Taking the students' perspective, Education Policy Outlook 2018: Putting Student Learning at the Centre analyses the evolution of key education priorities and key education policies in 43 education systems. It compares more recent developments in education policy ecosystems (mainly between 2015 and 2017) with various education policies adopted…

Drawing on comparative analyses from nine Western countries, we ask whether local-born children from a wide range of immigrant groups show patterns of female advantage in education that are similar to those prevalent in their host Western societies. We consider five outcomes throughout the educational career: test scores or grades at age 15,…

This article provides evidence about differences in the recent tertiary education expansion in Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. Focusing on these differences, we have examined private returns to tertiary education acquired before and after the tertiary education expansion. We compare these returns as follows: Austria with…

In Europe, the Bologna and Copenhagen Processes in higher education (HE) and vocational education and training (VET) are on the agenda, aiming to create a European educational area. Acknowledging important differences between countries, we compare the evolving relationship between HE and VET. We ask whether and how these two distinct…

Comparative studies describing the transition from higher education to work have often simplified the complex transition processes involved. In this paper we extend previous research by taking into account several steps that comprise labor market entry, e.g., recurrent education leading to more than one instance of labor market entry. By comparing…

In Germany, the "Abitur" grades awarded at the end of upper secondary education are critical in the allocation of sought-after university places. Drawing on a representative sample of 3526 grade 13 "Abitur" students in the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, this article examines whether and to what extent grading is affected by…

This article enquires about why some countries have specialised their further education provision more than others, focusing on three types of specialisation: by subject, by geographical area and by age group. The article proposes an analytical framework to understand the drivers for further education provider specialisation, based on four…

Presents a brief comparison of three countries (Wales and England, France, Germany) and their examination systems for college-bound students. Portions of examinations are provided as well as country profiles that describe the role the exam plays in that country's educational system. The report is excerpted from a larger work involving a…

This paper reports on an exploratory investigation of the perceptions of information and communication technology (ICT) as a field of study and work in German secondary schools. A total of 160 students from five secondary schools in Lower Saxony participated in the study in February 2007, and four teachers of the students were interviewed. The…

Three job training models for young people are (1) emphasis in full-time schooling to age 18, as in Japan; (2) Germany's dual system of apprenticeship and continuing education; and (3) a mixed model as in the United Kingdom, where a small percentage remain in school to age 18 and a proportion enroll in work-based training programs. (SK)

Indicators such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the Scholastic Aptitude Test, secondary school standardized tests, and state assessment programs all ignore the value added by America's postsecondary education system, including community colleges, trade schools, and universities. Spending and participation levels for U.S. higher…

Comparison of funding methods for vocational education and training in Denmark, France, Germany, and Britain reveals distinctive patterns based on socioeconomic and cultural national conditions. A broad spectrum of methods is apparent: individual contributions, joint-enterprise ventures, tax incentives, and vouchers. (SK)

Compared cultural differences in perceptions of allocators of resources through a study of 190 United States and 138 German college students. Findings show that subjects did evaluate allocators differently depending on what distribution norm they followed, and that the pattern of differences varied by culture and, for some of the evaluative…

Vocational education in Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Sweden begins at the age of sixteen after the student has completed basic education. Vocational curricula varies from one to three or more years. The author describes the vocational systems in these countries and compares them to the United States. (MF)

Noting that composition studies in the United States has devoted little attention to cross-national perspectives on student writing and its roles in wider cultural contexts, this book presents research studies from six nations (China, England, France, Germany, Kenya, and South Africa) on academic writing development in the dominant language of…