Joseph Zajda

• Ph.D
• Professor (Associate) at Australian Catholic University (Melbourne)

Using critical discourse analysis, this chapter examines major discourses surrounding active citizenship education in schools. It examines cultural diversity, dominant values, and ideologies, which define and shape the content and approaches to citizenship education in schools. Effective citizenship education results in enhancing students’ understa...

The book chapters collected in this volume advance further the discussions on the phenomenon of globalisation, and how it impacts on the nature of active citizenship education in schools around the word. To help students recognize that they are inherently global citizens, capable of understanding that local actions are globally interdependent, and...

This chapter examines critically major factors defining and influencing students’ cultural identities, academic performance in schools, and the role of effective learning environments for improving academic performance. The chapter focuses on the student’s identity, self-concept, and academic achievement, the significance of cultural and social cap...

This chapter analyses constructivism and constructivist learning theory and discusses various approaches to constructivist pedagogy in schools. The key idea of constructivism is that meaningful knowledge and critical thinking are actively constructed, in a cognitive, cultural, and a social sense, and that individual learning is an active process, i...

Using critical discourse analysis, I want to refer to various major policy documents, defining cultural diversity and human rights, as our starting point of analysis of values education. The Western and non-Western models of values act as dominant and defining agencies of socialization for values education, cultural identity, citizenship education,...

This book chapter examines critically major discourses, addressing various forms of discrimination and discriminatory practices in schools, effecting learning environments globally. It focuses on major discourses examining discrimination in schools, which impact on students’ identities, engagement and motivation. It offers relevant strategies for r...

The book chapter analyses the term discourse and discourse analysis with reference to Foucault and other critics. The book chapter argues that discourse analysis, as employed by Foucault, concentrated on analysing power relationships in society, as expressed through language and social practices. The book chapter examines discourse, discourse analy...

This book chapter examines critically major discourses defining and creating inclusive schooling and effective learning environments globally. It focuses on the student’s self-concept, self-esteem, self-efficacy, cultural identity, social and emotional learning (SEL), and academic achievement. It also discusses the significance of social and emotio...

The book chapter examines dominant discourses of students’ cultural identities in the global era, and their impact on engagement in learning. One of the most powerful forces of globalisation shaping cultural identities is the ubiquitous presence of information technology and the mass media. Every facet of our culture and identity is defined and sha...

This chapter analyses on-going education policy reforms in schools, performing culture, and corresponding global and local education reforms for academic excellence, and global competitiveness, affecting all educational institutions. The chapter critiques and evaluates meta-ideological hegemony and paradigm shifts in education policies, major globa...

Human rights education is an attempt to answer the following question: How can we contribute to the creation of a more equitable, respectful, peaceful, and just society for everyone globally? This book chapter discusses dominant discourses of globalisation, and human rights education globally. The book chapter discuss the changing and problematic r...

This chapter dominant discourses of globalisation and human rights for democracy and social justice, by discussing the relevance of cultural identities to democracy, human rights and social justice globally. Globalisation, in most developing countries is articulated in the form of neo-liberal finance-driven policy reforms, concerning accountability...

The ten chapters in this book reflect a wide array of ways that scholars can use to think about the intersection of human rights, democracy, and social justice. These include theoretical, historical, and global examples of the ways in which democratic justice can be nurtured or torpedoed. From what we wear, whether we can vote, how education is for...

The eleven chapters in this book reflect a wide array of ways that scholars can use to think about the intersection of human rights and education. These include theoretical, historical, and global examples of the ways in which democratic justice can be nurtured or torpedoed. From what we wear, whether we can vote, how education is formulated, and h...

This book chapter discusses dominant discourses of globalisation, and human rights education for democracy, and the relevance of cultural identities to democracy, human rights and social justice globally. The book chapter concludes that the growth of global education policy hegemony, based on neo-liberal ideology, defining accountability, standards...

The chapter offers a critical analysis of globalisation, ideology and education reforms. The chapter discusses the crucial issues at the centre of current and on-going education reforms, namely the pursuit of standards and excellence globally, equality of access and quality of education for all. It focuses on a complex nexus between globalisation,...

This book chapter argues that education perversion and global capitalism and neoliberalism that commodifies humanity not only undermine local power and culture in education, but it has also left many people experiencing the “darker side” and brutality of globalisation. Other related negatives of international prescribers and globalisation that will...

The chapter argues that one of the unresolved issues in educational research on race and ethnicity in Central Asia is a growing ethnic polarisation, differentiation, discrimination and inequality. The role of the state, in confronting and addressing social and psychological origins of prejudice and discrimination, has been one of adopting effective...

This chapter examines the process of globalisation, not in the narrow context of economics, but rather in its wider context: social cultural and political culture, as well as all other processes aimed at enlarging all human capabilities for nation-building. Also, in this chapter globalisation is argued to be a discursively constructed grand narrati...

Globalisation has affected the nature of the debate in intercultural dialogue. It has resulted in structural and qualitative changes in education and policy, including an increasing focus on the ‘lifelong learning for all’, and a’ cradle-to-grave’ metaphor of learning in the global culture. In this chapter, it is argued that there is a need to re-a...

Multicultural education, in terms of values education in schools globally can play a significant role in promoting democracy and active citizenship education. Teaching such core values as democracy, freedom, active citizenship, intercultural understanding, human rights, social justice, and peace, consolidates our ideal of participatory democracy. I...

This book chapter discusses recent research findings concerning cultural diversity and human rights. It examines globalization as a cultural phenomenon of modernity and proceeds to review research in the field of human rights. This chapter illuminates the challenges that different societies are confronted with, as they attempt to implement, protect...

This book chapter discusses globalization, cultural diversity, and human rights. It focuses on global education, cultural diversity, and human rights. It reviews the current situation of human rights education in schools.

Globalisation, economic, cultural, and social change over the last four decades have affected the nature of the discourse in human rights education. The chapter explores human rights education research and the problematic relationship between human rights education and the state, against the background of globalisation, and economic, political, soc...

Globalisation, economic, cultural and social change has affected the nature of the debate in human rights education. The chapter explores human rights education research and the problematic relationship between human rights education, ideology and the state, against the background of globalisation, and social and cultural factors. This chapter, wit...

One of the major effects of economic forces of globalisation is that schools and school leaders, like other educational organisations, having modelled its goals and strategies on the entrepreneurial business model, are compelled to embrace the corporate ethos of the efficiency, accountability, performance, and profit-driven managerialism. Hence, th...

Using critical discourse analysis, this chapter examines major research trends surrounding active citizenship education in schools. It examines the impact of cultural diversity, dominant values, and ideologies, which define and shape the content, on citizenship education in schools. Effective citizenship education results in enhancing students’ und...

Using critical discourse analysis, this chapter examines major discourses surrounding active citizenship education in schools. It examines cultural diversity, dominant values, and ideologies, which define and shape the content and approaches to citizenship education in schools. Effective citizenship education results in enhancing students’ understa...

This article discusses various approaches to teaching and learning values education in schools. It offers researchers and teachers with an insight as to why values education should be incorporated in classroom teachings. It is suggested that values education, in addition to focusing on moral education, is connected to active citizenship education,...

This chapter analyses research findings concerning globalisation, cultural diversity and schooling. It critiques dominant discourses and debates related to globalisation, and cultural identity. Using several diverse paradigms, ranging from critical theory to globalisation, the chapter, by focusing on globalisation, ideology and cultural identity, e...

The concluding chapter reviews the concept of globalisation and its various impacts on society. In particular it discusses cultural diversity as perceived in a globalised world from several perspectives. Possible reasons for backlash against diversity are posited. The role that education can play in making sense of the complexities of the globalise...

In his reflection on the construction of meaning, Bruner (1986) offered a distinction between narrative and paradigmatic thought. These modes are fundamentally different. The narrative mode makes meaning of subjective human experience through story. The paradigmatic mode deals in abstractions, experimentation, and proofs.

Under the Soviet regime, and later in the Russian Federation (RF), in 1992, school education, through a centralised, and completely unified system of instruction, was one of the key means used to invent the Soviet state.

The main aim of this research is to offer a new insight, and knowledge in understanding the nexus between ideology, the state, and nation-building, as depicted in prescribed Russian school textbooks, especially the interpretation of significant events, the role of leadership, the contribution of key individuals, and looking for possible new biases...

In the traditional history classroom instruction is concerned with the transmission of information about the past. Research on historical thinking seeks to enhance learning and teaching by underscoring the importance of method (Zajda & Whitehouse, 2023). In history education, Lee and Ashby (2000) distinguish between substantive and procedural knowl...

The significance of teaching and learning history in schools had been widely accepted by numerous educators and policy makers around the world. Recently, teaching and learning history, as a curriculum discipline, in a number of countries has been characterised.

Recent and continuing public and political debates in the USA, China, Japan, and elsewhere, dealing with understandings of a nation-building and national identity, point to parallels between the political significance of school history and the history debates globally (Macintyre & Clark, 2003; Nicholls, 2006; Smith, 1991; Sherlock, 2005; Zajda, 201...

When Sir Francis Bacon published his work, Meditationes Sacrae (1597), he introduced to his readers his famous aphorism ‘knowledge itself is power’. He wanted to remind us all, that having and sharing informed knowledge was the essence of knowing and understanding the world and communicating its power. Similarly, some 370 years later, Foucault (197...

The chapter argues that globalization of sport, the politicization of sport, and the rise of sport as a mega business, suggests that more attention needs to be paid to human rights implications. Advocates for athlete human rights have an uphill battle to wage. This is why some collectives, like gymnasts who have been sexually abused or people with...

The study of sports has not always been considered as a human rights field. In recent years it has become evident that some athletes have experienced a variety of human rights violations. As a result, many sports programs have been confronted with criminal violations of abuse and maltreatment. Some sports organizations are developing athlete bills...

This chapter critiques dominant discourses and debates pertaining to values education, cultural identity, and teaching democracy. It addresses current discourses values education and teaching democracy in schools. It explores the ambivalent and problematic connections between the state, globalisation, values education and teaching democracy. The ch...

This chapter critiques dominant discourses and debates pertaining to values education, cultural identity, and teaching democracy. It addresses current discourses values education and teaching democracy in schools. It explores the ambivalent and problematic connections between the state, globalisation, values education and teaching democracy. The ch...

Discourses of Globalisation, Ideology, and Human Rights, which is volume 28 in the 36-volume book series Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research, edited by Joseph Zajda, ACU & Yvonne Vissing, presents a global overview of the nexus between globalisation, ideologies and human rights education and resultant implication for equity, de...

Globalisation and Education Reforms: Creating Effective Learning Environments, the 27th book in the 36-volume book series Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research, examines some of the major higher education reforms and policy shifts globally, particularly in the light of recent shifts in quality and standards-driven education and p...

The book presents a global overview of current research in education and education policy reforms during the last decade. It first examines globalisation, education and policy research and reforms in higher education, including coverage of main trends in education and policy reforms globally, as well as specific policy issues such as gender, equity...

Globalisation has affected the nature of the debate in educational inequalities along the dimensions of race, ethnicity and gender in the global economy. By focusing on the competing discourses surrounding global dimensions of race, ethnicity and gender in education and their consequences for life chances for billions of individuals affected, we ne...

This chapter examines global research findings dealing with discriminations based on race, ethnicity, and gender in education and societies. The synthesis of research-informed evidence suggests that race, ethnicity and gender discriminations, and the self-fulfilling prophecy (SFP) affect students’ self-concept, self-esteem, self-efficacy, their eng...

Jenni Russell (2019) captures eloquently all important reasons for studying history in schools, both locally and globally. History defines us as humans. In terms of defining our identity, we need to know who we are, and some answers are provided in historical narratives in the classroom. There is no doubt that one’s cultural identity is shaped by o...

The Russian Revolution in 1917 was a monumental political and social transformation in Russia, which brought down the autocratic monarchy of the tsar Nicholas II, toppled Kerensky’s Provisional Government and installed the Bolshevik Government under Lenin. The Russian Revolution refers to the February and October 1917 revolutions. The February revo...

As already mentioned in my Chap. 1, Jenni Russell (2019) captures eloquently all the important reasons for studying history in schools, as she believes, it ‘reveals all human nature’, events, the rise and fall of empires, and unintended and intended consequences of our actions. One could argue that there are at least five major reasons for learning...

As noted in Chap. 3, historiography is the history of history, and how historians interpret the past and different representations of the past in historical narratives. Developing historical consciousness can be incorporated in historiography. Historical consciousness commences with the question ‘What kinds of past do we carry around with us today,...

This chapter, using critical discourse analysis, examines conceptual models of historical thinking and historical narratives in school textbooks. It considers the role of historiography in the classroom and major classroom pedagogical models relevant to historical thinking, developed by such authors as Lee Shulman’s model of pedagogical reasoning a...

Discourses of Globalisation, Multiculturalism and Cultural Identity, the 29th book in the 36-volume book series Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research, examines dominant discourses in multiculturalism and cultural identity globally. This book critiques dominant discourses and debates pertaining to multiculturalism and cultural ide...

Discourses of Globalisation, Ideology, and Human Rights, which is volume 28 in the 36-volume book series Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research, edited by Joseph Zajda, ACU & Yvonne Vissing, presents a global overview of the nexus between globalisation, ideologies and human rights education and resultant implication for equity, de...

Discourses of Globalisation and Education Reforms: Overcoming Discrimination, the 31st book in the 36-volume book series Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research, focuses on discourses of effective learning environments globally for reducing discrimination in schools. There have been the following two significant paradigm shifts sin...

When confronting dominant discourses of race and ethnicity discriminations, and resultant inequality and social stratification, we are reminded of the teachings of John Amos Comenius (1592–1670), who appealed for the welfare of humanity and who said that ‘We are all citizens of one world’:

Using a discourse analysis perspective, I want to discuss teachers’ perceptions of their students’ academic achievement, abilities, intelligence, and the labels they use to distinguish between high performing and low performing students, and their expectations and prediction of their students’ performance abilities and academic achievement in the c...

Using a critical theory paradigm, which focuses on critiquing the existence of inequality in societies both locally and globally, we can use it to examine the concepts of ‘language discrimination’ and ‘linguistic discrimination’. We can define linguistic discrimination as an unfair treatment of individuals’ language and accents, based on the use of...

From a critical theory perspectives and critical discourse analysis, social, cultural, economic, political dimensions, reflecting social and educational inequality, result in discriminations, discriminatory practices and social injustice. Discriminations, which produce inequalities, are defined and maintained by the existing structural-functionalis...

In discussing discrimination and discriminatory practices in schools, I want to remind us all of the principles of democracy, equality of opportunity, and social justice for all, as they define human rights and the current nature and directions of discrimination discourses. In the USA, the myth of equality of opportunity and the ‘fading of the Amer...

As I have argued in Chap. 1, in order to address and reduce discriminations in schools, we need to change and transform the culture of the school and the ecology of the classroom, by establishing an inclusive, engaging, equitable and motivational atmosphere, where all students feel they belong, and where they learn together in a safe and peaceful e...

This original Ancient Chinese proverb has been popularised as ‘I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand’. This popular quote, by referring to doing, as the best form of learning, evokes the idea of experiential learning, the corner stone of constructivist theory of learning, and its relevance to the current twenty-first cent...

Adopting a feminist critical theory perspective, which tends to focus on economic, cultural, and social inequalities, affecting women, we can examine gender inequality in education globally, as yet another enduring dimension of social stratification and division of power, domination, and control. In many ways, it reflects the existing and entrenche...

The topic of globalisation, and education reform has assumed immense importance in the discourse and policies of many bodies and agencies across the international arena. An increasing number of countries and governments have concluded that globalisation, education and policy research approach to learning and teaching should be instituted and deploy...

This chapter analyses major and on-going trends in education reforms for academic excellence, standards, equity and global competiveness. The chapter critiques and evaluates a neo-liberal and neoconservative education policy, meta-ideological hegemony and paradigm shifts in education, together with major globalisation processes impacting on educati...

The chapter focuses on current education reforms in higher education. The chapter analyses and evaluates the ascent of a neo-liberal and neo-conservative higher education policy, globalisation and practices of governance education, global university rankings, internationalization, quality assurance, entrepreneurial and competitive ways of competiti...

The chapter focuses on current research trends in education reforms in higher education. The chapter analyses and evaluates the ascent of a neo-liberal and neo-conservative higher education policy, globalisation and practices of governance education, global university rankings, internationalization, quality assurance, entrepreneurial and competitiv...

Globalisations, economic, cultural and social change over the last four decades have affected the nature of the discourse in human rights education. The chapter explores human rights education research and the problematic relationship between human rights education and the state, against the background of globalisation, and economic, political, soc...

Globalisation, economic, cultural and social change has affected the nature of the debate in human rights education. The chapter explores human rights education research and the problematic relationship between human rights education, ideology and the state, against the background of globalisation, and social and cultural factors. This chapter, wit...

I am using both critical theory and critical discourse analysis in discussing values education in schools for empowerment, for overcoming discrimination, and for promoting quality learning and equality for all. Both critical theory and critical discourse analysis continue to remain key theoretical and analytical frameworks in research for critical...

This chapter explores major discourses surrounding the problematic relationship between education, social justice and social justice policies, against the background of comparative education research. Social justice is an attempt to answer the following fundamental question: How can we contribute to the creation of a more equitable, respectful, and...

This chapter explores major discourses surrounding the problematic relationship between education, social justice and social justice policies, against the background of comparative education research. The chapter analyses and critiques the overall trends and interplay between education, social justice and the state. By focusing on the competing dis...

This chapter, using critical discourse analysis, provides a new insight into an understanding of the nexus between ideologies, the state, and nation-building – as depicted in history school textbooks. It especially focuses on the interpretation of social and political change, significant events, looking for possible new biases and omissions, leader...

The main aim of this chapter is provide a new insight in understanding the nexus between ideology, the state, and nation-building – depicted in the new narratives in Russian school textbooks, especially the interpretation of social and political change, significant events (looking for possible new biases and omissions), leadership (the contribution...

This article offers a new knowledge and insight into understanding the nexus between ideologies, the state, and nation-building—as depicted in transforming images of nation-building and historical understanding of the October 1917 Russian revolution in prescribed history textbooks in the Russian Federation (RF). Using discourse analysis, and histor...

This chapter examines critically some of the major factors defining and influencing students’ learning and performance in effective learning environments globally. In particular, it focuses on the student’s cultural identity, self-concept, and academic achievement, the significance of cultural and social capital to student’s academic achievement, m...

This chapter analyses constructivism and the use of constructivist learning theory in schools, in order to create effective learning environments for all students. It discusses various conceptual approaches to constructivist pedagogy. The key idea of constructivism is that meaningful knowledge and critical thinking are actively constructed, in a co...

This chapter discusses dominant models employed in teaching values education in schools globally. It offers researchers, teachers and students an insight as to why values education should be incorporated in classroom teaching. It is suggested that values education, in addition to focusing on moral education, is connected to democracy, active citize...

One of the key factors affecting students’ learning and performance, as well as the nature of effective learning environments globally is the ubiquitous use of intelligence testing in schools, and elsewhere to determine specific abilities, including giftedness and identify intellectual disabilities. In schools, intelligence testing is used to award...

This chapter focuses on global research findings dealing with various forms of discrimination in the classroom and their impact on students’ performance and learning environments. The synthesis of research evidence suggests that intelligence discrimination, the language of meritocracy employed in schools, modality learning discrimination, race and...

This chapter examines the impact of different approaches in motivation and effective motivational strategies in engaging students to learn in effective learning environments. It discusses major perspectives on motivation and classroom applications. It analyses the role of teachers in creating engaging motivational atmosphere. The chapter offers var...

The chapter discusses dominant paradigms used to define, explain and measure education quality, both locally and globally. These include policy statements on quality education by UNESCO and the OECD. One of UNESCO’s first position statements on quality in education appeared in Learning to Be: The World of Education Today and Tomorrow (1972), follow...

The major indictments of the postmodern and postfoundational thinking were that they had no soul, and their legacy was so empty that they were impossible to take seriously (Murray 2003). Detractors claimed they playfully supported “chaos, flimsiness, and instability in our experience of reality,” (Lash 1990), and were seen as something cultivated b...

While postmodernism and poststructuralism are not synonymous, they have enough in common that in this chapter we will use the term postfoundationalism as a label of inclusion of these terms. We begin by outlining how differences in the traditional, the modern, and the postmodern are framed. Postmodernism and poststructuralism have been central conc...

The strong comparative education heritage of International Review of Education (IRE) provided the foundation for the journal’s extensive treatment of international and comparative education research and policy. The aim of the chapter is to analyse the treatment of comparative education and policy in the International Review of Education between 195...

Globalisation and the competitive market forces have generated a massive growth in the knowledge industries that are having profound effects on societies, their economies and educational institutions. One of the effects of forces of globalisation is that educational organisations, having modelled its goals and strategies on the entrepreneurial busi...

Globalization is as an idea is a complex, contradictory, and ambiguous theoretical construct. As social scientists have attempted to separate out the categories identified with globalization, their very multidimensionality connects these categories to all the fields which are connected with the social sciences, including the economic, the political...

During the past four decades globalization has been widely researched in comparative education and other academic circles. The forum of debate among comparative educators has penetrated to all corners of the world. Earlier, Lynn Davies (2004) argued that comparative education has possibly never had such an important function than in this age of dif...

The chapter focuses on current higher education reforms globally. It examines the nexus between ideology, culture, and higher education reforms. Globalisation and the competitive market forces have generated a massive growth in the knowledge industries that are having profound effects on society and higher educational institutions. One of the effec...

Globalisations, economic, cultural and social change over the last four decades have affected the nature of the discourse in human rights education. The chapter explores human rights education research and the problematic relationship between human rights education and the state, against the background of globalisation, and economic, political, soc...

The chapter explores the nexus between globalisation, intercultural dialogue and the state, against the background of comparative education research and a clash of civilizations. The chapter attempts to answer the following question: How can we contribute to the creation of a more peaceful, equitable, and just society for everyone? Recent global ev...

In this chapter we concentrate on methods of data collection; however, some consideration will be given to data analysis. When one decides on the methods of data collection, one is asking the following questions: What kind of information is being sought, from what sources, and under what circumstances? When one decides on the how to analyze the dat...

In this chapter we discuss the school reform in the age of globalization, with reference to structural adjustment and educational reform, the commodification of higher education, the decentralization of education, choice in education, the privatization of education, and multiculturalism and education.

Theory is fundamental to the cognitive structure of a field of study (Wells and Picou 1981). The nature and roles of theory have generated a great deal of debate, both within the field of comparative education specifically and within the general academic community. The purpose of this chapter is to examine the place of theory in comparative educati...

This chapter evaluates research findings concerning cultural identity. It critiques dominant discourses and debates related to globalisation, cultural identity, ideologies and the state, and various approaches to constructing national, ethnic and religious identities in the global culture. It examines the ambivalent and problematic relationship bet...

The chapter critiques dominant discourses and debates pertaining to cultural identity in the global era. It analyses current discourses related to globalisation, ideologies, cultural identity, and the state, and approaches to constructing national, ethnic and local identities in the global culture. It examines the ambivalent and problematic relatio...