ICH4801
EXAM PACK
2023
LATEST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
,ICH4801 Assignment 3 Memorandum
SECTION A
Question 1
1(a) (Chapter 8)
i) Define “comparative education” in your own words. (2)
A study of how the development of education in the past, across the ages and continents, has
influenced the development of education in particular countries. A study of the school systems
of two or more countries. A study field that has a three-in-one perspective on education: an
education system perspective, a contextual perspective and a comparative perspective. “A
field of study dealing with the comparison of current educational theory and practice in different
countries for the purpose of broadening and deepening understanding of educational problems
beyond the boundaries of one's own country”. A systematic examination of other cultures and
other systems of education in order to discover similarities and differences
ii) How did the following contribute to the development of the field of comparative
education?
Travellers’ tales: Travellers made contact with other communities, societies and cultures, made
them to start comparing their own (societies, communities and cultures) with other people they
contacted. This phase can be regarded as a prescientific phase of comparative education as
these stories were told casually and are neither exhaustive nor systematic nor objective …
The systematic study of foreign education systems for borrowing: This is a new kind of
th century. These were government
educational travellers who came on the scene during the 19
officials who were sent out to other countries to study the education systems and educational
development in foreign countries with an intention of borrowing the best policies and practices
to improve their own systems back home.
International co-operation: During this phase the basis for comparative education transcended
from borrowing to improve the education system of one country, to a more unselfish, universal
2
, ICH4801/101
ameliorative motive – comparative education to serve the interests of humanity, to improve the
fate of humanity and to better the quality of life of all humans.
‘Factors and forces’ since 1930: This period was characterised by Indiscriminate borrowing of
education practices from foreign education systems without taking contextual factors into
consideration. Contextual forces: include geography, demography, social systems, economy,
political systems, as well as religious and philosophical structures. National education systems
are embedded in these societal structures, which makes it impossible to transplant one
element of an education system from one country to another.
(N.B Refer to the prescribe book for more information)
iii) Discuss the significance of the scholarly field of comparative and international
education (CIE). Provide your answer under the following subheadings: (10)
Description: The most elementary role of comparative education within the larger scholarly field
of education is to describe education systems of the communities, within their societal contexts,
to satisfy the quest for knowledge, which is an inherent part of human nature.
Understanding/interpretation/explanation: comparative education assists with the
understanding of education systems (as the outcome of societal forces) and societies (as they
are in turn shaped by education systems). American education offers a indication into the
extreme individualism. Owing to its decentralised nature, the large amount of power and
autonomy is bestowed in individual school districts and individual institutions. This
individualism was shaped by pioneering conditions over a large continent and by the first
immigrants coming from various countries and religious beliefs, which militated against a
communal spirit. Similarly, Dewey’s ideas on education and its effects on American education
facilitates understanding of the pragmatic nature of American culture (also shaped by the
exigencies of frontier conditions).
Evaluation: Another role of comparative education is to evaluate education systems and one’s
own, domestic education systems, as well as more holistic, global evaluations of education
systems. In a competitive globalised world, the evaluation of the domestic education project is
of ever greater importance. The universal or holistic evaluation of education refers to how well
the education systems of the world answer to the challenges of the 21st century world.
3
EXAM PACK
2023
LATEST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
,ICH4801 Assignment 3 Memorandum
SECTION A
Question 1
1(a) (Chapter 8)
i) Define “comparative education” in your own words. (2)
A study of how the development of education in the past, across the ages and continents, has
influenced the development of education in particular countries. A study of the school systems
of two or more countries. A study field that has a three-in-one perspective on education: an
education system perspective, a contextual perspective and a comparative perspective. “A
field of study dealing with the comparison of current educational theory and practice in different
countries for the purpose of broadening and deepening understanding of educational problems
beyond the boundaries of one's own country”. A systematic examination of other cultures and
other systems of education in order to discover similarities and differences
ii) How did the following contribute to the development of the field of comparative
education?
Travellers’ tales: Travellers made contact with other communities, societies and cultures, made
them to start comparing their own (societies, communities and cultures) with other people they
contacted. This phase can be regarded as a prescientific phase of comparative education as
these stories were told casually and are neither exhaustive nor systematic nor objective …
The systematic study of foreign education systems for borrowing: This is a new kind of
th century. These were government
educational travellers who came on the scene during the 19
officials who were sent out to other countries to study the education systems and educational
development in foreign countries with an intention of borrowing the best policies and practices
to improve their own systems back home.
International co-operation: During this phase the basis for comparative education transcended
from borrowing to improve the education system of one country, to a more unselfish, universal
2
, ICH4801/101
ameliorative motive – comparative education to serve the interests of humanity, to improve the
fate of humanity and to better the quality of life of all humans.
‘Factors and forces’ since 1930: This period was characterised by Indiscriminate borrowing of
education practices from foreign education systems without taking contextual factors into
consideration. Contextual forces: include geography, demography, social systems, economy,
political systems, as well as religious and philosophical structures. National education systems
are embedded in these societal structures, which makes it impossible to transplant one
element of an education system from one country to another.
(N.B Refer to the prescribe book for more information)
iii) Discuss the significance of the scholarly field of comparative and international
education (CIE). Provide your answer under the following subheadings: (10)
Description: The most elementary role of comparative education within the larger scholarly field
of education is to describe education systems of the communities, within their societal contexts,
to satisfy the quest for knowledge, which is an inherent part of human nature.
Understanding/interpretation/explanation: comparative education assists with the
understanding of education systems (as the outcome of societal forces) and societies (as they
are in turn shaped by education systems). American education offers a indication into the
extreme individualism. Owing to its decentralised nature, the large amount of power and
autonomy is bestowed in individual school districts and individual institutions. This
individualism was shaped by pioneering conditions over a large continent and by the first
immigrants coming from various countries and religious beliefs, which militated against a
communal spirit. Similarly, Dewey’s ideas on education and its effects on American education
facilitates understanding of the pragmatic nature of American culture (also shaped by the
exigencies of frontier conditions).
Evaluation: Another role of comparative education is to evaluate education systems and one’s
own, domestic education systems, as well as more holistic, global evaluations of education
systems. In a competitive globalised world, the evaluation of the domestic education project is
of ever greater importance. The universal or holistic evaluation of education refers to how well
the education systems of the world answer to the challenges of the 21st century world.
3
