The international transfer of educational policy and practice has long been a key theme in comparative research and scholarship. Recent years have seen renewed attention to the processes of international policy transfer, with new understandings emerging from innovative theorising and analysis. This article examines the nature and implications of…

Comparative research on education in small states has attracted international attention since the mid-1980s when the Commonwealth sponsored a number of seminal meetings and publications, and became a key advocate for the advancement of such work. This article considers the place of different dimensions of scale in comparative research; re-examines…

Research capacity building and its impact on policy and practice are increasingly highlighted in the literature on international research partnerships. In the field of education and development, it is recognised that, in the past, international research collaborations have tended to be dominated by the agenda of Northern partners. Partly in…

This paper critically examines the impact of global development agendas upon the nature and direction of educational development in small states. This generates a critique of the international transfer of western policy trajectories and related research modalities, identifies the strategic importance of small states, and explores possible ways…

Drawing upon recent work for the Commonwealth Secretariat and our ongoing comparative research, this article focuses upon the nature, impact and implications of contemporary development challenges for education in small states. It is argued that the post-Jomtien era has been dominated by international goals and targets that have focussed…

The article argues that greater attention should be paid to contextual factors in educational research and international development cooperation. The analysis draws upon principles that underpin socio-cultural approaches to comparative education, a critical analysis of the political economy of contemporary educational research, and recent research…

Comparative and international research in education has a well-established history, and one that has seen the changing fortunes of a diversity of research approaches and paradigms. As Epstein (forthcoming) demonstrates, much can be gained from critical reflection upon philosophical and epistemological "benchmarks" in this field, and from an…

This paper presents some initial ideas on how the theoretical concepts of the "insider" and the "outsider" might be re-examined in an era where advances in comparative, qualitative research methodologies seek to be more inclusive, collaborative, participatory, reflexive and nuanced. Earlier essentialist definitions of the…

The new millennium marks a time for reassessment of the field of comparative education. Comparative education needs to address the widening interest in comparative and international research, the impact of computerized information technologies, the increased recognition of the cultural dimension of education, and the influence of globalization…

Globalization is revitalizing comparative and international educational research. While recognizing that context matters, this process should emphasize increased collaboration between the humanities and social science research traditions; the global and the local; mainstream and specialist research communities; differing units of analysis;…

This paper draws upon a case study of education in the small Caribbean state of Saint Lucia (population 154,000) to examine how local knowledge and values can influence the education policy process. It is argued that recent research development initiatives have strengthened the ability of Saint Lucia to mediate international education agendas to…

Draws on emerging trends in British universities to examine arguments concerning the continued specialization of comparative and international education versus its integration into other disciplines. Argues that there is an urgent need for comparativists to become active change agents in the broader transformation of their institutions into…

Distinguishes between three traditions of case study in educational research. Discusses the changing nature of comparative education and the value and limitations of the modern case study, as advocated by Lawrence Stenhouse, in educational research. Describes a case study of secondary education in Papua New Guinea. (SB)

Discusses some areas of particular interest in the study of education in the South Pacific islands: educational development in small, recently decolonized nations; mismatch between policies of donors of international aid and the needs of developing nations; importance of understanding the context of education; and misapplication of educational…

Reviews research related to textbook development and provision in developing nations. Stresses the importance of increased access to textbooks as a cost-effective means for improving educational quality. Examines four policy options for textbook development in developing countries: adoption, adaptation, government publication, and international…