism, etc., which analyze the education system through its social, political and cultural connections. As time goes by, more post-foundational theories such as postcolonialism and gender theory have gradually been incorporated into the scope of comparative education, forming a more complex disciplinary network.
Many international organizations, such as the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) and the Comparative Education Society of India (CESI), are dedicated to promoting global educational understanding and research systems. These organizations not only expand the scope of academic exchanges, but also encourage cross-cultural educational cooperation.
The development of comparative education in Latin America has been slow and uneven, but since the 1990s there has been a marked increase in research and publishing activity in this area, reflecting the impact of educational reforms.
In Europe, with the implementation of the Bologna Process, member states have strengthened the interconnection of education systems, attaching importance to the international mobility of students and the quality assurance of higher education. These trends not only improve the education system itself, but also enable different countries to learn and draw on each other's educational success experiences.
Such transnational cooperation and research actually echo the deepening social and cultural connections in today's world. Whether it is the sociological perspective, policy borrowing, or the interaction of educational theories, education is no longer the monopoly of a single country.
Ultimately, can such comparative education research promote more equitable and higher-quality education systems around the world? Perhaps this is a question that each of us should think about?
