Quality and Qualities: Tensions in Education Reforms

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-vii

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2. In Search of Quality Education

   • Don Adams, Clementina Acedo, Simona Popa

   Pages 1-22

3. Education Reform and The Discourse of Quality in Argentina

   • Jorge M. Gorostiaga, Adrián Ferreira

   Pages 23-40

4. The Quest For Educational Quality in Egypt

   • Nagwa Megahed, Mark Ginsburg, Antar Abdellah, Ayman Zohry

   Pages 41-67

5. Quality Tensions and Endogenous Development

   • Matthew Rhodes

   Pages 69-84

6. A New Government’s Policy Initiatives For School Reform in Korea

   • Chong Jae Lee

   Pages 85-102

7. Improving Educational Quality Through English-Medium Instruction in Mathematics and Science

   • Geok Hwa Kee

   Pages 103-123

8. The Development of Higher Education, and Its Quality Assurance, in Vietnam

   • Lam Quang Thiep, Vu Thi Phuong Anh

   Pages 125-142

9. Education Development in Kenya

   • Macrina C. Lelei, John C. Weidman

   Pages 143-162

10. Globalization, Decentralization, and Equity

    • Rebecca A. Clothey

    Pages 163-181

11. Education Quality

    • Francisco Téllez, María José Ramírez

    Pages 183-196

12. Quality Education

    • Don Adams, Clementina Acedo, Simona Popa

    Pages 197-208

13. Back Matter

    Pages 209-213

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Quality and Qualities: Tensions in Education Reforms is a provocative call for understanding and further exploring the elusive concept of quality in education. Although education quality has acquired high priority in the past few decades, the multiplicity of conceptualizations of quality also reflects the concerns and foci of multiple stakeholders. Coming to an understanding of quality education involves careful analysis of the context from which any particular reform or program emerges and of the continuing struggle to define and achieve it. Two main questions persist: who benefits from particular policies focused on quality? And what are the potential tradeoffs between a focus on quality, equitable distribution of education, and inclusion of various traditional expectations? This book explores notions of quality as understood within various systems of national, formal, and nonformal education. Also it considers the tensions that arise with the introduction of new standardized notions of quality in relation to international measures and educational reforms in developing countries. In all cases, specific national issues and concerns compete with global agendas.Challenges to quality that are given particular attention in the book chapters include changing definitions of quality, high expectations for education and issues with implementation, and the introduction of English as a means to achieve quality in a globalizing world. Special attention is also given to possible actions that support a more equitable education without ignoring the requisite of quality. The final chapter suggests three models/choices for seeking higher quality and guiding the educational future of nations.

• equity
• quality

• UNESCO International Bureau of Education, Geneva, Switzerland

  Clementina Acedo, Simona Popa

• University of Pittsburgh, USA

  Don Adams

Policies and ethics