ERIC Number: EJ1426328
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1570-0763
EISSN: EISSN-1744-5043
School Inspectors' Decision-Making: Evidence from a Comparative Perspective
Pablo Bezem; Anne Piezunka; Rebecca Jacobsen
Leadership and Policy in Schools, v23 n2 p253-274 2024
In an era of test-based accountability, school inspections can offer a more nuanced understanding of why schools fail. Yet, we have limited knowledge of how inspectors arrive at their decisions on school quality. Analyzing inspectors' decision-making can reveal the underlying views regarding school accountability and open opportunities for school improvement. We use a comparative case study of contrasting inspection systems in the United States, the Netherlands, and Argentina. Based on in-depth interviews with inspectors, our findings reveal that inspectors' sensemaking and decisions are strongly influenced by local culture, professional traditions, and views on school accountability. These contrasting processes illustrate trade-offs between rigid and flexible approaches to school inspection that have consequences for school improvement.
Descriptors: Inspection, Decision Making, Accountability, Institutional Evaluation, Cross Cultural Studies, Foreign Countries, Educational Improvement, Cultural Influences, Evaluation Methods, Comparative Education, Evaluators, Observation
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Netherlands; United States; Argentina
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A