ABSTRACT
Comparison is a natural human activity and arguably ‘the basis of all knowledge’ (Hughes, 1901). So, for as long as people have travelled and education has existed, it is likely that travellers have noticed similarities and differences, and thought about their implications. However, the first systematic comparative studies in education are traditionally considered to be the surveys of European forms of education undertaken by Marc-Antoine Jullien de Paris in the early nineteenth century. Using a questionnaire as a framework, he produced comparable data on issues such as ages of starting and leaving primary school, entrance and diagnostic examinations, and class sizes (Jullien, 1817). Since that time, the field of comparative education has grown along with interest in educational studies, and has expanded particularly in the current context of globalisation. This chapter will survey some key aspects of comparative education. It will offer a brief overview of the purposes and methods of comparison, and conclude with a futureoriented look at contemporary developments in the field.
