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WELCOME TO HMEF5033
Welcome to HMEF5033 Comparative Education. This is one of the required
courses for the Master of Education (MEd) programme at Open University
Malaysia. The course serves as an introductory guide to the field of comparative
education. You are encouraged to tap into your experiences as a teacher,
instructor, lecturer or trainer to relate to the concepts and principles that will be
discussed. This is a 3-credit course conducted over a semester of 14 weeks.

WHAT WILL YOU GET FROM DOING THIS

COURSE?
Description of the Course
This is an introductory course in comparative education and assumes little or no
prior knowledge of the subject. However, the course will require you to read and
analyse comparative studies in education at an international level. By definition,
comparative education takes an international view of education by comparing
and examining similarities and differences in educational practice in different
countries. Generally, comparative studies of education are focused on the
comparison of educational practices in two or more countries. The course will
take an issues approach to the field by examining how different countries deal
with problems or issues of importance and by determining the merits of the
solutions used to address them. The first part of the course introduces you to key
concepts in the field so that you will have a frame of reference for the readings
that are introduced. In the second half of the course, you will explore issues of
educational importance by examining and analysing educational practices in a
number of countries.

All the concepts, principles and theories of learning are examined in relation to
their application in the classroom. Students are encouraged to discuss the
implications of the various theories on teaching and learning at all levels of
education. The final part of the course deals with finding ways of translating the
theories discussed into teaching methods that will enhance learning.

Aim of the Course

The main aim of the course is to provide you with a foundation on the principles
and theories of learning and their application in the classroom.

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Objectives of the Course

The course aims to develop an understanding of the following areas:

1." To learn about the definitions, goals and scope of comparative education as
practiced in the field today, as well as to value the contributions of various
scholars by gaining a historical perspective of the field.

2." To provide a means for analysing the various methodological, theoretical and
topical areas that are interest to comparative education scholars.

3." To examine the relationship between education and economic, social and
historical factors in order to understand the cultural totality of educational
practice.

4." To develop an understanding of how issues in education may be studied, and

to study such issues in order to determine causes, solutions proposed and
related outcomes in order that one may be in a better position for judgement
of oneÊs own education system.

5." To develop an informed understanding of the role of comparative education

in the professional life of educationists for the purpose of planning, policy
development, status improvement, innovation and international understanding.

HOW CAN YOU GET THE MOST FROM THIS

COURSE?
Learning Package
In this Learning Package, you are provided with THREE kinds of course
materials:

1." The Course Guide, which you are currently reading;

2." The Course Assignment Guide (which describes the assignments to be

submitted and the examination you have to sit for); and

3." The Course Content (seven topics and a set of readings).

Please ensure that you have all of these materials at the start of the course.

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Course Topics
Topic 1: An Introduction to Comparative Education
This topic examines the development of comparative education as a field, and
describes the contributions of various scholars. It also gives you an overview of
early and more recent definitions of comparative education.

Topic 2: The Purpose of Comparative Education

The second topic in this volume provides an overview of the purpose of
comparative education, and outlines the scope of the field. It also describes in
detail the three goals of planning, improvement and innovation as well as
international understanding.

Topic 3: The Scope of Comparative Education

In this topic, you will get to know and apply the various terms and concepts that
are common to the field and are used when making comparisons between
countries or selected features of education.

Topic 4: Education Structure in Japan

This topic examines how education is structured, as seen in the number of years
of schooling in primary and secondary schools as well as entry into institutions
of higher education.

Topic 5: Higher Education Policy in Sweden

This topic describes the main elements that influence higher education policy in a
country. It also examines the many socio-cultural elements that shape a countryÊs
decisions about higher education.

Topic 6: Education Planning in South Africa

In this topic, we take a look at the many historical, demographic and socio-
economic factors that influence education planning in post-conflict areas. We will
also study how countries have taken steps toward improving the economic and
social status of marginalised groups of people.

Topic 7: Goals of the Primary School Curriculum

This topic takes a closer look at the way in which basic education or the primary
school curriculum is structured in countries around the world. It also describes
the many elements that influence curricular goals, and how countries exercise
control over and articulate curricular content.

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Selected Readings
As in all graduate courses, you will be required to read widely to enhance your
knowledge of the field. A selection of readings has been added to this volume to
help you begin this process. Bear in mind that you would have to read other
articles and country reports in order to gain a deeper understanding of the field.

Organisation of Course Content

In distance learning, a print module such as this replaces the university lecturer.
This is one of the main advantages of distance learning where specially designed
study allows you to study at your own pace, anywhere and at anytime. Think of
it as reading the lecture instead of listening to a lecturer. In the same way that a
lecturer might assign something for you to read or do, the module tells you what
to read, when to read and when to do the activities. Just as a lecturer might ask
you questions in class, your module provides exercises for you to do at
appropriate points.

To help you read and understand the individual topics, numerous realistic
examples support all definitions, concepts and theories. Diagrams and text are
combined into a visually appealing, easy-to-read module. Throughout the course
contents, diagrams, illustrations, tables and charts are used to reinforce
important points and simplify the more complex concepts. The module has
adopted the following features in each topic:

" INTRODUCTION
Lists the headings and subheadings of each topic to provide an overview of the
contents of the topic and prepare you for the major concepts to be studied and
learned.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

This is a listing of what you should be able to do after successful

completion of a topic. In other words, whether you are be able to explain,
compare, evaluate, distinguish, list, describe, relate and so forth. You
should use these indicators to guide your study. When you have finished
a topic, you must go back and check whether you have achieved the
learning outcomes or be able to do what is required of you. If you make a
habit of doing this, you will improve your chances of understanding the
contents of the course.

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SELF-CHECK

Questions are interspersed at strategic points in the topic to encourage

review of what you have just read and retention of recently learned
material. The answers to these questions are found in the paragraphs
before the questions. This is to test immediately whether you
understand the few paragraphs of text you have read. Working through
these tests will help you determine whether you understand the topic
and prepare you for the assignments and the examination.

ACTIVITY

These are situations drawn from research projects to show how

knowledge of the principles of research methodology may be applied to
real-world situations. The activities illustrate key points and concepts
dealt with in each topic.

The main ideas of each topic are listed in brief sentences to provide a
review of the content. You should ensure that you understand every
statement listed. If you do not, go back to the topic and find out what you
do not know.

Key Terms discussed in the topic are placed at end of each topic to make you
aware of the main ideas. If you are unable to explain these terms, you should go
back to the topic to clarify.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
At the end of each topic a list of questions is presented that are best solved
through group interaction and discussion. You can answer the questions
yourself. But, you are encouraged to work with your course-mates and discuss
online and during the seminar sessions.

At the end of each topic a list of articles and topics of books is provided that is
directly related to the contents of the topic. As far as possible the articles and
books suggested for further reading will be available in OUMÊs Digital Library
which you can access and OUMÊs Library. Also, relevant internet resources are
made available to enhance your understanding of selected curriculum concepts
and principles as applied in real-world situations.

WHAT SUPPORT WILL YOU GET IN STUDYING

THIS COURSE?
Seminars
There are 15 hours of seminars or face-to-face interaction supporting the course.
These consist of FIVE tutorial sessions of three hours each. You will be notified of
the dates, times and location of these tutorials, together with the name and phone
number of your tutor, as soon as you are allocated a tutorial group.

myINSPIRE Online Discussion

Besides the face-to-face tutorial sessions, you have the support of online
discussions. You should interact with other students and your tutor using
myINSPIRE. Your contributions to the online discussion will greatly enhance
your understanding of course content, how to go about doing the
assignments and preparation for the examination.

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Facilitator
Your facilitator will mark your assignments and provide assistance to you during
the course. Do not hesitate to discuss during the tutorial session or online if:
" You do not understand any part of the course content or the assigned
readings
" You have difficulty with the self-tests and activities
" You have a question or problem with the assignments.

HOW SHOULD YOU STUDY FOR THIS COURSE?

1." Time Commitment for Studying
You should plan to spend about six to eight hours per topic, reading the
notes, doing the self-tests and activities and referring to the suggested
readings. You must schedule your time to discuss online. It is often more
convenient for you to distribute the hours over a number of days rather than
spend one whole day per week on study. Some topics may require more
work than others, although on average, it is suggested that you spend
approximately three days per topic.

2." Proposed Study Strategy

The following is a proposed strategy for working through the course. If you
run into any trouble, discuss it with your tutor either online or during the
tutorial sessions. Remember, the tutor is there to help you.

(a)" The most important step is to read the contents of this Course Guide
thoroughly.

(b)" Organise a study schedule. Note the time you are expected to spend on
each topic the date for submission of assignments as well as seminar
and examination dates. These are stated in your Course Assessment
Guide. Put all this information in one place, such as your diary or a wall
calendar. Whatever method you choose to use, you should decide on
and jot down your own dates for working on each topic. You have some
flexibility as there are 10 topics spread over a period of 14 weeks.

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(c)" Once you have created your own study schedule, make every effort to
„stick to it‰. The main reason students are unable to cope is that they
get behind in their coursework.

(d)" To begin reading a topic:

" Remember in distance learning much of your time will be spent,
READING the course content. Study the list of topics given at the
beginning of each topic and examine the relationship of the topic to
the other nine topics.
" Read the topic overview showing the headings and subheadings to
get a broad picture of the topic.
" Read the topic learning outcomes (what is expected of you). Do you
already know some of the things to be discussed? What are the
things you do not know?
" Read the introduction (see how it is related to the previous topic).
" Work through the topic. (The contents of the topic has been
arranged to provide a sequence for you to follow)
" As you work through the topic, you will be asked to do the self-test
at appropriate points in the topic. This is to find out if you
understand what you have just read.
" Do the activities (to see if you can apply the concepts learned to
real-life situations)

3. When you have completed the topic, review the learning outcomes to
confirm that you have achieved them and are able to do what is required.

4. If you are confident, you can proceed to the next topic. Proceed topic by topic
through the course and try to pace your study so that you keep yourself on
schedule.

5. After completing all topics, review the course and prepare yourself for
the final examination. Check that you have achieved all topic learning
outcomes and the course objectives (listed in this Course Guide).

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FINAL REMARKS
Once again, welcome to the course. To maximise your gain from this course you
should try at all times relate what you are studying with the real-world of
classrooms, schools and learners. Look at the environment in your institution
and ask yourself whether they provide opportunities for research. Most of
the ideas, concepts and principles you learn in this course have practical
applications. It is important to realise that much of what we do in education and
training has to be based on sound theoretical foundations. The contents of this
course provide the principles for doing research in education whether it is in a
school, college, university or training organisation.

We wish you success with the course and hope that you will find it interesting,
useful and relevant towards your development as a professional.

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Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)