Scholarly Enquiry and the Field of Comparative Education

Chapter 17: Context in Comparative and International Education Studies

“…The primary purpose of this study is not to bring about consensus on context analysis as such but to clearly delineate tensions and issues in CIE empirical studies. Although studies (e.g., Bray, 2007;Little, 2000;Sobe & Kowalczyk, 2014;Parkyn, 1977;Wiseman & Anderson, 2013a) seem to generally indicate the unsophisticated nature of comparative contextual analysis, it is significant to examine how and to what extent studies operationalized the concept across times and regions. The study also suggests new perspective/s for further conceptual development on the topic.…”

“…Four, journals should have complete volumes/issues available for the 2010-2016 period. Some recent studies (e.g., Bray, 2007;Bray et al, 2007;Sobe & Kowalczyk, 2014;Steiner-Khamsi, 2009;Wiseman & Anderson, 2013) indicated the unsophisticated nature of CIE contextual analysis. This study aspires to test this assertion by including studies published as far back as 2010.…”

“…The significant contribution and relevance of Comparative and International Education (CIE) as a field mainly depends on how closely it studies the dynamics between society and education, considering what is dubbed as the global and the local (Arnove, 2003;Bray, 2007;Bray, Adamson, & Mason, 2007;Crossley, 2009Crossley, , 2012Kubow & Fossum, 2007;Little, 2000;Parkyn, 1977;Sobe & Kowalczyk, 2014;Steiner-Khamsi, 2009;Torres, 2003;Wiseman & Anderson, 2013 a & b). Global-local comparisons are presumed to enable the production of contextualized knowledge.…”

“…Thus questions of context reveal much about the history of comparative education, at the same time as they inspire and shape some of the most challenging research and scholarship at the cutting edge of the field today. (p. 1173) In practice, CIE studies do not seem to sufficiently examine local, crossnational, regional, and global conditions that impinge on education (e.g., Bray, 2007;Bray et al, 2007;Little, 2000;Parkyn, 1977;Sobe & Kowalczyk, 2014;Steiner-Khamsi, 2009;Torres, 2003;Wiseman & Anderson, 2013). System-level comparisons seem to overlook within-in system variables (Parkyn, 1977).…”

“…System-level comparisons seem to overlook within-in system variables (Parkyn, 1977). Studies (e.g., Bray, 2007;Little, 2000;Sobe & Kowalczyk, 2014;Parkyn, 1977;Wiseman & Anderson, 2013a) further indicate the lack of urbane conceptions of context and hence comparisons remain "superficial and meaningless. "…”