method and comparative education/ Thematic

In comparative education, the thematic approach focuses on specific, cross-cutting issues or themes (like equity, curriculum, or technology) rather than entire education systems or countries, allowing for in-depth, problem-focused analysis of how these themes are addressed in different national or international contexts. Unlike approaches that study whole systems, the thematic approach examines a specific problem or topic across countries to understand variations in how it is handled and to find solutions.

2. Introduction

There are a number of methodological approaches used by
scholars in their approach to the study of comparative
education. It is important to note that methodology in
comparative education, as in other educational disciplines,
is determined by the purpose of the study.

Like other social sciences, comparative education has been
studied at different times of its development with different
methodological approaches. Methodological approaches
used in comparative education are divided into two broad
categories, namely traditional approach and modern
approach.

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Awolola (1986) identified eight approaches to the
study of Comparative Education. They are:

» (a) Problem Approach or Thematic approach

» (b) Case study approach

» (c) Area study approach

» (d) Historical approach

» (e) Descriptive approach

» (f) Philosophical approach

» (g) International approach and

» (h) Castronomic approach

4. Thematic or Problem Approach

» The investigator will first of all identify a
particular educational problem in his own
country

» He will begin to look for another country that
has the same problem

» The researcher will also study the education
problem of another country in relation to
their culture

» He will also examine the solution applied to

such problem by the affected country

5. Case Study Approach

» Education Comparativist from Pakistan can go
to England to study the primary education
Level of the country

» He can take all the educational systems of the
country and compare such educational
system with his own educational system

» The problem with this approach is that as a
human being, the investigator may not be
totally objective in his report

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6. Area Study Approach

» Area here could refer to a village, a town or
country depending on the educational
comparativist who wants to carry out the study

» The educational comparativist will engage
himself in the educational practices of only one
country

» The investigator is going to involve himself in
several activities as a result of which he is going
to arrive at a body of generalizations on the
educational system he is studying

» The study under this approach is always based

4 on geographical, linguistic or racial boundaries.

7. Historical Approach

» An investigator will only take a village, town
or country for the examination of its
educational historical development right from
the first day when education was introduced
into the place and the time of study.

» This approach will enable the researcher to
identify the factors that are responsible for
the current educational system of the country
being studied. However, the problem with
this approach is that greater emphasis is

rs placed on the past.

8. Descriptive approach

This method was used in the 19" century because the main purpose
then in comparative education was to incorporate the good points
of another country. This approach therefore called fora detailed
description of educational affairs of another country.

Many comparative educationists presented detailed descriptive
accounts of the educational systems of the countries they
visited. For example, John Griscom of U.S.A (1918-19) visited Great
Britain, France, and Holland, Switzerland and Italy and wrote a
book entitled "A year in Europe”, he described their educational
systems in detail. From his report, an attempt was made in U.S.A
to incorporate some of the admirable characteristics of the
educational system contained in his book.

9. The Philosophical Approach

» A Russian Philosopher by name Serguis
Hessen was the first man to apply
philosophical approach to the study of
Comparative Education. In the book, he chose
four main philosophical problems. The
problems chosen by him are:

(a) Compulsory education (b) The School and the
State

(c) The school and the Church (d) The School and
Economic life.

10. International Approach

» This is an approach whereby all the variations
existing from one area to another within the
same country are taken into consideration
while comparing the system of education of a
foreign country with one's educational
system.

a

11. Gastronomic Approach

» This is a method whereby both the diet as
well as the eating habit of the people in a
particular country are related to the practices
of their education.

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12. The Scientific Approach

» An approach in which the study of
comparative education is carried out
empirically by formulating hypotheses,
defining the important concepts, setting out
the variables as well as the conditions for
establishing the validity of the hypotheses
formulated.

» Since in any scientific research, data
collection its interpretation with the help of
statistics of analysis are very important.

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13. The statistical or quantitative method

+ This method emphasized the collection, interpretation,
verification and comparison of data in education by using
statistical/Quantitative analytical charts.

+ In this method various type of educational data are collected
abouta country. For example, the data about the number of
students at a certain stage of education, expenditure on
them, the percentage of passes and failures at various stages
of education, expenses on teachers' salaries, school building
and other items are all collected and the same compared with
identical data of another country.