lOMoARcPSD|16248954
EDF 410: Comparative Education
1.0 Course description, aims and objectives
The course in Comparative Education prepares learners to assume
leadership roles in a wide range of social and educational settings,
thus its interdisciplinary approach. It emphasises the acquisition of a
broad understanding of educational institutions, systems, their
programmes and curricula while at the same time stressing the
understanding of historical and contemporary issues, the cultural,
socio-economic, technological and political aspects of educational
development and change. These are to be applied within national,
regional and international contexts and in governmental and private
organizations, non-governmental organizations, and international
education/development agencies.
Since Comparative Education is such a broad field, learners will be
exposed to broad knowledge ranging from developments of the field,
theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches, curriculum
traditions, dimensions of the field (international education,
internationalization of education, development education, education
1
, lOMoARcPSD|16248954
abroad & multicultural education). The course includes a comparative
analysis of the education systems of selected countries and is
contextualised within the wider global context and contemporary
educational trends, with more reflections on education in developing
countries.
The aim of this course is therefore to provide an introduction to the
field of Comparative Education based on the following objectives:
• To create awareness on the global educational trends and on how
different countries manage their education systems.
• To understand and appreciate the challenges facing education in
different contexts.
• To enable us compare our education system with other world
systems for differences and similarities which can be useful in
policy formulation and reforms.
• To appreciate how different factors such as history, culture, politics
and globalization affect education.
TOPICS
1. Definition and purpose of comparative
education.
2. Historical development of comparative
education.
3. Methodology of comparative education.
4. Political socialization and education, U.S.A or
U.S.S.R.
2
, lOMoARcPSD|16248954
5. Two latin American Educational systems eg.
Cuba Peru.
6. Education systems of China and Japan.
7. South Africa- three systems of education or one.
8. English and French educational systems. A
comparative survey of their impact on Africa.
9.The Educational systems of Angola and
Mozambique.
2.0 Definition and purpose of comparative education
Comparative education is a contests discipline whose purpose
is to discover and explain the factors responsible for the
developments and differences in education systems in
different contexts.
• It is an interdisciplinary field of study that applies
historical, philosophical and social science theories and
methods for the comparative analysis of educational issues
(Epstein, 1995).
• It is an intersection of the social sciences, education and
cross-national study which attempts to use cross-national
data to test propositions about the relationship between
education and society and between teaching practices and
learning outcomes (Altbach, 1998).
, lOMoARcPSD|16248954
It applies descriptions; analyses and insights learnt in one or
more nations to the problems of developing educational
systems and institutions in other countries.It can take two or
more regions as the basis of comparison and provide
explanations for identified similarities or differences. It is a
field also concerned with the practical implications of
borrowing of innovations among education systems. The word
comparative involves comparison of one thing or system with
another.
Many important educational questions can best be examined
from an international-comparative perspective. Comparative
education provides teachers with an international and
comparative understanding of education including the global
description and classification of systems of education,
underlying national educational philosophies, classic and
emerging trends in education and interactions between
different aspects or systems of education and how they relate
to society. It fosters international understanding, peace and
cooperation among nations of the world.
The processes of internationalization and globalization are
having lots of implications to the education sector requiring
that national systems, teachers and even learners have a good
grasp of them. Teacher training and pedagogics today can
4
EDF 410: Comparative Education
1.0 Course description, aims and objectives
The course in Comparative Education prepares learners to assume
leadership roles in a wide range of social and educational settings,
thus its interdisciplinary approach. It emphasises the acquisition of a
broad understanding of educational institutions, systems, their
programmes and curricula while at the same time stressing the
understanding of historical and contemporary issues, the cultural,
socio-economic, technological and political aspects of educational
development and change. These are to be applied within national,
regional and international contexts and in governmental and private
organizations, non-governmental organizations, and international
education/development agencies.
Since Comparative Education is such a broad field, learners will be
exposed to broad knowledge ranging from developments of the field,
theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches, curriculum
traditions, dimensions of the field (international education,
internationalization of education, development education, education
1
, lOMoARcPSD|16248954
abroad & multicultural education). The course includes a comparative
analysis of the education systems of selected countries and is
contextualised within the wider global context and contemporary
educational trends, with more reflections on education in developing
countries.
The aim of this course is therefore to provide an introduction to the
field of Comparative Education based on the following objectives:
• To create awareness on the global educational trends and on how
different countries manage their education systems.
• To understand and appreciate the challenges facing education in
different contexts.
• To enable us compare our education system with other world
systems for differences and similarities which can be useful in
policy formulation and reforms.
• To appreciate how different factors such as history, culture, politics
and globalization affect education.
TOPICS
1. Definition and purpose of comparative
education.
2. Historical development of comparative
education.
3. Methodology of comparative education.
4. Political socialization and education, U.S.A or
U.S.S.R.
2
, lOMoARcPSD|16248954
5. Two latin American Educational systems eg.
Cuba Peru.
6. Education systems of China and Japan.
7. South Africa- three systems of education or one.
8. English and French educational systems. A
comparative survey of their impact on Africa.
9.The Educational systems of Angola and
Mozambique.
2.0 Definition and purpose of comparative education
Comparative education is a contests discipline whose purpose
is to discover and explain the factors responsible for the
developments and differences in education systems in
different contexts.
• It is an interdisciplinary field of study that applies
historical, philosophical and social science theories and
methods for the comparative analysis of educational issues
(Epstein, 1995).
• It is an intersection of the social sciences, education and
cross-national study which attempts to use cross-national
data to test propositions about the relationship between
education and society and between teaching practices and
learning outcomes (Altbach, 1998).
, lOMoARcPSD|16248954
It applies descriptions; analyses and insights learnt in one or
more nations to the problems of developing educational
systems and institutions in other countries.It can take two or
more regions as the basis of comparison and provide
explanations for identified similarities or differences. It is a
field also concerned with the practical implications of
borrowing of innovations among education systems. The word
comparative involves comparison of one thing or system with
another.
Many important educational questions can best be examined
from an international-comparative perspective. Comparative
education provides teachers with an international and
comparative understanding of education including the global
description and classification of systems of education,
underlying national educational philosophies, classic and
emerging trends in education and interactions between
different aspects or systems of education and how they relate
to society. It fosters international understanding, peace and
cooperation among nations of the world.
The processes of internationalization and globalization are
having lots of implications to the education sector requiring
that national systems, teachers and even learners have a good
grasp of them. Teacher training and pedagogics today can
4
