Research on international organizations (IOs), both intergovernmental and non governmental, has become an important strand in comparative education. At the same time, strikingly absent in this large body of research is a large-N perspective on IOs themselves, representing a level of analysis in its own right where geography, discourse, and…

Amid the global surge of learner-centered pedagogy (LCP) as a "universal panacea," this article proposes an alternative pedagogical framework in Tanzania encompassing (1) historically nurtured pedagogies, (2) currently valued pedagogies, and (3) globally promoted LCP. Using the comparative case study (CCS) approach and the capability…

In this essay review, we first historicize how the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) rose to be a global education policy actor and authority from a historical, comparative, and international perspective. Subsequently, we sketch out the global educational governing mechanisms developed by the OECD, which include but are…

In the field of global education policy, it is common for scholars to reflect on the progress made toward internationally agreed-upon agendas, such as Education for All (EFA). However, scant research has turned the gaze back on the major multilateral institutions that commit to taking the lead in meeting these agendas in order to ask, what…

This article revisits the concept of "global polity" as a useful conceptual tool for studying public policy development in adult education. First, it describes the relations between polity, policy, and praxis and how these are addressed in adult education research. Then, it reviews how policy is conceptualized in terms of material and…

This article examines how local law enforcers in India respond to NGO efforts to disseminate world culture through human rights education. Law enforcement officers do not merely decouple from human rights discourse by superficially endorsing it. They also go further than infusing rights with local meaning. Officers use the language and logic of…

This article examines the OECD's new PISA-based Test for Schools ("PISA for Schools") program. PISA for Schools is part of the expanding education work of the OECD, building upon main PISA to enable school-to-schooling system comparisons. We examine the development of PISA for Schools, the nature of the instrument, and some initial…

This article examines the focus on teacher policies and practices by a range of global actors and explores their meaning for the governance of teachers. Through a historical and contemporary reading, I argue that an important shift in the locus of power to govern has taken place. I show how the mechanisms of global governance of teachers are being…

With reference to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, this article shows how the Chinese state continues to be a key actor in defining citizenship and citizenship education by promoting nationalism and nation-specific elements of citizenship education while linking its people to an increasingly interconnected world. In particular, this study examines…

College students' bewildered reaction to September 11 demonstrates what's missing from their education: empathy and an ethic of care. Eleven genres of relational theories are examined; these theories of the "space between us" offer complex conceptualizations of democracy, globalization, connection, and difference. Deliberative…

Reviews three books concerned with the role of education either in constructing new nationalist identities or in promoting global awareness and pluralistic attitudes. Distinguishes between multicultural education in elementary and secondary schools and separatist ethnic studies in universities. Points out the appeal of nationalist and ethnic…