{"title":"International school accreditation: An isomorphic force against creativity in a growing competitive market","authors":"Karl Coutet","doi":"10.1177/14752409221117252","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Despite the large number of new international schools opening each year, very little innovation is evident in the market. DiMaggio and Powell (1983) use institutional isomorphism to explain the phenomenon of organisations in a field being similar and this paper investigates the extent to which accreditation contributes to that phenomenon. By reviewing the handbook, standards, and lesson observation tool of one large, global accreditor, a picture is built in this paper of the ‘ideal school’ that would perform well in an accreditation review. Accreditation was found to restrict how the school is managed, narrow the learning philosophy of the school, and prescribe the practices that take place in the classroom. Opportunities for limited creativity were found in teachers’ design of learning activities, with the caveat that those activities must be aligned to prescribed curriculum standards.","PeriodicalId":45854,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Research in International Education","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4000,"publicationDate":"2022-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Research in International Education","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/14752409221117252","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Despite the large number of new international schools opening each year, very little innovation is evident in the market. DiMaggio and Powell (1983) use institutional isomorphism to explain the phenomenon of organisations in a field being similar and this paper investigates the extent to which accreditation contributes to that phenomenon. By reviewing the handbook, standards, and lesson observation tool of one large, global accreditor, a picture is built in this paper of the ‘ideal school’ that would perform well in an accreditation review. Accreditation was found to restrict how the school is managed, narrow the learning philosophy of the school, and prescribe the practices that take place in the classroom. Opportunities for limited creativity were found in teachers’ design of learning activities, with the caveat that those activities must be aligned to prescribed curriculum standards.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Research in International Education is an international, peer-reviewed journal in international education for schools, examiners and higher education institutions throughout the world. The Journal of Research in International Education seeks to advance the understanding and significance of international education. It sets out to undertake a rigorous consideration of the educational implications of the fundamental relationship between human unity and human diversity that ''education for international understanding'' requires. The JRIE encourages an approach to research in international education that will close the gap between the well established emergent theory and diverse practice throughout the world. In this context, international education is concerned with the promotion of education for international understanding and human rights, and may include peace education, global education and intercultural education. Authors may address, for example, the curriculum, institutional concerns, the history of education, policy and pedagogy at all levels.