1Course:Compara veEduca onInstructor:Mr.TariqSaleemGhayyurwww.uos.edu.

tc

ApproachestotheStudyofComparativeEducation
Awolola(1986)identifiede ighta pproachestothestudyofComparativeEducation.Theya re:
(a)ProblemApproachorThematica pproach (b)Casestudya pproach
(c)Areastudya pproach
(d)Historicala pproach
(e)Descriptivea pproach
(f)Philosophicala pproach
(g)Internationala pproacha nd
(h)Castronomica pproach
ThematicorProblemApproach
Here, the investigator willfirstofallidentifya particulareducationalprobleminhisowncountry.Then,he willbegintolookforanothercountry
that has the same problem. The researcher will also study the education problem of another country in relation to their culture. The researcher
will not only study the education problem of another country but he will also examine the solution applied to such problem by the affected
country.Fromthis,he willthinkofhowhe willbe able tosolve theirowneducationalproblemaswell.Itshouldbe notedthatCulture,economic,
SocioPoliticalfactorsvaryfromonec ountrytoa nothera sa resultofwhiche ducationalproblemsa ndsolutionsmaynotnecessarilybethesame.
CaseStudyApproach
In this approach, an education Comparativist from Pakistan can gotoEnglandtostudythe primaryeducationLevelofthe country.Hisreport(is
believed) will be very comprehensive for hisreaderstounderstand.Ifitispossible forthe researcher,he cantake allthe educationalsystemsof
the country and compare sucheducationalsystemwithhisowneducationalsystem.The problemwiththisapproachisthatasa humanbeing,the
investigatormaynotbetotallyobjectiveinhisreport.
AreaStudyApproach
The word area here could refer to a village, a town or country depending on the educational comparativist who wants to carry out the study.
Under this approach, the educational comparativist will engage himself in the educationalpracticesofonlyone country,ifitisa countrythathe
has chosen. The investigator isgoingtoinvolve himselfinseveralactivitiesasa resultofwhichhe isgoingtoarrive ata bodyofgeneralizations
onthee ducationalsystemheisstudying.Thestudyunderthisa pproachisa lwaysbasedongeographical,linguisticorracialboundaries.
However, Bereday (1958) is of the opinion that "one of the oldest and clearest ways of introducing the subject (Comparative Education) is to
studyonegeographicala reaa ta time"Hethereforeidentifiedthefollowingstagesinthea reastudya pproach:
(a) Descriptive Stage At this stage, an Educational Comparativist can make a description of hisowneducationalsystemaswellaspractices.
The researcher has to start by reading extensively. He will start by reviewing the available literature on the educational system of the country
beingstudied.Toe nabletheinvestigatorhaveonthespota ssessment,hec anpersonallyvisitthec ountrywhosee ducationalsystemisstudying.
(b) Interpretation Stage At this stage of the study, the investigator will now collate and analyse the data gathered from various sources to
enablehimdojusticetothee ducationalsystemofthea reabeingstudied.
(c) Juxtaposition Stage At this stage ofthe study,the investigatorwillputside byside the resultobtainedfromthe interpretationstage withthe
educationalsystemofhisownc ountry.
(d) Comparative Stage At this stage of the investigation, the researcher will objectivelycompare andcontrastthe educationalpracticesofthe
country being studied with that of his own. It is at this stage of the study that whatever hypotheses that might have been formulated by the
researcherthatwillberejectedora ccepted.
HistoricalApproach
Under this approach, an investigator will only take a village, town or country for the examinationofitseducationalhistoricaldevelopmentright
from the first day when education was introduced into the place and the time of study. This approach will enable the researchertoidentifythe
factors that are responsible for the current educational system of the country being studied. However, the problem with this approach is that
greatere mphasisisa lwaysplacedonthepast.
DescriptiveApproach
Here, the investigator will have todescribe everythinghe findsonground.Suchthingstobe describedcouldinclude:Numberofschools,student
enrolment,numberofteachers,numberoftheschoolbuildingsincludingc lassroomsa swella sthenumberofsubjectsbeingoffered.
However,thea pproachisnotverypopulara mongthemoderne ducationalComparativists.
InternationalApproach
This is an approach whereby all the variations existing from one area to another within the same country are taken into consideration while
comparingthesystemofe ducationofa foreignc ountrywithone'se ducationalsystem.
GastronomicApproach
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,thea pproachisnotverypopulara mongthemoderne ducationalc omparativists.
TheFieldStudyApproach
Thisa pproachisnotnewinthea reaofthesubject.Onthisa pproach,Brickman(1966)c itedbyAlabia ndOyelade(1998)observedthat:
Visitation of foreign countries whether for the purpose of commerce,conversationcuriosityorconflict,goesbacktoancienthistory,travelersin
allhistoricalperiodsmusthave broughtbackfactsandimpressionconcerningthe culturesofthe othercountriestheyhadvisited,includedintheir
reports must have been comments relating to the young and their upbringing. They may alsohave made some remarksregardingthe similarities
anddifferencesinthewaysofe ducatingc hildren.Some,indeed,mayhavea rriveda tc onclusionsinvolvingthee xpressionofvaluejudgments.
In using this approach for studying comparative education Halls (1965) cited by Alabi and Oyelade (1998) identifies three stages in the field
studyofa pproach.Theya re:
1.Preparatorystage
2.Investigatorya nda nalyticalstagea swella s 3.Evaluatorya ndComparativestage.
PreparatoryStage
This is the stage in which the investigatorwillhave toprepare himselfverywellbefore travelingtohiscountryofinterest.He hastobe familiar
withthec ountryhewantstovisitbyreadingverye xtensivelya boutthec ountry.
InvestigatoryandAnalyticalStage
At this stage, the researcher will have to formulate some hypotheses on the educational practices of the country he wants to study. The
formulationofthesehypotheseswillgivehima focusonwhattolookfor.
EvaluatoryComparativeStage
Atthisstage,the investigatoraftercomingbackfromhistraveltothe foreigncountry,willnowexamine the practicesofeducationofthe country
he has visited in relation to the educational practices of his own country with a view to establishing the similarities as well as the differences
existing in the educationalpracticesofthe twocountriesitisalsoatthisstage thatthe hypothesesearlieronformulatedwilleitherbe rejectedor
accepted. The field studyapproachunlike area studyapproach,concernsitselfwiththe studyofthe educationalsystemsofmanycountriesatthe
same time. It also involves visiting the foreign countries ofinteresttoenable the investigatormake anobjective comparisonbetweenthe foreign
educationalpracticesa ndthatofhisc ountry.
TheScientificApproach
This is 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 collectionitsinterpretationwiththe helpofstatisticsofanalysisare veryimportant,.These mustnotalsobe lackinginthe studyof
ComparativeEducationtoe nhancethequalitya ndc redibilityofwhatevermaybetheresultoftheinvestigation.
TheIntegratedApproach
This is an approach in which other disciplines such ashistory,philosophy,geographyeconomics,anthropologyandstatisticsare integratedinto
the study of Comparative Education because of their usefulness. As it hasalreadybeenstated,itisnotpossible forComparative Educationasa
disciplinetostandonitsowna sithastodrawfromothersubjectswhichincludethedisciplinesmentioneda bove.

2Course:Compara veEduca onInstructor:Mr.TariqSaleemGhayyurwww.uos.edu.tc

ThePhilosophicalApproach
A Russian Philosopher by name Serguis Hessen was the first man to apply philosophical approachtothe studyofComparative Educationwhen
he published his book in 1928 which he tittled "Kritische Vergleichung des Schulwesens der Anderen Kuturstaaten".Inthe book,he chose four
mainphilosophicalproblems.Theproblemsc hosenbyhima re:
(a)Compulsorye ducation
(b)TheSchoola ndtheState

(c)Theschoola ndtheChurcha nd
(d)TheSchoola ndEconomiclife.
He analysed the underlyingprinciplesandlaterfolloweditbygivinga criticalaccountofmodernlegislationinmanycountries.Kosemani(1995)
believesthatphilosophicala pproachisa stepforwardtosolvetheproblemsinthenationalc haractera pproach.
According to him, there are twomajorproblemsinvolvedinthe applicationofphilosophicalapproachtothe studyofcomparative education.The
problemsa re:
(a)Differenceine mphasisa sa resultofwhichitmaybedifficulttousethesamec riterion(nationalideology)forthec omparison.
(b)Therea remanyc ountrieswithoutc learc utnationalideologies.
(c) From the above, it could be deduced that with philosophical approach, hypotheses could be formulated, be tested and could also be
empiricallyvalidatedforbettere xplanationofe ducationalpracticesofvariousc ountries.
TheComparativeApproach
In this approach, the reader must not be made to do the comparison of various educational practices by himself, rather, the comparison and
conclusion have tobe done bythe investigatorhimself.Data onthe educationalpracticestobe comparedmusthave beengatheredandreviewed.
In addition, hypotheses should have also been formulated to assist in the gathering of data. Then, the educationalpracticesofthe countryunder
studywillbeputsidebysidewiththee ducationalpracticesofa notherc ountryslatedforc omparison.
The next stage after Juxtaposition is the comparison of the educationalpracticesofthe countriesthathave beenputside byside.Itisatstage of
comparisonthatthehypothesesthathadbeenformulatede arlieronwillberejectedora ccepted.