Evidence and Expertise in Nordic Education Policy

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxiv

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2. Introduction: A Comparative Network Analysis of Knowledge Use in Nordic Education Policies

   • Kirsten Sivesind, Berit Karseth

   Pages 1-31Open Access

3. What Is in a Reference? Theoretically Understanding the Uses of Evidence in Education Policy

   • Gita Steiner-Khamsi

   Pages 33-57Open Access

4. Exploring the Architecture of Policy Knowledge: A Methodological Note

   • Oren Pizmony-Levy, Chanwoong Baek

   Pages 59-76Open Access

5. Policy Borrowing and Evidence in Danish Education Policy Preparation: The Case of the Public School Reform of 2013

   • Trine Juul Reder, Christian Ydesen

   Pages 77-114Open Access

6. Evidence and Expert Power in Finnish Education Policy Making: The National Core Curriculum Reform

   • Saija Volmari, Jaakko Kauko, Juho Anturaniemi, Íris Santos

   Pages 115-148Open Access

7. The Irregular Formation of State Policy Documents in the Icelandic Field of Education 2013–2017

   • Berglind Rós Magnúsdóttir, Jón Torfi Jónasson

   Pages 149-182Open Access

8. Structuring School Reform Policy with Evidence: The Inter-mediational Role of Knowledge Sources and Arguments

   • Bernadette Hörmann, Kirsten Sivesind

   Pages 183-225Open Access

9. The Complexity of Context in Legitimating National School Reforms: The Case of Sweden

   • Andreas Nordin, Ninni Wahlström

   Pages 227-251Open Access

10. Evidence-Based Policymaking in Nordic Countries: Different Settings, Different Practices?

    • Chanwoong Baek, Dijana Tiplic, Íris Santos

    Pages 253-279Open Access

11. How Much Is Policy Advice Changed and Lost in Political Translation?

    • Gita Steiner-Khamsi, Chanwoong Baek, Berit Karseth, Andreas Nordin

    Pages 281-320Open Access

12. The OECD and the Field of Knowledge Brokers in Danish, Finnish, and Icelandic Education Policy

    • Christian Ydesen, Jaakko Kauko, Berglind Rós Magnúsdóttir

    Pages 321-348Open Access

13. Regional Policy Spaces, Knowledge Networks, and the “Nordic Other”

    • Saija Volmari, Kirsten Sivesind, Jón Torfi Jónasson

    Pages 349-382Open Access

14. On Evidence, Impact, and Layers in Education Policy Processes

    • Kerstin Martens

    Pages 383-394Open Access

15. Evidence-Based Policy Making and Educational Reform in Nordic Europe: Key Contributions of the POLNET Study

    • Antoni Verger

    Pages 395-408Open Access

16. Conclusion: Toward a Renewed Understanding of Evidence-Based Policy in Education

    • Berit Karseth, Kirsten Sivesind

    Pages 409-429Open Access

This open access book explores how policy makers draw on national, regional and international expertise in issuing school reform within five Nordic countries. In an era of international comparison, policy makers are expected to review best practices, learn from experiences from elsewhere, and apply international standards propelled by international organizations. Do they do so?  What counts, for them, as evidence and expertise? The chapters draw methodologically on bibliometric data, network analysis, document analysis and expert interviews. They show compellingly how governments use “evidence” strategically and selectively for agenda setting and policy decisions. This book will be of interest and value to scholars of education policy, specifically within the Nordic region, and international and comparative education.

• education policy
• curriculum reform
• social network analysis
• policy transfer analysis
• education governance
• policy knowledge
• Open Access

“This is a highly important book on a topic of remarkable and growing significance. It brings together the work of a dynamic research team, whose writing and influence in the analysis of evidence-based policy in education cannot be over-stated. Well-theorised and featuring a plethora of empirical analyses from a range of Nordic policy actors and contexts, this book is thoroughly recommended for students and scholars interested in the field of education policy and governance in Europe and globally.” (Sotiria Grek, Professor in European and Global Education Governance) 

“Evidence and Expertise in Nordic Education Policies: A Comparative Network Analysis from the Nordic Region is an important book that uses a rich combination of bibliographic network analysis, interviews and document analysis to describe how policies are developed and legitimised in five Nordic nations. Besides the fascinating empirical insights, the methodological approach is a significant contribution that will inspire application in a range of policy studies internationally. Highly recommended!” (Radhika Gorur, Associate Professor, Deakin University, Australia)

“This book sheds rigorous and in-depth light on the sources of knowledge mobilised in the development of educational policies in five Nordic countries. The book impresses with its solid theoretical grounding and an innovative empirical method: quantitative network analyses of national policy document 'references'. The POLNET research is inspiring because it takes a new look at the contemporary challenges of globalisation and the pluralisation of expertise.” (Christian Maroy, Professor, University of Louvain and Montreal)

• Department of Education, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

  Berit Karseth, Kirsten Sivesind

• Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, USA

  Gita Steiner-Khamsi

Berit Karseth is Professor in the Department of Education at University of Oslo, Norway. Her main research interests and publications lie in the fields of education policy, reforms, and curriculum studies.

 

Kirsten Sivesind is Associate Professor in the Department of Education at the University of Oslo, Norway. Beyond her academic discipline of curriculum theory, her research focuses on comparative policy analysis and the history of educational ideas and reform.

 

Gita Steiner-Khamsi is Professor of Comparative and International Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, USA. Her research interests focus on policy borrowing, comparative policy studies, public-private partnerships in education, and comparative methodology.