World culture theory seeks to explain an apparent convergence of education through a neoinstitutionalist lens, seeing global rationalization in as driven by the logic science and myth progress. While critics have challenged these assumptions focusing on local manifestations world-level tendencies, such critique is comfortably accommodated within world theory. We approach debate from fresh perspective examining its ideological foundations. also highlight shift notions enactment toward...

Several recent, highly influential comparative studies have made strong statistical claims that improvements on global learning assessments such as PISA will lead to higher GDP growth rates. These provided the primary source of legitimation for policy reforms championed by leading international organisations, most notably World Bank and OECD. To date there been several critiques but these too limited challenge validity claims. The consequence is continued utilisation citation claims,...

The year 2015 was significant for the arena of international development, as UNESCO's Education All agenda replaced by 2030, which would identify minimum standards education quality. OECD had been working on extending its existing PISA assessment into low- and middle-income countries through Development (PISA-D) positioned new a means tracking progress post-2015 goals. organisation maintains that PISA-D introduced primarily in response to demands community, especially countries, developed...

Facing increasing critique that PISA focuses too narrowly on cognitive achievement and human/knowledge capital, the OECD has recently shifted some of its focus to student happiness. The 2017 Students' Well-Being report distinguishes between 'happy schools' 'unhappy schools', showing among students who combined high performance life satisfaction, northern European countries topped charts. Meanwhile, in East Asian including Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea registered lowest 'life...

While discussions surrounding education for sustainable development (ESD) are diverse, most scholars and policy makers view student-centered learning (SCL) as axiomatic. In contrast, we argue that promoting SCL potentially stymies educational contributions to sustainability by extending a culturally specific belief in ontological individualism. We first highlight countries committed tend be dominated individualism then show these same score lower on range of social environmental indices....

Most critical work on global education policy (GEP) continues to elaborate a Marxist-inspired critique reminiscent of the 1960-1980s, fixated coercive capitalist demands education. Within comparative and international education, these critiques trace roots Wallerstein's World-Systems Theory (WST), as most explicitly embraced articulated in North American However, beginning late 1980s, Wallerstein began recognise epistemic ontological limits Marxism, vigorously advocating 'opening' Western...

Lesson Study is a Japanese approach to teacher development borrowed by American researchers in the late 1990s seeking break from top-down, “best practice” approaches. Two decades later, has gained strong foothold policy circles. Seeking contribute growing research base, this article looks deeper into cultural obstacles obstructing effective practice context. It suggests that divergent onto-cultural basis of context may be one major factor helps make successful Japan but challenging other...

Variations in mean PISA scores have not been adequately explained to date, suggesting the limits of our current understanding relationship between educational practices and students’ performance. In contrast previous research that applies existing theories explain observed variations, this study attempts extend theoretical horizon using PISA-derived data. We first introduce findings PISA-Science data run counter fundamental assumptions both student-centered teacher-centered learning...

Purpose: Amidst ongoing attempts to think beyond Western frameworks for education, there is a tendency overlook Japan, perhaps because it appears highly modern. This striking given that some prominent strands of Japanese philosophy have formulated an explicit and exacting challenge the core onto-epistemic premises modern thought. It also surprising educational practices resulted in highest achievement outcomes—both cognitive noncognitive—found anywhere world inculcate worldview distinct....

Educational scholars, particularly those working in comparative education, have largely failed to recognise, let alone discuss, the impending finite-ness of global resources. The field continues operate on an assumption infinite resources, implicit cultural horizon place since at least Western Enlightenment. It has missed epochal shift that is now upon us; unable contribute deep transformation research and practices become urgent. Herein we discuss how such concerns might be addressed,...

In the face of escalating environmental challenges, including climate change, formal education systems worldwide have increasingly incorporated science and prioritized fostering sustainable lifestyles pro-environmental mindsets. However, significant gaps persist in addressing within adult non-formal learning contexts. This paper critically examines current lifelong (LLL) frameworks as articulated policy documents from international organizations, identifying a disproportionate focus on...

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has recently deepened its engagement with environmental issues, introducing a new vision in Agency the Anthropocene report. This underpins Programme International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025 framework. study critically examines vision, identifying three key advancements: (1) centrality of environment, (2) call radical societal change, (3) proposed shift worldviews. Notably, this marks first time OECD challenged dominant...

This article highlights some of the current methodological issues surrounding how to analyze and understand educational transfer with particular reference cross-national attraction. It reviews resurgent interest in themes attraction evaluates new models typologies that describe those complex processes. argues gaps research challenges posed by ‘globalization’ necessitate a interpretive framework. To end, contextual map is presented its component parts are described considerable detail....

Globalisation and convergence in educational policy worldwide has reinvigorated, while rendering more complex, the classic theme of transfer. Framed by this wider pursuit new understandings a changing transfer/context puzzle, paper explores how an ethnographic 'thick description' might complement extend recent research. Specifically, it relates findings from extended work on attempt prominent Japanese university to 'import' Council Europe's Common European Framework Reference for Languages...

Seeking to contribute recent attempts rethink the deepest foundations of field, this paper offers news ways contemplating time, specifically its relations self, nihilism, and schooling. We briefly review how some leading Western thinkers have contemplated time before detailing Japanese scholars who offered divergent, original, arguably more sophisticated, theoretical accounts. then illustrate these ideas by sketching Japan ‘borrowed time’ following abrupt political rupture 1868, showing...

This article analyses recent World Bank interventions aimed at improving higher education and local research capacity in low-income countries. Our empirical entry point is a critical analysis of the Development Innovation Grant (DIG) scheme rolled out Cambodia (2010–2015), virtual carbon copy export its Academic Initiative Fund Bangladesh. Offering rare insider perspective, we argue that DIG ultimately failed because so glaringly misunderstood Cambodian context. We use this case to...

Relating my experience of becoming a 'foreign' comparativist, I offer vision comparative education that both extends and challenges the field. It continues work Bereday Lauwerys who sought to make visible 'contrasting colours world' in order affect deep self-reflection imagine alternatives. But it also earlier iteration: calling for drastic widening imaginative kosmos, an exorcising our enduring Hegelian worldview, more skilled bringing differences 'home'. underscores need new modes...

Purpose Humans remain unsuccessful in their attempts to achieve environmental sustainability, despite decades of scientific awareness and political efforts toward that end. This paper suggests a fresh conceptualization, one focuses on education, offers fuller explanation for our lack success calls attention alternatives. Design/methodology/approach The authors first critically review mainstream approaches have been used then introduce an alternative the call cultural approach. finally...

The spread of neoliberal policies across East Asia in the mid-1990s generated a counter-movement among Asian scholars and practitioners centred on 'School as Learning Community' (SLC). Today, thousands schools region have joined movement, spreading outward from Japan to Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia. Herein we review philosophy practice SLC, highlighting how it replaces independent individuals posited by Western liberalism – foregrounded both student-centred...

As the sustainability imperative looms, mainstream educational research in English-speaking world continues a long tradition of failing to see food as integral education. Japan's Shokuiku (food education) stands stark contrast, providing an external reference point direct critical attention on Anglo-American school philosophies, policy, and practice. This article analyses Shokuiku, tracing genealogy 2005 Basic Law landmark education policy that shifted 1954 School Lunch Act away from...