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In this volume scholars and policymakers examine how large-scale assessments and quantitative data are used to inform policy-making at all levels of education worldwide, and how data can be used to better understand specific national and regional educational challenges.

This [...] handbook offers a comprehensive overview of the ways in which domestic education policy is framed and influenced by global institutions and actors. [It] surveys current debates about the role of education in a global polity, highlights key transnational policy actors, accessibly introduces research methodologies, and outlines global agendas for education reform. [The book] includes contributions from [...] international [...] established and emerging scholars [...]. Each section features an [...] introduction designed to facilitate readers' understanding of the subsequent material and highlight links to interdisciplinary global policy scholarship. (DIPF/Verlag).

An important dimension of international comparative analysis in education is studying the models of regulation that structure the way in which educational provision is organized. The specialized literature has defined three predominant regulatory models: the traditional bureaucratic professional model, the quasi-market model inspired by neoliberal thought, and the evaluative state model linked to the notion of new public management. This paper seeks to contribute to this line of analysis by studying the evolution of the Chilean education system since 1980. We describe and analyze the models of regulation that have governed Chilean education and their expression in educational reforms and policies; we assert that Chile has adopted all three mentioned models. We also identify some of the principal consequences of these policies: a highly atomized, privatized, and socioeconomically segregated school system; an improvement in access to education and the conditions for the educational process; and an increase in learning outcomes, despite starting from very low levels and stalling during the past decade while remaining highly unequal in character. Thus, we propose some hypotheses to interpret those changes, relating them to the models of regulation as well as the policies previously analyzed. Overall, we affirm that the market and evaluative state models have achieved modest positive effects while producing relevant undesirable consequences. We conclude the paper with a reflection on the character of the particular hybridization of regulatory models developed in Chile, and the types of policy we believe should be prioritized to improve quality, increase innovation, and diminish inequity.

Jana Bacevic provides an innovative analysis of education policy-making in the processes of social transformation and post-conflict development in the Western Balkans. Based on case studies of educational reform in the former Yugoslavia - from the decade before its violent breakup to contemporary efforts in post-conflict reconstruction - From Class to Identity tells the story of the political processes and motivations underlying each reform. The book moves away from technical-rational or prescriptive approaches that dominate the literature on education policy-making during social transformation, and offers an example on how to include the social, political and cultural context in the understanding of policy reforms. It connects education policy at a particular time in a particular place with broader questions such as: What is the role of education in society? What kind of education is needed for a ‘good’ society? Who are the ‘targets’ of education policies (individuals/citizens, ethnic/religious/linguistic groups, societies)? Bacevic shows how different answers to these questions influence the contents and outcomes of policies.

`This is the new policy bible for educationalists - it is at once systematic, provocative and instructive′ - Michael A Peters, Research Professor, University of Glasgow This book provides an international perspective on education policy, and of the role and function of education in the global economy. The authors present a Foucauldian perspective on the politics of liberal education, within a theoretical framework necessary for the critical analysis of education policy.

Universities around the world are facing unprecedented challenges as a result of the corona virus. There has been global devastation of the entire education sector with long-term closure of schools. The health crisis and the accompanying education crisis continue, and the end of the crisis is not certain. The immediate response everywhere to the outbreak of the virus was closure of university campuses, disrupting almost all academic activities everywhere. After the immediate reaction, as a short-term response, universities began offering some core programmes in education and research by adopting digital technology. While some feel that online methods have improved overall access, many argue that they exacerbate existing inequalities in access to higher education and research among several groups of population. As the global health emergency is still continuing, it is widely noted that we need to develop, after initial immediate responses, short-term, medium- and long-term plans for developing robust higher education and research systems that contribute to knowledge development, reducing inequalities, and which can face future uncertain emergencies. The paper reviews some of the important developments that have taken place, and different perspectives that are emerging on the responses needed for the transformation of higher education in the post-COVID era.

The Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA) has become one of the most influential forces in global education. The growing influence has been accompanied by growing criticism. For nearly two decades since the first round of PISA was conducted in 2000, the global assessment program has been roundly scrutinized and criticized by education researchers all over the world. But the mounting criticism seems to have had little impact on PISA’s influence as evidenced by its growing power in global education policy and practice. The lack of impact of criticism does not mean the criticism is not valid or PISA has improved. It simply means that the criticism has been largely ignored. The lack of impact is no reason to give up exposing PISA as a flawed business that has great power to misguide education. The expanding influence of the PISA enterprise makes it more even more important to be critical of this juggernaut today. It is also important to consider more effective and more straightforward approaches to present the criticism. The purpose of this article is to present a summary of criticisms that reveal the most fundamental flaws of PISA in non-technical language in one place. Specifically, the article focuses on criticisms of PISA’s three fundamental deficiencies: its underlying view of education, its implementation, and its interpretation and impact on education globally.

The mental health of school leaders and managers is just as important as the well-being of those they teach and support. Recent research reveals some alarming statistics, including that 56% of senior leaders have experienced mental ill health in the last year. This book examines a range of relevant issues including workload, inspections, partnerships and approaches to leadership and management in order to address some of these concerns and provide comprehensive guidance and workable, evidence-informed strategies to support those with leadership roles in schools and colleges.

The mental health of teachers in school is just as important as the well-being of the pupils they support. Recent research reveals some alarming statistics, including that 74% of teachers are unable to relax and have a poor work-life balance. This book examines a range of relevant issues including workload, managing behaviour, developing resilience and managing professional relationships in order to address some of these concerns and provide comprehensive guidance and workable, evidence-informed strategies to support all those teaching in schools and colleges.

In this paper, we examine engagement with ‘the rural context’ in Australian education research, focussing on the implications of the signifier ‘rural’—in terms of its inclusion or absence. A review of Australian research literature in rural education indicates that the term ‘rural’ and its synonyms are more often used to denote assumptions of a generalised and predetermined ‘context’ for research than to think about its meaning. We present our findings here and discuss the implications of the signifier ‘rural’ in the Australian research literature to argue that while educational policy-makers must attempt to think differently about the 'problem of the rural’, the field itself also needs to more fully develop the capacity to do this.