Research on Improving Teacher Knowledge and Pedagogical Approaches: From a Comparative to a Collaborative Perspective

Abstract

International studies in education have been part of the research and policy landscape for more than five decades. They are often associated with the inevitable declaration of educational winners and losers and tend to be overshadowed by the media frenzy that accompanies any research reports that highlight world rankings. However, the organizational, political, methodological, and social skills required to design, implement, and disseminate these kinds of international comparative studies cannot be underestimated. In this commentary I first provide a brief overview of salient and widely discussed challenges and benefits of international studies and consider them in relation to the focus of this section on improving teacher knowledge and pedagogical approaches. I then highlight how each of the chapters in this section attends to some of these challenges and benefits. I close with reflections and future questions for international research focused on this area of study.