Education Policy, Theories, and Trends in the 21st Century : International and Israeli Perspectives

"This book provides a highly accessible overview of public education policy. It organizes knowledge about 21st century education policy around two main topics: the policy process, and the discourse on public education policy. This unique organization provides a novel lens for better understanding the dynamics and contents of current education policy making. The work also offers a broad overview of theories of public policy, economics, demography, sociology, history, and psychology. Each chapter includes a discussion of data derived from the international and Israeli contexts. The book provides a series of valuable insights relevant to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers interested in understanding the multifaceted aspects that shape contemporary education policy."--ProQuest website Acknowledgments About the Book Contents About the Author Chapter 1: Introduction to Education Policy 1.1 Definitions and Basic Concepts 1.2 Public Education in the Twenty-First Century 1.3 Values and Ideologies in Education 1.4 Summary of the Chapter References Chapter 2: The Policy Process: The Design of Education Policy 2.1 Power, Politics, and Agenda Setting 2.2 Key Players and the Social Construction of the Target Population 2.3 Decision-Making Processes and Ethical Aspects of Decision-Making 2.4 Summary of the Chapter References Chapter 3: The Policy Process: Implementation of Education Policy 3.1 Policy Instruments 3.2 Field Effects on Implementation 3.3 Evaluation of Education Policy 3.4 Systemic Change and Education Reforms 3.5 Summary of the Chapter References Chapter 4: The Policy Process: Contextual Factors 4.1 Demographic and Economic Aspects 4.2 Political Culture 4.3 National Culture and Social Cohesion 4.4 Summary of the Chapter References Chapter 5: Contemporary Discourse in Education Policy in the Twenty-First Century: Problems 5.1 Public Education in Crisis 5.2 Bureaucratic Structure and Central Government 5.3 Poor Professionalization in Teaching 5.4 Inequality in Education 5.5 Summary of the Chapter References Chapter 6: Contemporary Discourse in Education Policy in the Twenty-First Century: Solutions 6.1 Promoting School Effectiveness 6.2 Promoting Teaching as a Profession 6.3 Promoting Equality in Education 6.4 Promoting Collaboration in Education 6.5 Summary of the Chapter References Chapter 7: Criticism of Education Policy as a Field of Knowledge 7.1 Criticism of the Basic Assumptions and Conceptualizations of Studies on Education Policy 7.2 Criticism of Comparative Studies in Education Policy 7.3 Criticism of Evaluation Studies in Education Policy 7.4 Summary of the Chapter References Postface