This article aims to show the value of the concept of policy trajectory to compare, from a long-term perspective, the transformations of education policies in the context of globalisation. After discussing the scope and limitations of the analyses of the concept in the literature -- descriptive, sequential, metaphorical and building on the works…

The development of the modern nation-state was an inherently centralising process. Education policy and the institutionalisation of mass public schooling played a key role in this process, facilitating industrialisation and the generation of mass loyalty toward the state. In almost all federal systems, however, education policy remained an…

Little research has examined public diplomacy as a comparative education issue, particularly regarding social-psychological, economic and political fears or personal and national insecurities. This paper discusses American public diplomacy as a mostly Cold War strategy adapted to post-9/11 national security interests, fears and desires. It further…

The question of access to French-immersion programs has become a timely subject in Canada as a result of shifting political priorities, cutbacks, and growing concern around finding the most efficient way to teach French as a second language (FSL). While drawing on social selection and identity perspectives on school choice, this article presents…

In the early nineteenth century, governments began to develop specialized educational programs--kindergartens and infant or nursery schools--to give children a head start in life. These programs hinged on new visions of childhood that originated in England and Europe, but what happened when they were transported to the colonies? This book unwinds…

While Canada's system of community colleges, technical and specialized career institutes, vocational training centers, and other non-degree-granting postsecondary instutions have considerable diversity, the university system has limited institutional diversity, for a variety of reasons including geography, politics, and educational finance. (MSE)

Maintains that, although educational systems perpetuate the notion that teachers practice their vocation in a standardized school system, experience indicates that school systems are actually in constant flux and that teachers are not closely involved in curriculum development. A case study of teacher involvement in curriculum development in…

The report examines the development and implementation of performance indicators at institutions of higher education, through presentation of position statements on 11 countries: Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and United Kingdom. General conclusions are summarized in an introductory…

Raises questions about an industrial, competitive model of education in Alberta, Canada with the goal of being first on international achievement assessments. Suggests that global and societal benefits derive from an education that fosters the full development of the potential of all individuals, rather than the development of excellent…

The intent and results of the establishment of universities in the northern regions of Sweden and Ontario are examined, along with academic, financial, and geographic problems faced by each. (MSE)

The relationship between state/provincial governments and universities in Canada and the United States is discussed, focusing on state coordination of public universities. Salient cultural and political differences between the two countries are examined in the context of a theory that differences stem from organizing principles growing out of the…

As examples of the qualitative research attitude, six research papers, each of which addresses a serious educational question in a thoughtful and rigorous manner, are presented. The first paper argues for the advancement of a qualitative research attitude in social studies, for such an attitude is consonant with the purposes of a reflective,…

Basic elements of the higher education system are considered, along with variations across nations (the United Kingdom, Sweden, Japan, Italy, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Australia, Canada, the United States, Poland, Yugoslavia, Mexico, and Thailand). Three basic elements of the organization of higher education system are identified:…

Equality of educational opportunity is a social goal in both the United States and Canada; yet, the nations differ considerably in their approaches and progress toward this objective. Canada appears to have achieved greater equality of condition vis-a-vis education than has the United States, judged by variation in expenditure per student among…

The paper explains how political science educators at the University of Michigan, Dearborn, structured political internship experiences for American college students in the Ontario, Canada, legislature and Metropolitan Toronto government. The internship program allows junior and senior undergraduate political science majors to work for five weeks…