This study deploys Actor-Network Theory (ANT) to understand how educational standards take shape. To exemplify the inherently collective nature of standards and contingency in the process of standardisation, this study will present a case of the CEFR-J project launched by a group of Japanese university academics to modify the "Common European…

This paper firstly presents Statement Archaeology, an innovative and rigorous method devised to systematically operationalise the approach to historical exploration used by Michel Foucault in pursuit of the question "how do certain practices become possible at particular moments in history?" Drawing on an analysis of the theoretical…

The paper problematises conceptualisations of Vocational Education and Training (VET) and its relationship to social justice by examining a number of debates. It explores a post-structural policy analysis which is sensitive to the manner in which, through research, we constitute the object of our inquiry and as a result of this process subtly…

This paper focuses on the role of classroom observation in the development and assessment of schoolteachers in Vietnam through a narrative review of current policy and cognate research literature. The overall aim of this review was twofold. Firstly, to contribute to a growing bank of Vietnam-based studies to maximise the value of the insights from…

This article asks what uniform practices in schools can tell us about how power functions through a comprehensive analysis of the uniform policies of all Scottish state secondary schools (n = 357). Against the backdrop of large-scale shifts from disciplinary societies to ones dominated by 'neoliberal governmentality' identified by Foucault and…

Charter schools are privately operated public schools funded by the government with oversight from school districts, state education departments, or other government authorizers. This gives charter schools autonomy from many government rules and regulations, allows them to specialize and innovate in particular types of education, and gives parents…

Dual enrollment (DE) is a popular reform in the United States that allows high school students to take college courses through partnerships between school districts and institutions of higher education. DE programs have been scaling rapidly, but participation is stratified by race and class, and research reveals little about the quality and…

Federal education policy has been a feature of the United States' education system beginning in 1965 when Lyndon Johnson introduced the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as part of his "War on Poverty." Since then, the ESEA has undergone numerous revisions with each successive presidential administration. Part of the policy…

In Germany, penalties such as fines or police action are imposed for noncompliance with compulsory schooling. However, formal administrative procedures are often deemed inadequate by experts who advocate for school-wide multidimensional support in addressing school absenteeism. We analyze guidance documents of different federal states, examining…

Limited Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) knowledge among China's youth is a considerable challenge that impacts not only China but also the global progression towards sustainable development goals. This study aims to offer a comprehensive understanding of China's sex education policy, its evolution in recent years, and the role played by…

This paper delineates the intellectual history of endeavours to generate a unified science of child welfare in Finland in the early twentieth century by elucidating the efforts of leading Finnish protagonists to depict the concept of child welfare science. The idea of such a new science was not unique to Finland; similar trends emerged extensively…

Educational psychology is embracing the call to engage in more policy-oriented research. This special issue focuses on some of the key scholars in the field that are taking up this charge. Building upon their work, I aim to push the field to go even further, providing suggestions for how to engage in policy-oriented activism research within…

We present a historical case study of "data-driven" general education policy reform at the City University of New York, where within-system transfer issues prompted the need for curricular reform that was debated and eventually implemented from 2011 to 2017. Through an empirical examination of artifacts such as meeting minutes, internal…

School reform is almost always born out of big dreams and well-meaning desires to change the status quo. But between lofty reform legislation and the students whose education is at stake, there are numerous additional policies and policymakers who determine how reforms operate. Even in the best cases, school reform initiatives can perpetuate…

The national policy context regarding transgender students' rights has been volatile in recent years. New York State's Department of Education has a transgender policy in place, yet local school districts around New York State do not. This qualitative case study examined how district and school staff perceived the knowledge and effectiveness of…