Governing Education Systems by Shaping Data: From the Past to the Present, from National to International Perspectives

Abstract

Nowadays, the use of indicators (benchmarks) to govern education systems and policies at national and international level is widespread. The practice of using data to administrate and govern education systems appeared at the end of the nineteenth century and developed throughout the twentieth century. Through national and international case studies, this issue studies the process and the conditions which allowed the emergence and the expansion of this phenomenon. Deciding how to collect useful data, how to organise data series according to models which allow comparison (or even ranking), and how to transform them into governing tools is essential for conducting data/benchmarks-based policies. This process leads to a new 'vision' (social construction of reality) of people, education systems and backgrounds, through new standardised objects like the 'average child' or an 'achievement standard'. These processes are at the core of policies conducted by organisations at national, European or international level (European Commission, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD], UNESCO). This issue aims to better understand these processes through historical and sociological analysis from national or inter/transnational points of view.

Educational Methods as Commodities within European Education: A Norwegian-Danish Case

“…Admittedly, as we will show below, the LP-model promotes the application and development of professional and contextual knowledge. However, the problems it aims to solve are constructed within the common cognitive space that constitutes the common European education area (Borer & Lawn, 2013;Czáka et al, 2013). Also, as we will show, a central sales argument for the LP-model is evidence that it works.…”

“…However, it seems that technologies of measurement have become part and parcel in current descriptions of education. Such descriptions serve to create the common cognitive space that constitutes the common European education area (Borer & Lawn, 2013;Czáka et al, 2013), a space within which solutions are developed, packaged and marketed. However, this can result in 'looking where the light is better'; of designing and marketing solutions based on measurable achievements rather than on detailed study of the contexts and complexities of the situation.…”

“…While our case relates to the diffusion of one specific pedagogical approach, it is strongly intertwined with issues within the European policy agenda, notably concerns about student achievement and performance, production of test scores, and the legitimacy of policies and policy-making (Borer & Lawn, 2013). Admittedly, as we will show below, the LP-model promotes the application and development of professional and contextual knowledge.…”

Marketising Slovene adult education policies and practices using mechanisms of the Europeanisation of education

“…Although the promotion of personal development, social cohesion and active citizenship are also highlighted as goals and substitutes for historical commitments of AE related to democracy, social justice and emancipation , these are background factors of the fundamental objective of competitiveness and employability. As a result, functional goals and measurable outcomes of AE prevail, resulting in important statistical and internationally comparable data for education (Borer & Lawn, 2013).…”

Questões, objetos e perspetivas em avaliação

“…Com efeito, sobretudo nos níveis dos ensinos básico e secundário (ou fundamental e médio no caso brasileiro) a avaliação externa das aprendizagens dos alunos e os resultados mensuráveis que dela decorrem ditam, frequentemente, os parâmetros relativamente aos quais se referencia a avaliação dos professores, a avaliação das escolas e, até mesmo, de uma forma bastante mais arbitrária, a avaliação dos próprios sistemas educativos e das políticas educacionais. Interessa, aliás, a muitos governos (que são também reforçados na sua ação pelas orientações ou pressões de organizações internacionais e supranacionais) que os resultados dos alunos, medidos através de provas externas e testes estandardizados (quer sob a forma censitária, quer através de amostragem representativa), sejam o foco principal para avaliar o funcionamento dos sistemas educativos e as políticas educacionais, uma vez que, desta forma, podem ser atingidos mais rapidamente vários objetivos: i) a governação pelos números e pelas evidências (GREK; OZGA, 2008;BORER;LAWN, 2013) 8 Neste último trabalho, Valérie Borer e Martin Lawn (2013) designam esta forma de governação de "data/benchmarks-basead policies". 9 Mas, paradoxalmente, quando os resultados de alunos portugueses, em outras avaliações internacionais, parecem ser mais favoráveis o governo parece silenciá-los.…”