Comparative Education: Exploring Issues in International Context
By: Patricia K. Kubow & Paul R. Fossum

This book provides a new introductory text for the field of comparative and international education. The text discusses the development of the field of comparative education, explores major theories of national development, pursues educational issues germane to comparative inquiry, and employs analytic frameworks to study these issues in eight countries. This work departs from the traditional viewpoint of educational systems and structural analysis to thoroughly explore comparative education from an issues orientation. Content is built upon analytical frameworks that address four fundamental educational issues: purposes of schooling, educational access and opportunity, education accountability and authority, and teacher professionalism.

After an introduction to the field and to prevailing theories in educational policy and practice, the text examines each education issue in relation to two different countries. Countries include Hong Kong, Israel, Brazil, South Africa, England, Germany, Japan, and the United States. Each issues chapter features country overviews to provide an informative snapshot of each country's location, demographics, government and politics, and educational processes. Also featured are biographical sketches of select historical and contemporary comparative educators.