Comparative Education

A field in which researchers compare aspects of formal, nonformal, or informal education in two or more countries. Researchers seek to understand educational systems and policies in their sociocultural, political, economic, philosophical, theoretical, and historical aspects. Formal education refers to K-12 schooling in public and private school settings. Nonformal education refers to education that is offered outside the formal sector to both children and adults by agencies and organizations such as CARE, 4-H, the YMCA, and so forth. Informal education refers to the transfer of information that occurs through interaction of family or community members when they participate in a pleasure or work-related activity.

Comparative education is a subfield of international education, in which researchers study and report on education in countries other than the United States. Areas of study and research include (a) the American role in international education, (b) national and international security and education, (c) international economic development, (d) development education and Women in Development (WID), (e) globalization and education, (f) international education policy, (g)colonialism and neocolonialism effects on education, (h)foreign policy studies, (i) regional and area studies (addressing world regions), (j) peace education, (k) international business and education, and (1) international environmental education.

Popular academic journals publishing research and other academic work in comparative and international education include Comparative Education, Comparative Education Review (CER), the International Journal of Comparative Education, Research in Comparative and International Education (RCIE), International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives (IEJ), Current Issues in Comparative Education (CICE), Compare: A Journal of Comparative Education, and International Journal of Educational Development.

Professional organizations in comparative and international education include the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES), which sponsors an annual conference where professionals in the field meet and present their work; the World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES), which promotes the study of comparative and international education throughout the world; and the Association of International Educators (NAFSA, formerly National Association for Foreign Student Advisers) which is an association for individuals in international education at the postsecondary level to promote educational opportunities across national boundaries. For more information, see Comparative and International Education Society: http://www.cies.us, Current Issues in Comparative Education (n.d.), Gutek (2006), Kubow and Fossum (2003), and World Council of Comparative Education Societies: http://www.wcces.net.