Culture and Education Policy: Analyzing Values in State Policy Systems

Abstract

Reference to values in education policy studies is commonplace, but close analysis is never done. This article provides behavioral definitions of four basic values-quality, equity, efficiency, choice-that render them amenable to quantitative analysis. The concept of culture is offered to explain policy behavior, specifically the meritocratic, egalitarian, and democratic cultures within our national culture. These value definitions are applied-via content analysis-to state education codes in Illinois and Wisconsin to demonstrate how policy choices are moved by different cultures. The results also demonstrate evidence for Elazar's "political culture"concept. The conflict and complementarity inherent in these values are also discussed.The social life of a citizen is interwoven into the political life, and the mediating factor that makes this possible is culture. In this article, we explain how culture has implications for value preferences and how variations in those values are influenced by differing political histories that shape political culture. We need first to understand how we will use the term "culture" before we can understand how its variation has shaped differing value choices about education policy.

Is accreditation in medical education in Korea an opportunity or a burden?

“…At the same time, it refers to the education system and its operation” [ 29 ]. According to Wirt et al [ 30 ], values are an essential factor in determining directions of educational policy. All policies, including education policies, go through a series of political processes to seek strategies for realizing specific values.…”

“…It is imperative to consider values because the nature and direction of policy may change depending on which value is given more importance [ 31 ]. Wirt et al [ 30 ] presented 4 values to be pursued in educational policy: quality, efficiency, equity, and freedom of choice. Of note, equity means using public resources to reduce gaps between social classes and to distribute resources equally according to social norms [ 32 ].…”

Exploring the Evolution of Educational Technology Policy in Ireland: From Catching-Up to Pedagogical Maturity

“…In analysing the policies throughout the 20-year time period, the research employed a content analysis examining references in the policy documents to the three main rationales for technology in schools outlined previously, namely: Educational/catalytic, Economic/Vocational, and Social. Whilst other theoretical approaches exist to analyse the values within policy, such as Wirt, Mitchell and Marshall's (1988) four basic values within educational policy (quality, equity, efficiency and choice), within the educational technology field the rationales detailed above have been established previously (Younie & Leask, 2013) and were thus selected on the basis of providing an appropriate frame for analysis within the current study. In addition, these rationales were explicitly cited in the first Irish policy related to educational technology (DES, 1997) and therefore the opportunity existed to follow the evolution of these rationales in the intervening years.…”

Allocating Opportunity: The Role and Impact of School Counselors in Promoting Access to AP Coursework

“…• Efficiency, in basic technical terms refers to the ratio of work completed to the energy expended. In relation to education policy values, efficiency can take on an economic form: enhancing program performance by decreasing costs and increasing gains; and an accountability form: institutional procedures that provide systemic oversight of professional activities (Wirt, Mitchell, & Marshall, 1988). As in other public sectors, efficiency in education is often viewed as both a goal and a process (Wirt et al, 1988).…”

“…• Equity in policy, according to Wirt et al (1988), recognizes the "basic value of the individual's worth and society's responsibility" (p. 274) and attempts to address disparities and/or gaps through redistribution of public resources. In education, equity refers to the allocation of educational resources and opportunities to learn, recognizing that some students require more and/or different support than others.…”