أسس وتطور التعليم المقارن

Comparative Education Origins and Development

• Comparative education has gained significant attention in the 20th century, a branch of education that seeks to understand education in general and help educators shape educational plans and programs.
• Modern comparative education now emphasizes the theoretical framework of comparative studies, focusing on the origins, theories, and laws underlying the field. This framework aids in analyzing various aspects of the educational process.
• Comparative education is a relatively newer field compared to other branches like philosophy and history of education.
• The origins of modern comparative education trace back to the work of a French scholar, Marc Anton Julien, in 1817. His work "Initial Plans and Views for the Study of Comparative Education" established the groundwork for the field.

Comparative Education Stages

• Early Stage (pre-Julien): Comparative education efforts existed before Julien's work, though this period precedes the documented history of comparative education. This pre-historical period of comparative education can be broken down into two general streams:

  • Comparative education among Muslim scholars in the East
  • Comparative education among Western scholars

• Stage 1: Describing Life in Foreign Countries

  • Characterized by numerous travels and accounts describing various aspects of life in different locations and was especially prominent during the Abbasid period due to social/political/economic stability.
  • Travelers documenting their observations were instrumental in generating this stage.
  • Significant examples include writings by Ibn Khaldun, Ibn Jubayr, Ibn Hawqal, al-Idrisi, and Yaqut al-Hamawi.
  • Focus was on societies, cultures, and educational institutions (mosques and schools).
  • Mosques functioned as important learning centers with scholars and students collaborating.
  • Schools became necessary for the wider dissemination of knowledge as instruction spread.
  • Traveler accounts documented the existence and specifics of institutions like mosques and schools in these regions.

• Stage 2: Connecting Educational Systems to Their Societies

  • This involved connecting educational systems with the wider social and cultural context.
  • Ibn Khaldun stands out as a key figure in this stage, linking educational systems with societies in his "Muqaddimah" as he discussed the influence of various societies on education.

• Stage 3: Identifying Educational Systems Within Cultural Factors

  • This stage evolved from the earlier stages, transitioning from merely describing education into recognizing sociocultural influences.
  • This involves studying how societal factors (culture, religion, economy) are interconnected with education.

• Stage 4: Analyzing Educational Systems Using Empirical Scientific Methods

  • This most current stage emerged from the increasing importance of scientific methodologies as a foundation for education. This stage involves studying education from a scientific-empirical lens, employing methodologies from a variety of fields.

Comparative Education Methods

• Descriptive method: Employing detailed description of a phenomenon to facilitate comparison.
• Historical method: Utilizing historical records as the basis for understanding the context for comparison
• Comparative method: Applying the comparison of phenomena as an analysis tool