Evidence-based Policymaking in Comparative and International Perspectives

Abstract

Over the past decades, “evidence” use in education policymaking has been promoted at both national and global levels. Despite the emphasis from national governments and global society, little is known about what constitutes evidence and how evidence is actually used in the education policy process. In this presentation, I critically assess the practice of evidence-based policymaking in comparative and international perspectives drawing on the analyses of evidence use within and across different national contexts. Specifically, I examine (1) how national governments seek evidence in education policymaking through their institutional arrangements; (2) who the actors are that participated in the policy process; and (3) which types of evidence are used by the policy actors. This presentation points to the gap between the rhetoric and the reality of evidence-based policymaking and discusses growing uncertainty and inequality in the policy process.

About

Chanwoong Baek is a postdoctoral fellow in globalization, comparative education, and policy research at the University of Oslo. He completed his PhD in comparative and international education with a specialization in sociology at Columbia University. His areas of expertise include global governance in education, comparative policy studies, and sociology of quantification. His research critically assesses the claims made about “evidence-based policymaking” from a comparative and international perspective. In particular, he examines the social dynamics of legitimacy and power on the local, national, and global levels, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods. His recent work has been published in the British Journal of Sociology of Education, Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, and Journal of Education Policy.