Comparative Education

By
Dr. Abdul Khaliq
khaliqedu@gmail.com
 History of Comparative Education
 The history of comparative education can be traced from the earliest times
of human history.
 For example, prehistoric human differentiated between the two
genders i.e. between man and woman. In order for the human to improve
his/her life comparison has been an important aspect in their life. In
political settings, leaders have been inspired to yield equal or more power
and authority in comparison to their neighbors. In education circles
reformers and educationists have been comparing their system with what
pertain in other countries in order to improve their own.
 History of Comparative Education
 In the history of comparative education Marc-Antoine Jullien de
Paris is commonly referred to as the "father of Comparative
Education".
 Historical Development of Comparative Education
 Evans (2013) has elaborated the following historical phases of
comparative education:
 The phase of Travelers Tales i.e. Pre-history to end of 18th century.
 Period of Pioneers or Phase of Selective Education Borrowing i.e. during
the 19th century.
 The phase of concern for Cultural Context or Period of Philosophers i.e.
from 1900 to end of World War II.
 The phase of Social Science perspective i.e. from1945 to the present.
 Concept of Comparative Education
 Comparison is a fundamental part of science and the social sciences. 
 The study of comparative education is to compare, contrast and
evaluate different educational settings, or broadly educational systems.
 Countries tend to learn from each other, and frequently borrow each
other’s educational policies to put into practice.
 Meanings of Comparative Education
 Comparative education is the comparative study of educational
theories and practices in various countries.
 Comparative education attempts to use cross-national data to test
propositions about the relationship between education and society
and between teaching practices and learning outcomes.
 Comparative Education
 Comparative education is a field of study which makes
comparisons between educational theories and practices and
provides information about similarities and differences in
educational systems in different countries.
 Cont.
 Comparative education considers the implications of
comparative studies for the formation and implementation of
policies in education, social, national and international
development.
 Comparative education invites contributions from associated
disciplines in the fields of government, management,
sociology, and technology and communications which affect
educational research and policy decisions.
 Comparative Education
 Adeyinka (1994) gives the following definitions for the concept.
 A study of two or more education systems.
 A study of how the philosophy, objectives and aims, policy and
practice of education in other countries influence the general
development, policy and practice of education in a particular
country.
Cont.
 A study of how the development of education in the past, across the
ages and continents, has influenced the development of education in
particular countries.
 A study of the school systems of two or more countries, and of the
administrative machineries set up to implement or to control the
implementation of government policies at various levels of
education systems.
 Comparative Education
 Sodhi (2006) perceives comparative education as a field of study
that applies historical, philosophical and social science theories and
methods to international problems in education.
 Getao (1996) defined Comparative Education as a discipline, the
study of educational systems in which one seeks to understand the
similarities and differences among educational systems.
 Comparative Education
 Alabietal (1998) sees comparative education as; a way of
comparing and contrasting different educational systems at
national, infra-national as well as international levels.
 Noah and Eckstein (1969) defined comparative education as
follows: Comparative Education is potentially more than a
collection of data and perspectives from social science applied to
education in different countries.
 Comparative Education
 Comparative Education according to Good (1962) is a field of
study dealing with the comparison of current educational theory
and practice in different countries for the purpose of broadening
and deepening understanding of educational problems beyond the
boundaries of one's own country.
 Comparative Education
 Mallinson (1975) defines the Comparative Education as a
systematic examination of other cultures and other systems of
education deriving from those cultures in order to discover
resemblances and differences, and why variant solutions have
been attempted (and with what result) to problems that are often
common to all.
 Comparative Educationists
 Comparative educationists are primarily scholars who study
education in different environments in order to discover why they
are the way they are and also attempt to solve educational
problems. Comparative education is a multi-disciplinary subject
that uses knowledge from other humanities and social sciences
disciplines.
 Aims of Comparative Education
 Noah and Eckstein (1993) stated four purposes of Comparative
Education:
 To describe educational systems, processes, or outcomes,
 To assist in the development of educational institutions and practices,
 To highlight the relationships between education and society,
 To establish generalized statements about education those are valid in
more than one country.
 Aims of Comparative Education
 According to Kidd (1975) the most common goals for engaging in
comparative education are:
 To become better informed about the educational system of other
countries;
 To become better informed about the ways in which people in other
cultures have carried out certain social functions by means of education;
 To become better informed about the historical roots of certain activities
and use this to develop criteria for assessing contemporary development
and testing possible outcomes;
Cont.
 To better understand the educational forms and systems operating in one’s
own country;
 To satisfy an interest in how other human beings live and learn;
 To better understand oneself; and
 To reveal how one’s own cultural biases and personal attributes affect
one’s judgment about possible ways of carrying on learning transactions
educational system.
 Scope
 The term "scope" according to Longman dictionary of contemporary
English could mean:
 The area within the limit of a question, subject, action, etc.
 Space or chance for actions or thought.
 Scope of Comparative Education
 There are five perspectives that capture the scope of comparative
education. These are:
 The subject matter and content; this covers the essential
components of educational systems such as structure, aims, content
or curriculum, administration, financing, teacher education.
 Geographical units of study; these comprises intra-national,
international, regional, continental and global or world systems
studies and analysis.
Cont.
 Ideological scope; this compares countries' educational systems
on the basis of different political, social and economic ideologies.
For example, democratic, communism, socialist, capitalist, free
market and mixed economies.
 Thematic scope; this scope focuses on educational themes,
topical issues or problems and compares them within one or more
geographical units. For example free primary and secondary
education, universal primary education, education for all and
universal higher education.
Cont.
 The historical or spatial scope:- this deals with the study of
the historical development of the discipline from the earliest
(pre-historic) phase known as the period of Travelers' Tales to
the modern phase known as the period of social science
perspectives.
 Subjects from where CE draws its contents
 Subjects from where Comparative Education draws its contents include the
following:
 History of Education  Literature
 Anthropology  Political geography
 Economics  Political science
 Geography  Philosophy of Education
 Psychology  Sociology of Education
 Statistics  International relations
 Need of Comparative Education
 Helps in setting higher targets to be achieved by educational
institutions or systems
 Helps countries to achieve international standards in education, for
example, introduction of computer education was meant to compete
developed countries.
 Helps foster international pace and corporation among the nations of
the world
 It provides ideas for reform in an educational system.
 It helps us to understand the similarities and differences between other
educational systems and ours.