Book Description

In the field of comparative education, studies of school systems in the developing world can yield interesting and useful knowledge both for the enhancement of reform efforts there, and the understanding of education everywhere. Many case studies exist of attempts to plan and implement educational change. However few of these are integrated within comprehensive frameworks. Consequently there is limited scope for comparison among cases. This study examines four cases of planned educational change--two in Zimbabwe and two in Kenya. The four cases are examined within two theoretical perspectives: the management perspective and the world systems perspective. The former emphasizes the primacy of appropriate management of educational reform in such areas as decentralized administration and contingency analysis. The latter centres on the role of political dynamics such as the fragility of the state and notions of societal progress within the world system, and the effects these have on educational reform. This study undertakes two levels of analysis. At one level it assesses to what extent each of the reforms achieved their stated goals. At a second level it offers a comparison of the two theoretical perspectives in an attempt to assess which perspective provides a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics and outcomes of the planned educational change in East Africa. Historical descriptive analysis of the cases elucidates many constraints to planned educational change in Kenya and Zimbabwe, both administrative and political. Although both perspectives are valuable in understanding educational reform, the world systems perspective offers a more comprehensive framework for understanding the key political and economic dynamics that the management perspective does not. These findings have implications for scholars, administrators and policy makers.