75086 - Education Systems and Policies

Learning outcomes

The course enables students to: be familiar with the structure of education systems; recognize the goals of knowledge transmission, socialization, and selection typically pursued by education systems; be knowledgeable about sociological theories dealing with education; understand selection mechanisms enacted via education systems; identify the interests of the various stakeholders involved in educational activities; grasp the key features of the comparative approach to the study of teaching and learning processes; apply a set of tools for analyzing educational policies (as pertains, for example, to social inequality), interpret them, convey their chief characteristics, and assess their outcomes.

Course contents

In the first part of the course, the lecturer will explain the basic concepts and definitions and provide an overview of the main reference theories, empirical research and documentary and data sources. Then, for each of the topics covered, there will be class discussions and source exercises to encourage participation and critical discussion.

The course will cover the following topics:

The emergence and development of education systems (school and university).

Education in the post-war period; from elite to mass education (school and university).

Education policies at macro, meso and micro levels.

Actors, objects and subjects of education today.

Education, training and lifelong learning.

Vocational education and training and lifelong learning.

The architecture of education systems.

The 'measurement' of education systems: from educational levels to competences.

Methods of analysing education systems: theory and practice.

Evaluation of education systems.

Educational and social inequalities,

Performance and inequalities in education systems (school and university).

The future of education systems and the digital age.

Readings/Bibliography

Mandatory Texts:

• European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Volante, L., Schnepf, S., Klinger, D. (2022). Cross-national achievement surveys for monitoring educational outcomes : policies, practices and political reforms within the European Union, Publications Office of the European Union. The book is available in open acces via this link

• Brint, S. G. (2017). Schools and societies (Third edition). Stanford Social Sciences, an imprint of Stanford University Press. 

The teaching materials listed below will be discussed during class sessions.

Lesson 1 (Education System, Sociology of Education, Educational Policy)

• Lauder, H., Brown, P., & Halsey, A. H. (2009). Sociology of education: A critical history and prospects for the future. Oxford Review of Education, 35(5), 569–585. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054980903216309

• Soysal, Y. N., & Strang, D. (1989). Construction of the First Mass Education Systems in Nineteenth-Century Europe. Sociology of Education, 62(4), 277. https://doi.org/10.2307/2112831

Lesson 2 (Education vs School; Schools and Nation-Building: Political Construction of Schooling)
• Brint, S. G. (2017). School as social Institution, in Schools and societies (Third edition). Stanford Social Sciences, an imprint of Stanford University Press. Chaper 1. Available via Almastart

• Ramirez, F. O., & Boli, J. (1987). The Political Construction of Mass Schooling: European Origins and Worldwide Institutionalization. Sociology of Education, 60(1), 2. https://doi.org/10.2307/2112615

• Biesta, G. (2022). School‐as‐Institution or School‐as‐Instrument? How to Overcome Instrumentalism without Giving Up on Democracy. Educational Theory, 72(3), 319–331. https://doi.org/10.1111/edth.12533

Lesson 3 (Birth of University systems in Europe)
• Anderson, R. D. (2004). European universities from the Enlightenment to 1914 (Vol. 9780198206606). Oxford Univ. Press. Chapter 3-4-14

Lesson 4 (The Expansion of school systems in Europe after the second world war)
• Mills, C. (2008). Reproduction and transformation of inequalities in schooling: the transformative potential of the theoretical constructs of Bourdieu. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 29(1), 79–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425690701737481

Lesson 5 (The school and university choice)
• Gambetta, D. (1987). Were They Pushed or Did They Jump?: Individual Decision Mechanisms in Education. Chapter Cambridge University Press. Chapter 2-3 4 available via Almastart

Lesson 6 (From Post WWII to contemporary University)
• Olsen, J. (2007). The Institutional Dynamics of the European University. In: Maassen, P., Olsen, J. (eds) University Dynamics and European Integration. Higher Education Dynamics, vol 19. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi-org.ezproxy.unibo.it/10.1007/978-1-4020-5971-1_2

• Frank, D.J., Meyer, J.W. University expansion and the knowledge society. Theor Soc 36, 287–311 (2007). https://doi-org.ezproxy.unibo.it/10.1007/s11186-007-9035-z

Lesson 7 (Merit, equality and equity in the educational systems)
• Barone, C., & Ruggera, L. (2018). Educational equalization stalled? Trends in inequality of educational opportunity between 1930 and 1980 across 26 European nations. European Societies, 20(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616696.2017.1290265

Lesson 8 (Equity and Merit part 2)
• Walker, Melanie, and Elaine Unterhalter. Amartya Sen's Capability Approach and Social Justice in Education, Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. ProQuest Ebook Central, available online via almastart

Lesson 9 (Equity and intersectionality)
• Collins, P. H. (2015). Intersectionality’s Definitional Dilemmas. Annual Review of Sociology, 41, 1–20. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24807587

• S. Zeng (2023). Intersectionality of Equality in Educational Settings Through the Lens of Gender, Race, and Disability. (2023). In Proceedings of the 2022 International Conference on Sport Science, Education and Social Development (SSESD 2022) (pp. 402–408). Atlantis Press SARL. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-494069-13-8_48

Lesson 10 (Primary and Secondary effect of family background on learning process)
• Bukodi, E., Goldthorpe, J. H., & Zhao, Y. (2021). Primary and secondary effects of social origins on educational attainment: New findings for England. The British Journal of Sociology, 72(3), 627–650. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.12845

Lesson 11 (Comprehensive and selective systems)
• Benadusi, L., & Giancola, O. (2014). Secondary school systems: ‘Comprehensive’ versus ‘selective’. A comparison in terms of equity. Scuola democratica, 2, 461–482. https://doi.org/10.12828/77426

Lesson 12 (policy Reform and policy change in education)
• Dumay, X., & Dupriez, V. (2014). Educational quasi-markets, school effectiveness and social inequalities. Journal of Education Policy, 29(4), 510–531.

https://doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2013.850536
• Brint, S. G. (2017). School Reform, in Schools and societies (Third edition). Stanford Social Sciences, an imprint of Stanford University Press. Chapter 9. Available via Almastart

Lesson 13 (Standardised Asssesment Test in Education)
• Head, B. W. (2008). Three Lenses of Evidence‐Based Policy. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 67(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8500.2007.00564.x

• Mons, N. (2009). Theoretical and real effects of standardized assessment Euridyce available via this link.

• Villani, M. (2024). Equity and Inclusivity in European National Standardised Assessment. In O. Giancola, F. Lagomarsino, & M. Siino (Eds.), Education as commons. Selected paper from AIS Education international mid-term conference 2023 (pp. 304–318). Associazione “Per Scuola Democratica”. https://cris.unibo.it/handle/11585/995679

Lesson 14 (Teacher In European School Systems)
• EURIDYCE. (2021). Teachers in Europe: Careers, development and well being. Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2797/997402

Lesson 15 (Changing of academic profession)
• Djerasimovic, S., & Villani, M. (2020). Constructing academic identity in the European higher education space: Experiences of early career educational researchers. European Educational Research Journal, 19(3), 247-268. https://doi-org.ezproxy.unibo.it/10.1177/1474904119867186 (Original work published 2020)

• Villani M., Villani, Djerasimovic, S, Giancola, O (2021). The Hard Path of Academic Stabilisation into a Neoliberal European Academic Framework, in: Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference of the Journal Scuola Democratica. Pandemic and Post-Pandemic Space and Time, Roma, Associazione “PER SCUOLA DEMOCRATICA”, 2021, 3, pp. 271 – 283 https://cris.unibo.it/handle/11585/962287

Lesson 16 (Lifelong Learning – NEET)
• European Education and Culture Executive Agency. (2021). Adult education and training in Europe: Building inclusive pathways to skills and qualifications. Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2797/788535

• Villani M., Prandini R. (2025). Being neet in Italy in the post-Covid-19 era. In Scuola democratica (Ed.), Proceedings of the Third International Conference of the journal Scuola Democratica. Education and/for Social Justice. Vol. 1: Inequality, Inclusion, and Governance (pp. 72-84). Associazione “Per Scuola Democratica”. https://cris.unibo.it/handle/11585/1011187

Lesson 17 (Vocational Training, Adult Education and Lifelong Learning)
• Salajan, F. D., & Roumell, E. A. (2023). Tracing the historical construction of a vocational training, adult education and lifelong learning policy space in the European Union from 1951 to present. European Educational Research Journal, 22(3), 347–367. https://doi.org/10.1177/14749041211065324

Any additional material will be provided in class, made available on the Virtuale platform, and included in the updated bibliography.

Students who do not attend classes are advised to contact the lecturer to confirm the texts required for the examination.

For students who have never studied sociology or the sociology of education, it is strongly recommended that they use the following dictionaries to facilitate the learning process (they are available via almastart):

• Ainsworth, J. (2013). Sociology of education : An A-to-Z guide.
• Scott, J. (2014). A Dictionary of Sociology. : Oxford University Press. üTurner, B. (Ed.). (2006).
• The Cambridge Dictionary of Sociology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781316135334
  

Teaching methods

The course will combine lectures, paper discussions, and group activities. Students are expected to read the assigned materials before each class, as they will form the basis for in-class discussions.

In addition, attending students will form groups of 2 to 3 members to prepare a presentation, which will take place during the final three sessions of the course. This presentation will constitute an integral part of the final assessment for attending students.

Assessment methods

Attending Students

Group Presentation ........... 30%

Final Assignment ............................................ 70%

Group or Individual Presentation:

Students are expected to organise themselves autonomously into groups and to define the topic they wish to present in class, based on their interests. Presentations will take place during the final three sessions of the course.

In general, the group presentation will be assessed as follows:

18–23: sufficiently well-structured presentation, limited analytical skills, predominantly descriptive, generally correct use of language.

24–27: well-structured presentation, appropriate discussion of the chosen topic(s), good (though not particularly complex) analytical skills, correct use of language.

28–30: excellent structure, thorough discussion of the topic(s), strong analytical and critical thinking skills, accurate use of subject-specific terminology.

30 with honours: outstanding, in-depth, and comprehensive presentation; excellent critical and analytical abilities, effective integration of concepts, full command of disciplinary terminology.

Final Assignment

An individual short paper (1,000 words, excluding bibliography) analysing one of the topics discussed during the course. The topic must be agreed upon with the lecturer by the end of the lecture period.

In general, the final assignment will be assessed as follows:

18–23: sufficient knowledge and analytical ability, though limited to a narrow range of topics; generally correct use of language.

24–27: technically adequate preparation, with some limitations; good (though not particularly complex) analytical skills; correct language usage.

28–30: excellent knowledge of a broad range of topics covered in the course; strong analytical and critical skills; full command of subject-specific terminology.

30 with honours: outstanding and comprehensive knowledge of course topics; excellent critical and analytical thinking; ability to make meaningful connections; full command of disciplinary terminology.

NB: Active participation in class will be taken into account and may positively influence the final grade in borderline cases (e.g., rounding up when decimal points are present).

Non-attending Students

Final Examination ........... 100%

Final Examination:

The final exam will be written and based on all the readings listed in the syllabus (both required and recommended). It will consist of three questions and have a total duration of 90 minutes.

The same evaluation criteria outlined for attending students will be applied (see above).

 

Students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) or Temporary/Permanent Disabilities
Students are strongly encouraged to contact the University support office in advance:
https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students 

 

The office will provide assistance and, where appropriate, propose reasonable accommodations. These must be submitted to the lecturer at least 15 days in advance for approval. The lecturer will assess their suitability in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

Teaching tools

Slides, papers, data from open access sources, documentary sources.

Office hours

See the website of Marialuisa Villani