Politics of Quality in Education A Comparative Study of Brazil, China, and Russia

Foreword - António Nóvoa

Acknowledgements

1 Comparing politics of quality in education - Jaakko Kauko, Tuomas Takala, and Risto Rinne

2 Layers of reflectivity in comparative research - Jaakko Kauko, Vera Gorodski Centeno, Nelli Piattoeva, Helena Candido, Galina Gurova, Anna Medvedeva, Iris Santos, Olli Suominen, and Zhou Xingguo

3 Historical paths to shared interest in quality assurance and evaluation - Olli Suominen, Vera Gorodski Centeno, Galina Gurova, Johanna Kallo, and Zhou Xingguo

4 Established and emerging actors in the national political arenas - Jaakko Kauko, Olli Suominen, Vera Gorodski Centeno, Nelli Piattoeva, and Tuomas Takala

5 Changing expertise and the state - Risto Rinne, Zhou Xingguo, Jaakko Kauko, Romuald Normand, Anna Medvedeva, and Iris Santos

6 Governance by data circulation? The production, availability, and use of national large-scale assessment data - Nelli Piattoeva, Vera Gorodski Centeno, Olli Suominen, and Risto Rinne

7 Effects of quality assurance and evaluation on schools’ room for action - Galina Gurova, Helena Candido, and Zhou Xingguo

8 Alternative views of the future of quality assurance and evaluation - Johanna Kallo, Tuomas Takala, Vera Gorodski Centeno, and Olli Suominen

9 Conclusion - Jaakko Kauko, Risto Rinne, and Tuomas Takala

Appendix 1: Interview data and codes

Appendix 2: Coding of interviews

Appendix 3: Interview guidelines

Biography

Jaakko Kauko is Associate Professor of Education at the Faculty of Education, University of Tampere. His research focuses on the fields of education policy and comparative education.

Risto Rinne is Professor of Education, Vice-Dean and Head of the Department of Education and Centre for Research on Lifelong Learning and Education (CELE) at the University of Turku, Finland. He is a member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters and has published more than 500 scientific works.

Tuomas Takala is Professor Emeritus of Comparative Education at the Faculty of Education, University of Tampere. His research has focused on the formation and implementation of education policies in developing countries.

"Quality is too often understood in the abstract. This book traces the political formation of quality in time and space - from trans-national organizations to decision makers at national and local levels in the educational systems of China, Russia, and Brazil. Due to its unique empirical coverage and its daring theoretical aspiration, this is a truly amazing book."

Peter Dahler-Larsen, Professor at the Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen, and past president of European Evaluation Society.