Overview of Course

This course will examine comparative and international education in a global and research context, with emphasis on the countries we visit during the Spring 2023 Semester at Sea voyage. The course will provide you with a comprehensive overview of what comparative and international education means in a multi-cultural and changing world. Working within a variety of accessible frameworks you will be able to undertake comparisons between different educational systems within and across different countries.

Students will examine the conceptual and methodological questions underlying comparative and international education. Particular attention will be placed on the development of the field through a variety of lenses such as the exploration of the relationship between education, culture, and society in a global context. Among the specific topics discussed will be gender, race, class, teacher background, pay, teacher status in the community, curriculum and pedagogy, assessment of learning, remedial programs and education of children with disabilities, socio-political, and economic structures. Literacy in reading, mathematics, and science will provide the common content thread for analyzing programs and outcomes across countries, with attention paid to the impact of globalization on traditional learning, indigenous languages, and culture.