This handbook provides a global synthesis of on-going research in education and policy change during the last decade. It examines discourses of globalisation from the perspectives of the global North and global South. Major theories of globalisation and education policy reforms employed in the handbook are classified into two broad categories: structuralist and post-structuralist. The handbook, while examining the impact of global trends in different societies, cultures and educational settings, attempts to synthesise different meta theories of globalisation and their impact on societies and educational systems.
It discusses the continued interaction of global, national and local forces and influences, especially the importance of standards and quality driven education reforms, the need to overcome inequality of access to quality schools, and aims at providing quality education for all students. In addition, the impact of neo-liberal ideology on education is examined, in terms of its impact on ongoing standards-driven education reforms globally. The handbook analyses neo-liberalism in education and its focus on increasing global competitiveness, accountability, efficiency, quality, standards-driven policy reforms and educational stratification. The impact of globalisation on education policy and reforms is a strategically significant issue for us all. The unifying conceptual framework, used in the handbook to critique strategic significance of globalisation, is grounded in discourse, CDA and critical theory. The work offers the latest findings concerning major issues in education and policy directions, such as global social and economic inequality, neo-liberal standard-driven education and policy reforms, performing schools in the performing culture, education for human rights and social justice, new perspectives on education for sustainability, dominant and effective models of values education in schools, and the ubiquitous impact of ICTs on education systems.
Joseph Zajda, Ph.D. FACE, is a Professor, and teaches in the Faculty of Education and Arts at the Australian Catholic University (Melbourne Campus). He is a world-renowned scholar in the area of globalization, education policy reforms, values education, education for social justice, and human rights. He has published 54 books (including 11 monographs and 30 edited books with Springer) and hundreds of book chapters and articles in refereed journals internationally. He was awarded the 2012 Peter Sheehan Excellence in Research Award. The award recognises the high quality of research activities, and particularly celebrates sustained research that has had a substantive impact nationally and internationally (Faculty of Education, Australian Catholic University). He received an Australian Award for University Teaching, July 2011, for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning for his innovative, influential and sustained contribution to teacher education through scholarship and publication. Synopsis: The applicant has pioneered an innovative approach in teacher education, where he uses global pedagogy and 'teacher as a researcher' model. He also received Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, Australian Catholic University. The award was presented at the April 2005 Graduation Ceremony, the Melbourne Town Hall. It was the sole award for the whole 6-campus university, at the time. By virtue of his book publications, he has made an outstanding contribution to research in education globally. Scientific index 2023 lists him in the top 1% globally (581st out of 1,345,218 researchers in the world). His published research includes works in 665 publications in 4 languages and 12,524 library holdings (WorldCat catalogue), adding immense research expertise, by virtue of his published books globally in globalization and education reforms. He has provided outstanding service to teacher education through his research globally, graduate teaching, doctoral supervision, and his extensive editorial work for major international journals in education, including Curriculum and Teaching, Educational Practice and Theory, Education and Society, World Studies in Education, and consulting editor for the UNESCO International Review of Education.
