The Place of Experience in Comparative Education Research

As the chapters of this book illustrate, there are many possible kinds of comparison involving theoretical concepts, political ideologies, whole cultures or individual cognitive skills. In some research traditions, abstractions may more often be the focus of educational research than detailed case studies of teaching and learning relationships. In cultures with a clear distinction between theory and practice and where theory has a higher status, it may be difficult to argue for the value of learning from experience. Theory may even develop in isolation from practice.