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2020/2021

Educational Policy

Code: 101159 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500262 Sociology OT 4 0
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Antoni Verger Planells
Email:
Antoni.Verger@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
english (eng)
Some groups entirely in English:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
No
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Teachers

Natalie Papanastasiou

Prerequisites

Preferably, students should have a background on education (in subjects such as sociology of education, education sciences or economics of education).

Objectives and Contextualisation

1. Introduce a variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives that can be used to examine education policy reform, processes, contents and outcomes.

2. Provide an international perspective to education policy change (focus on international organizations, international case studies and international data-bases) and develop a global governance approach to policy analysis.

3. Develop an understanding of the power, but also the limits of policy, as a lever for improving educational organizations.

4. Apply these perspectives in a range of education levels (basic education, higher education) and impact dimensions (education equity, efficiency, learning, etc.).

5. Assist the students to apply the course content in individual and group assignments on education policy analysis related topics.

5. Stimulate interest in further study of education policy and awareness of the complex, interdisciplinary and, at times, controversial nature of education policy analysis.

Competences

  • Analysing the problems arising from the implementation of public policies and conflict situations by recognising the complexity of the social phenomena and political decisions affecting democracy, human rights, social justice and sustainable development.
  • Applying the concepts and approaches of the sociological theory, specially the explanations of social inequalities between classes, between genders and between ethnic groups, to the implementation of public policies and to the resolution of conflict situations.
  • Assessing the contributions of sociological approaches to the study of culture, education, interaction between society and environment, social policy, and work.
  • Demonstrating a comprehension of the analysis of social phenomena presented in English, as well as observing their strengths and weaknesses.
  • Demonstrating a comprehension of the approaches of the sociological theory in its different aspects, interpretations and historical context.
  • Describing social phenomena in a theoretically relevant way, bearing in mind the complexity of the involved factors, its causes and its effects.
  • Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  • Developing self-learning strategies.
  • Effectively communicating the basic analysis of social phenomena in an elementary level of English.
  • Generating innovative and competitive proposals in research and professional activity.
  • Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  • Searching for documentary sources starting from concepts.
  • Students must be capable of managing their own time, planning their own study, managing the relationship with their tutor or adviser, as well as setting and meeting deadlines for a work project.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Comparing the different theoretical approaches about education.
  2. Comparing the reading of educational phenomena from several ideologies of the social reality of Spain and Catalonia.
  3. Defining the appropriate sociological concepts in order to interpret the educational and school phenomena.
  4. Demonstrating a comprehension of the analysis of social phenomena presented in English, as well as observing their strengths and weaknesses.
  5. Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  6. Developing self-learning strategies.
  7. Distinguishing sociological concepts concerning education adopted by the actors involved in the educational system.
  8. Distinguishing sociological concepts, as well as the methods and techniques of social investigation commonly used to analyse education.
  9. Distinguishing the explanations of educational inequalities between classes, between genders and between ethnic groups that these actors take for granted.
  10. Distinguishing the social interpretations of education according to these approaches.
  11. Distinguishing the underlying educational phenomena of specific policies or conflicts.
  12. Distinguishing the underlying social phenomena of educational policies and conflicts.
  13. Effectively communicating the basic analysis of social phenomena in an elementary level of English.
  14. Expressing the debates regarding these approaches, that refer to education.
  15. Generating innovative and competitive proposals in research and professional activity.
  16. Relating the concepts, methods and techniques used to analyse education with general theoretical and methodological debates.
  17. Relating the debates regarding these approaches, that refer to education, with the historical context in which they emerged.
  18. Relating the explanations of educational inequalities with general theoretical and methodological debates.
  19. Relating the theoretical approaches with debates about social order, inequality and social strategies.
  20. Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  21. Searching for documentary sources starting from concepts.
  22. Students must be capable of managing their own time, planning their own study, managing the relationship with their tutor or adviser, as well as setting and meeting deadlines for a work project.

Content

1. The sociological analysis of education policy.

1.1. The political sociology of education.

1.2. Theories on the role of the state in education.

1.3. The formation of education systems.

1.4. The governance paradigm: the role of non-state actors and collective action in education.

1.5. Sociological approaches to the evaluation of education policies (realistic evaluation, multiple-perspectives approach).

1.6.  The enactment of educational policies and the micro-politics of schooling

 

2. Globalization and education policy

2.1. Theoretical approaches to the globalization and education relationship and global mechanisms and education policy influence.

2.2. The role of international organizations: OECD (e.g. PISA), World Bank, UNESCO, WTO, and EU (e.g. the Bologna Process).

2.3. The emerging private authority in education policy: transnational civil society, private foundations and transnational corporations.

 

3. Policies and programmatic ideas in education reform

3.1. Autonomy, decentralization and municipalization.

3.2. Privatization and quasi-markets in education: exogenous and endogenous privatization; educational public-private partnerships; vouchers and charters.

3.3. School choice and zonification.

3.4. New public management reforms: autonomy and accountability.

3.5. External standardized test: national and international large-scale assessments.

 

4. Impact dimensions of education policy

4.1. The educational chain: funding, processes, outcomes, and outputs.

4.2. Funding and efficiency.

4.3. Pedagogical processes: ability grouping, repetition, innovatioon.

4.4. School segregation and diversification.

4.5. Equity and inequalities (social class, gender, ethnic and migration, territorial).

4.6. Educational quality and students' achievement: outcomes and outputs.

4.7. School organization and management.

4.8. Teachers labour and professionalism.

 

Methodology

The subject is structured according to four type of activities that will follow very different methodological principles:

1. Theoretical classes organized around the lecturer presentation but that will be open to the intervention and participation of students.

2. Practical sessions (debates around the readings, documentaries and other multimedia materials, and practical exercises to solve problems).

3. Tutorial meetings to privide feed-back and guidance individually and/or in small groups.

4. Autonomous activities by the students (both individual and in group) such as reading the course texts or writing the assignments.

 

Evaluation

The final mark will be formed by:

1. Final exam (40%)

2. Group assginment (30%)

3. Case study class presentation (20%)

4. Participation in class and reading (10%)

Students with an average mark below 5 will be able to do a recovery exam.

Methodology

The subject is structured according to four type of activities that will follow very different methodological principles:

1. Theoretical classes organized around the lecturer presentation but that will be open to the intervention and participation of students.

2. Practical sessions (debates around the readings, documentaries and other multimedia materials, and practical exercises to solve problems).

3. Tutorial meetings to privide feed-back and guidance individually and/or in small groups.

4. Autonomous activities by the students (both individual and in group) such as reading the course texts or writing the assignments.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
master classes 15 0.6 21, 1, 13, 4, 6, 5, 9, 7, 8, 14, 15, 22, 16, 19, 20
seminars 23 0.92 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 7, 8, 12, 10, 14, 16, 17, 19, 18, 11
Type: Supervised      
tutorials 30 1.2 13, 6, 22
Type: Autonomous      
autonomous work and study 75 3 21, 1, 2, 13, 3, 4, 6, 5, 9, 7, 8, 12, 10, 14, 15, 22, 16, 17, 19, 18, 20, 11

Assessment

The final mark will be formed by:

1. Final exam (40%)

2. Group assginment (30%)

3. Case study class presentation (15%)

4. Class exercises and participation (15%)

Participation in class will be considered as an important criterion that can contribute to upgrade the final mark.

 In accordance with article 117.2 of the UAB Academic Regulations, the evaluation of those students who have been enroled before may consist of a single synthesis examination. The students who wish to be evaluated this way should contact the professor at the beginning of the semester. 

If plagiarism is detected, the evaluation of the test will be 0

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Class presentation 15 1 0.04 1, 2, 13, 3, 4, 6, 5, 9, 7, 8, 12, 10, 14, 22, 17, 19, 20
Exam 40 2 0.08 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 7, 8, 12, 10, 14, 16, 17, 19, 18, 11
Group essay 30 2 0.08 21, 13, 4, 5, 14, 22, 17
in-class assignment and participation 15 2 0.08 21, 1, 13, 3, 4, 6, 5, 8, 12, 10, 14, 15, 22, 19, 20

Bibliography

Cabalin, C., & Bellei, C. (2013). Chilean Student Movements: Sustained Struggle to Transform a Market-oriented Educational System. Current Issues in Comparative Education, 15(2), 108–123.

Bonal, X. (2012). Education policy and school segregation of migrant students in Catalonia: the politics of non-decision-making.

Breakspear, S. (2012). The policy impact of PISA: An Exploration of the Normative Effects of International Benchmarking in School System Performance. OECD Education Working Papers, (71), 1–31.

Dale, R. (1999). Specifying globalization effects on national policy: a focus on the mechanisms. Journal of Education Policy, 14(1), 1–17.

Day Ashley, L., Mcloughin, C., Engel, J., Wales, J., Rawal, S., Batley, R., … Rose, P. (2014). The role and impact of private schools in developing countries. Final report. Education Rigorous Literature Review. Department for International Development. London: Department for International Development.

Grek, S. (2009). Governing by Numbers: The PISA effect in Europe. Journal of Education Policy, 24(1), 23–37.

Heyneman, S. P. (2003). The history and problems in the making of education policy at the World Bank 1960–2000.International journal of educational development,23(3), 315-337.

Mundy, K., & Verger, A. (2015). The World Bank and the global governance of education in a changing world order. International Journal of Educational Development,40, 9-18.

Robertson, S., Mundy, K., Verger, A., & Menashy, F. (2012). Public Private Partnerships In Education. (S. Robertson, A. Verger, K. Mundy, & F. Menashy, Eds.), Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. London: Edward Elgar Publishing.  (only introduction)

Verger, A., Bonal, X., & Zancajo, A. (2016). What Are the Role and Impact of Public-Private Partnerships in Education? A Realist Evaluation of the Chilean Education Quasi-Market. Comparative Education Review, 60(2), 223–248.

Verger, A., Novelli, M., & Altinyelken, H. (2018). Global Education Policy and International Development: A Revisited Introduction. In The Handbook of Global Education Policy (2nd ed., pp. 1–32). Oxford: Wiley Blackwell. (only the introduction)

Verger, A., & Parcerisa, L. (2017). A Difficult Relationship Accountability Policies and Teachers: International Evidence and Key Premises for Future Research. In M. Akiba & G. LeTendre (Eds.), International Handbook of Teacher Quality and Policy (pp. 241–254). New York: Routledge.