Preparing Implementers for Complexity –Perspectives from a Higher Education Collaborative

• In Event: Experiences, contexts and data use: Revisiting the study of education policy implementation in comparative and international education

Proposal

A growing body of scholarship speaks to the challenges of implementation of education policies in diverse contexts. However, there has been less attention on the role that faculties of education can play in preparing professionals to succeed in the face of complexities inherent in education policy implementation. While many universities now include education policy studies, the focus tends to be on developing the technical skills related to policy analysis and design (i.e., what needs to be done) rather than on political and ethical aspects of policy implementation (i.e., how the proposed “solutions” might be put into practice with efficacy and equity considerations (navigating competing and diverse interests and demands). When actual policy implementation is the focus of learning, it is more aligned in scope with evaluation of outcomes – often accompanied with the dominant paradigm of “what works” and “scaling up” logics.
We present an alternative curriculum designed for global education classrooms with participation from policy leaders coming from low- and middle-income countries. The curriculum emphasizes political, technical, and ethical aspects needed to navigate the complex dynamics of policy implementation in diverse social, economic, and political contexts. Furthermore, we argue that the diverse GLOBALED classroom mirrors the non-linearity and intersectionality embodied in "wicked problems” of policy implementation in both resource-rich and resource-constrained education contexts (Baxter & Chattopadhay, 2023).
Building on two years of data (student and faculty feedback), the current paper will present insights from an innovative microcredential on global education policy and practice that builds on a unique network of 40 plus higher education institutions - from both the global south and the north – and facilitates multidirectional knowledge sharing and critical perspective taking in a synchronous online learning environment. The network itself - called the Open Society University Network or OSUN – represents a bold innovation in higher education that aims to foster collaboration around shared values of human rights, democracy, and open societies. The OSUN Certificate in Global Educational Development (GLOBALED) aims to inspire a new generation of university students to become leaders and innovators in the global education ecosystem and transform educational pathways of children and youth worldwide.

Authors

• Tamo Chattopadhay, American University of Central Asia

• Jorge G Baxter, Universidad de Los Andes