Hubert Ertl

Educational standards and the changing discourse on education: the reception and consequences of the PISA study in Germany

This paper examines the ways in which the results of the OECD Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) have influenced educational discourse in Germany. It argues that the results caused shockwaves in the educational landscape and led to a re‐evaluation of other international comparisons which had presented an unfavourable picture of education in Germany. The paper outlines three main areas affected by the reception of the PISA study in Germany: political discourse, curriculum development processes and academic discourse on education. Changes in the political discourse resulted in a wide‐ranging reform agenda, with the introduction of national educational standards being the most significant of a number of initiatives and programmes. In terms of curriculum development processes, the paper argues that PISA has led to the growing importance of principles such as outcome control, competence orientation and external assessment. The post‐PISA academic discourse in Germany can be characterised by the re‐orientation of educational studies towards a greater emphasis on the empirical research of pedagogic practice (empirische Unterrichtsforschung). All three areas of change are informed by more or less systematic comparisons with educational structures in other countries and, therefore, it is argued that PISA has contributed to a rediscovery of comparative education in the German discourse.

European Union policies in education and training: the Lisbon agenda as a turning point?

This paper investigates European Union (EU) education and training policies in the light of the evolving Lisbon agenda on improving the competitiveness of the EU. It examines the ways in which EU policies have developed over time, focusing on their legal basis, underlying principles, main forms of implementation and their impact on national education and training systems. The paper argues that, in the wake of the Lisbon agenda, the legal basis for EU activities has been substantially extended by intergovernmental agreements. The discourse on the concept of economic competitiveness has changed the formulation of new EU policies in education and training, exemplified by a strong emphasis on educational indicators, benchmarks and quality controls. This has resulted in a new wave of EU initiatives in the field, sometimes updating or recycling activities that had not been successful in the past. The slow progress regarding the Lisbon goals for education and training seems to indicate, however, that the impact of EU programmes and projects for educational provisions in the Member States remains limited.

The Transition from Vocational Education and Training to Higher Education: A Successful Pathway?.

This paper questions whether participation in vocational education and training (VET) provides a successful progression route into UK higher education (HE). Following an overview of the UK policy agenda two inter‐connected aspects of HE access are investigated: students’ choice of institution and choice of subject. Analysis of administrative data shows that A‐levels provide the major access route into more prestigious HE institutions. Students with VET backgrounds are more likely to start their HE studies at post‐92 universities with lower RAE results. Different educational pathways also lead to different HE subject areas which, in turn, are connected to diverse labour market outcomes. Case study data identify highly individualised decision‐making patterns for institutional and subject choice. Rational choice models can explain these choices only to a limited extent. Restrictive information strategies and other factors affecting individual choices require consideration and there are significant differences in motivational patterns between students regarding their choice of subject.

Reviewing the Literature on the Student Learning Experience in Higher Education.

This paper reports on the work of a six-month review project commissioned by the Higher Education Academy which aimed at mapping the research base around the student learning experience in higher education (HE). The project aimed to: (1) provide an overview of the ways in which the student learning experience in HE has been and is conceptualised; (2) provide an overview of interventions aimed at producing a more effective learning experience; and (3) review the methodological approaches adopted to investigate the student learning experience. The paper outlines the review approach adopted by this project and presents an analytical map in which reviewed studies are categorised in terms of the methods they adopt and the area of investigation. Selected findings in the areas of inventory-based studies, assessment and feedback and teaching, curriculum and learning environments are discussed. The project identified a large, but broad, heterogeneous and somewhat scattered research base, dominated by a tradition of studies using inventory methods, and otherwise by small and localised studies often conducted by practitioners researching their own subject areas. The paper concludes with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the projects methods, and recommendations for developing the student learning experience research base in the future.

Standardization in EU Education and Training Policy: Findings from a European Research Network.

This paper describes an EU‐funded project under the Training and Mobility of Researchers (TMR) Programme, with a particular emphasis on the Oxford‐based part. Involving six European universities, the overarching investigation was concerned with the tensions between standardization and tradition in education. In Oxford the focus was on aspects of EU education and training policy in four Member States: the United Kingdom, German, Sweden, and France. The paper describes the research undertaken and its outcomes, using the project as an example of EU funding programmes.

Employing an ‘employer‐led’ design? An evaluation of the development of Diplomas

This paper presents some of the findings of an evaluation of the development of the first fourteen 14‐19 Diplomas in England. It focuses on the question whether the government’s aim to develop the new qualifications in an employer‐led way has been fulfilled. In order to answer this question, the paper evaluates the contributions of employers in the Diploma development process, the strategies used to engage employers and employers’ satisfaction with the outcome. The paper concludes that while employers have had a significant role in defining the content of Diplomas, they have been by no means leading or driving the overall process of qualification making. Due to the complex nature of the qualification system and the need for collaboration of a variety of actors, the role of employers may more accurately be described as key partners in the development process.

Disciplinary traditions and the dissemination of knowledge. An international comparison of publication patterns in journals of education

This paper presents findings from two studies of publication patterns in leading English, German, European and US journals of education. The studies were funded by the German Research Association and conducted by an international team of researchers. All papers published in 14 selected journals between 2001 and 2010 were analysed in terms of their author profile, their methodological approach and their thematic focus. The analyses resulted in publication patterns for the selected journals and at an aggregated level for the four geographic areas in which journals are published, highlighting many similarities, but also distinct differences. As far as the differences are concerned, the lower share of female authors and the relative low proportion of papers drawing on empirical research in German journals are noteworthy. For US journals, the comparatively low importance of papers drawing on the international research discourse seems to be particularly important. Based on an analysis of related studies in this field the paper demonstrates a degree of alignment of publication patterns with disciplinary traditions and formation processes in the field of education. However, the trend analysis provided also shows that some of the traditional boundaries of education as an academic discipline are in a state of flux.

The Discourse on Equality and Equity in Chinese Higher Education: Guest Editors' Introduction to Parts I and II

We thank the authors who contributed articles to this issue and the next issue, (vol. 44, no. 1 [January–February 2011]) of chinese education and Society. We are indebted to the referees who spent their valuable time in reviewing the articles and who provided essential feedback for improving the contributions. Further, we are grateful to the editors of chinese education and Society for providing useful suggestions in the development of the two issues.

Caught in the ‘Triple Lock’? An Evaluation of Governance Structures in the Development of 14–19 Diplomas in England

This article reports on an evaluation of the development of a new type of qualification that is being introduced in England between 2008 and 2011. These diplomas are aimed at 14–19-year-olds, and are expected to present young people with an alternative to established academic qualifications, and also an alternative to established vocational qualifications. The article sets out and discusses the methods used to evaluate the development process of these diplomas. On this basis, it identifies two issues in the development process that raise questions regarding governance structures in education and training in England. The first issue concerns the way in which a multitude of actors and stakeholders have collaborated in the development process of these diplomas. The second issue focuses on the way in which employers have been brought into the development of a qualification that aims at preparing young people better for employment. For both of these issues, the article concludes that new governance structures have been set up that are only partly successful in reaching the goals set by the government. The weaknesses identified are then discussed within the wider contexts of the English qualification system and the relevant regulatory framework in education and training.

Partnership-based Initial Teacher Education in England: A Discussion of the Oxford Internship Scheme in the Light of Past and Current Reform Agendas

Dieser Beitrag stellt die grundlegenden Strukturmerkmale des Oxford Internship Scheme (OIS) vor und diskutiert die fur seine Entwicklung masgeblichen Kontextfaktoren. Das OIS ist ein Lehrerausbildungsmodell, das zu einem Abschluss mit dem Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) fuhrt. Der Beitrag beschreibt die enge Zusammenarbeit zwischen dem Department of Education an der Universitat Oxford und lokalen Gesamtschulen als zentrales Strukturmerkmal des OIS, das alle bestimmenden Aspekte der Ausbildung von angehenden Lehrkraften (interns) regelt. Obwohl die zentralen Merkmale und Strukturen des OIS vor mehr als 25 Jahren entwickelt wurden, haben sich die zugrunde liegende konzeptuelle Basis sowie die leitenden Prinzipien als flexibel genug erwiesen, um Veranderungen im politischen Umfeld Rechnung tragen zu konnen, ohne die spezifische Ausrichtung des OIS zu verlieren.