The synchronic and diachronic evolution of key themes around SDG 4 before and after 2015: From a quantitative analysis of web-downloaded texts

Abstract

The authoritative ideas of what education should be like under the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) are constructed through discourse among key actors of the “international education community” at large. This article presents the evolution of international education discourse, comparing the periods before and after September 2015. The analysis is presented in two parts. The first part discusses the period before the adoption of SDGs in 2015, during which the agenda was formulated through discourse. The author identifies themes such as cognitive and noncognitive skills, learning outcomes, measurement and indicators. Actors shaping the discourse included mission-driven civil society organisations (CSOs), constituency-based CSOs, technical specialist groups, UN Member States and philanthropic organisations. The second part is based on a large sample text mining using 832 web-downloaded texts published between 2015 and 2022. The list of key themes largely mirrors those identified in the first part, although the relative weight among them has changed over time. The emphasis has shifted from global, structural topics to more local, specific ones, with increased attention on individual learners and their skills and knowledge. It suggests the uprooted nature of global governance, particularly at the time of SDG adoption. The fact that the term “SDGs” has permeated to the household level reflects widening participation in the global discourse on education. The author observes two contrasting perspectives: one discusses education’s contributions to noneducational goals, such as employment, economic growth, achieving sustainability or guaranteeing basic human rights; while another represents traditional educationalism, which tends to equate schooling with the traditional classifications of primary, secondary and higher education.