In its "adolescent" phase of development, comparative education engaged with a wide variety of social theories. The next period of comparative education scholarship is likely to be characterized by a focus on global trends, rigorous blending of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, and commitment to pursuing more general insights about how…

In light of globalization-driven educational demands and growing student alienation, there is a pressing need to reevaluate the cultural context of schooling and learning. Comparative education studies have potential to illuminate the complex interplay of personal, social, and structural factors that influence student engagement in particular…

Western education systems have become globally embedded, and comparative education, by focusing on the delivery model of education, reinforces the status quo. A neo-comparative education would focus on learning and its relationship with culture as a means of understanding how individuals can be encouraged to engage with the many emerging forms of…

Comparative research on teachers' perspectives and classroom behavior must focus both on external systematic and institutional influences and on individual differences in teacher personality and background. One such systematic study of French and English elementary school teachers identified "meta-national" similarities and international, local,…

Two reviews of an ambitious comparative study of elementary classroom practices and realities in the United States (Michigan), England, France, Russia, and India. There is no single definition of best practice in education, for both means and ends are culturally specific. Recent English educational policy emphasizing a generic definition and…

Reflects on Nigel Grant's contribution to the development of comparative education as a scholarly field, as a researcher, writer, and teacher of countless students. Discusses the history of university scholarship and the teacher-student relationship since the first European universities, contemporary debates about the purpose of education, and the…

Presents a revised version of the 1998 Presidential address to the newly-inaugurated British Association for International and Comparative Education. Outlines perspectives and traditions in comparative education and the challenges in light of current trends. Suggests that comparative education must borrow from other social science disciplines and…

A project to examine the relationship between the ideological traditions and national policies governing teacher education and the professional perspectives and practices of teachers looked at these issues in two areas, one in Britain and one in France. The project's objectives, methodology, and results are summarized. (MSE)