unit1 approach.docx
- 1. Introduction Methodology in comparative education has been discussed by comparative educationists from the time the disciplinewasestablished.Like othersocial science,comparativeeducationhasbeenstudied at differentstagesof itsdevelopmentwith differentmethodologies.Withthe interestof scholarsfrom differentdisciplinesinit,thedevelopmentof methodologiesofstudiesof socialscience,the expansion of knowledge and interdisciplinary approaches, the interest of the countries of the world in one another and the coming up of bodies like Unitednations Organization (UNO) and its affiliate bodies like United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations International Children Fund(UNICEF) and International Labour Organization (ILO) different methods have been applied for the study of this discipline. The following are the methods that have been used in studying of comparative education and they tend to correspond with the particular stage of development of this discipline: 1) Traditional method Descriptive method Selective education borrowing 2) Social science methodology Historical approach Sociological approach Philosophical approach 3) Conventional methods Systematic study area Problem solving approach
- 2. Descriptive method This method had neither any elaborately developed methodology nor system nor details to the roots of the discipline. The method involved simple random descriptions that had only some details of educational systems in other countries. In these early descriptions, mostly the persons who travelled abroad were not basically interested in the educational systems of other lands for any utilitarian purpose but were curious to know the wide world and what people did there. These descriptions could not move beyond subjective interpretations. Selective education borrowing The methods involves the comparison of descriptive data in order to inform legislation. Statistics and description formed the basis of comparison. Pioneers in the discipline used this method in the pioneer phase of comparative education. The main aim was to facilitate transplantation of education system and to promote understanding among nations through sharing of educational information. The approach requires giving of details of other states and foreign systems of education. Some of the materials to be collected may be historical and descriptive. The experiences may help in the investigation of educational practices in other countries. Thus personal experience allied with social outlook would combine to give one a conclusion about an educational system. This approach involves looking what people in other countries are doing. If, what other people are doing in their countries were done in the home country, on the same principle, then the own education system would be better off. The approach involves stressing positive points of foreign education system so that current weaknesses of the system may be shown up. This is well illustrated by educational borrowing that took place in the early nineteenth century. The beginning of 19th century coincided with the rise of national system of education in Europe. Travellers abroad made journeys with a specialized interest in educational matters. No longer motivated by general curiosity, they went to foreign countries to discover information useful for charting the course of education in their countries. This group of persons of modern comparative education was predominantly educational politicians, experts, and activists.Often, they travelled not at their own expense, or following their private interests, but as emissaries, sometimes self- appointed, of their national government. They concerned themselves with educational theory, methodology, finance and organizations, teachers-training, institutional methods, and alternatives to traditionally accepted curricular matters of major importance for them.
- 3. They borrowed what they viewed to be important in the improvement of education in their country and left out what they viewed to be of little use. This brought about selective education borrowing of aspects that would improve their education system. The objectivity and detachment were lacking. Social Science Method Approach Historical method This method involves the search for causes and effects. It pursues antecedent causes of educational policy. In the use of this method, it is assumed that the practice, device, methods, and organizations- all details which go to make up an educational system cannot be transferred intact from one environment to another. The education practices are to be adopted and not assimilated. To adopt a practice requires that their historical approach motivates the desire to discover causes of education practice and to establish laws of education and science of education. In the historical method, we try to understand all those geographical, social racial, political, religious, and linguistic factors, which influence the educational systems of a country. In the 20th century, the historical approach was proposed by people like Isaac Kandel, who argued that the objectives of the comparative approach to problems in education are in the analysis of the causes which have produced them and the underlying reasons across various education systems. The causes were to be found in the forces and attitudes governing social organization and the political and economic conditions that determined its development. It included the national character, culture, foreign influences, and development of pedagogy itself. Horace Mann emphasized that the past could not be changed, and the future held infinite possibilities. The future was then the field of action, the past is only valuable as a furnishing light by which that field can be more successfully entered and cultivated. Education practices, devises, methods, structures and organizations are not transferable intact to different education environments adaptation is vital. Education problems are generally universal but their nature is usually particular to a situation. That is an effort to make comparison between countries. Stress must be on certain factors like political, social and cultural that shape the character of educational systems. Hence, "things outside the school are even more important in determining the theory and practice in an education
- 4. system" This approach analyses the cause of similarities and divergences and is expected to expose the necessity of understanding the forces that influence any education system. Sociological/analytical explicative In the sociological method, the educational problems are studied in a social context. This is done with the belief that the educational system of a country is conditioned by its social, cultural, economic, political, and religious situations. Hence the educational problems of a country have their origin in some social problems, and they do not exist by themselves, as there is a close relationship between education and society. The sociological methods of the study of comparative education does not emphasize only the past causative factors, but also those social and cultural aspects which may be responsible for the problem. Society is considered as a fit subject for speculation and enquiry. Enquiry into the nature of human knowledge, the nature of human science and the question whether laws and principles underlie the growth and development of society are important. Comparative enquiry in education may exhibit the influence of the trend towards the study of society. The development of a sociologicalviewpoint implies adegree of analysis rather more refined than mere cultural descriptions. It emphasis is on the possibilities of prediction. Thus, Comparative Education study will be a study of the dynamics of an educational system and of its relationship with other aspects of society. Philosophical analysis A Russian Philosopher by name Serguis Hessen was the first man to apply philosophical approach to the study of Comparative Education when he published his book in 1928 which he tittled "Kritische Vergleichung des Schulwesens der Anderen Kuturstaaten". In the book, he chose four main philosophical problems. The problems chosen by him are: (a) Compulsory education (b) The School and the State (c) The school and the Church and (d) The School and Economic life. In using this technique, the process of simplification would succeedin diminishing the number of diverse events to be considered. Explanation of any education system is connected with
- 5. the philosophy of that country. The national styles of philosophy or different styles of arguing for example America pragmatism or French nationalism can help in explaining the education system found in a particular country. Thus the establishment of a predominant mode of thought can be linked to every aspect of an educational organization of the culture and the methods of teaching employed. In this approach the need to collectreliable data on an international scalein order to facilitate comparison in education. Hence, it is a must to explore the possibilities of defining a number of national traditions stemming from each nation's philosophical orientation. The meaningful comparison and even prediction is done as to what may happen in future, according to the national styles of thinking and hence, of doing things. Thus, in advocating the isolation of only one main element, the ideology, the philosophical analysis may give a manageable scheme, allowing aclear relationship to be established,ifthis exists,between educational practice and national thought or style. Conventional Methods They are contemporary attempts to systematize methodology in Comparative Education research. These methods include: • Systematic area study approach (George E. Bereday) • Problem solving approach (Brian Holmes) Systematic area study approach George E. Bereday (1964) propounded this method to make analytical surveys of systems of education in various countries or communities. The study of other education systems acts as a mirror for evaluation of one’s education system. This study approach is multi-disciplinary in character i.e.,It is assumedthat relying on many fields of study for example sociology,history, economics, philosophy, geography, and politics. Some of the issues that are so complex that they present methodological problems. Solutions to these problems are not possible without multidisciplinary co-operation that need skills other than educational knowledge, to make sense out of the similarities and differences among education system. Constituents of systematic areas study approach
- 6. The following are the steps that could be followed when using systematic area study approach: a. Description b. Interpretation c. Juxtaposition d. Comparison e. Suggestions, generalization and conclusion Description Description starts with ,extensive reading. The resources may be primary, secondary or auxiliary.These sources will help to describe how things are. For example The primary sources will include: Eye witness accounts, Reports and transcripts of proceedings, Written materials of various kinds, Visits to schools. While secondary sources will include published works such as textbooks on education dealing with the countries under study. On the other hand Auxiliary sources will include materials or sources of information, which may not be talking about education directly. Going through them one is able to gain certain information about the education of people in those countries. They include novels, storybooks, magazines, and journals. Interpretation The second step is that of interpretation. It explains why things are as they are i.e. explaining/interpreting the collected information. It give reasons/justification for the presence/absence of certain features in educational systems studied. The reasons may be historical, geographical, social-cultural, economic, and political. Other disciplinary areas are used to explain why an educational/aspect is as it. Juxtaposition The third step is that of juxtaposition. In this step the information is put into groups or categories according to those features, which can be, comparable and non-comparable features. In this way similarities and differences can be clearly seen. The use of charts, bar graphs, and sketches can be used to illustrate the information required.
- 7. Comparison Compare the features in one system with those of other countries/institutions under study. it not only considers the similarities and differences but also the reason why these are as they are. Suggestions, generalizations and conclusion On the basis of the findings in the foregoing steps conclusions are drawn and put forward suggestions for new lines of action. These are based on factors behind the similarities and differences, which have been observed. Problem solving approach Brian Holmes (1965) envisioned the field of comparative education as eminently practical in nature, providing the basis for the solutions to educational problems. He spelt out a means of identifying a problem and its possible solutions and further suggested ways of predicting the greater likelihood of a particular reform bringing about a desired result. It is possible to use the stages of reflective thinking and the function of reflective thinking is to clear up a confused situation i.e. to solve a problem. The testing is possible that is making logical deduction from the hypotheses within the context of relevant factors and then comparing the predicted events with the actual events, which are observed to flow from a selected course of action. That agreement between the predicted and observed events provides verification of the hypothesis that is an explanation of events constitutes a successful solution of the confused situation. That disagreement between the two types of events (predicted and observed) constitutes a refutation of the hypothesis. Scientific Approach This is an approach in which the study of comparative education is carried out empirically by formulating hypotheses, defining the important concepts, setting out the variables as well as the conditions for establishing the validity of the hypotheses formulated. Since in any scientific research, data collection its interpretation with the help of statistics of analysis are very important. These must not also be lacking in the study of Comparative Education to enhance the quality and credibility of whatever may be the result of the investigation.