Comparing Systems: Differential Performance

• In Event: 66.019 - Exploring High Performance: Comparing Systems, Sectors, and Schools

Abstract

Studies of high performing education systems (Barber and Mourshed, 2007; Jensen et al, 2012) reinforce teacher quality and leadership quality as central contributors to highly effective school systems. As a result, many educational systems are investing heavily in developing teachers and school leaders as a way of improving system level performance (Stewart, 2012). It remains the case however the current preoccupation with the ‘best education systems’ means that there is no comparative analysis of the improvement strategies being utilised in a more diverse or differentiated group of education systems.

A core assumption is that improvement strategies used by the high performing systems are ring-fenced and not used by those lower down the international performance table. Without a comparative analysis based on rigorous empirical investigation there is no way of testing this assumption. Consequently, this paper highlights the findings from a contemporary, comparative analysis of the improvement practices, particularly but not exclusively leadership development, in differentially performing education systems (Australia, England, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Russia and Singapore)

Authors

• Alma Harris, University of Malaya

• Michelle Suzette Jones, University of Malaya

• James P. Spillane, Northwestern University

• David Reynolds, University of Southampton

• Christopher James Chapman, University of Glasgow

• Karen E. Edge, UCL Institute of Education