Global Pathways to Education

Reviews / Votes

"A central problematic for education policy scholars has been to understand the relationships between path-dependent national factors and the global diffusion of ideas, particularly Western rationalism, in constituting education policy. This collection proffers an empirically-based account that accepts to some extent the isomorphism argument of neo-institutionalists, but argues that this is mediated by specific cultural orientations across and within nations, as well as by other national features. As such, this provocative collection offers challenges to all education policy scholars and to future research agendas." - Bob Lingard, Professorial Fellow, Australian Catholic University and Emeritus Professor, University of Queensland, Australia

"This bold new book, edited by Kerstin Martens and Michael Windzio, investigates how Western ideas and institutional practices have diffused globally - and why their uptake varies across culturally distinct groups of countries. Early chapters focus on patterns of isomorphism across nations while later chapters provide important new evidence on the roles played by international organizations in the transmission of Western educational ideas and models. Later chapters provide important new research on familiar international organizations such as the OECD, the World Bank, and UNESCO - while introducing us to the roles played by two educational IOs that are less frequently studied, SEAMEO (the South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization) and ICESCO (Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). In a rich dialogue with the work of John Meyer the book shows convincingly how both isomorphic diffusion and cultural variation shape global governance in education." - Karen Mundy, Professor, University of Toronto, Canada

"This is a highly important and timely edited collection on a topic of remarkable and growing significance. The book brings together the work of a dynamic research team, whose writing and influence in the field of transnational education governance cannot be over-stated. Well-theorised and featuring a plethora of empirical analyses from a range of 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, University of Edinburgh, UK