"Comparative Education as global Experience:

1. "Comparative Education as global Experience: Perspectives on Schooling, and Learning in Sweden and elsewhere”

2. My Perspectives on schooling and learning:  Thought styles, notions and tools Pär Widén - 2018 UNSAM, Buenos Aires, 2018

3. A Foucauldian ”thought style” Criticism– not true-false, pros-con, sceptical, beyond-good-evil No nature given centre, nor universe Poststructuralism, postmodernism Historians of ideas, philosopher or sociologist? Kant, Heidegger, Nietzsche - tradition Historic Annalles-school, critical towards idealism, empiricism

4. A Philosopher’s question: What is it to be human? How did we become what we ”are”? How did the modern individual human subject come into being? ”The Soul is the prison of the body” (Foucault) Interest in the power over the subject,” the soul”? From ”outer” to ”inner”. Effects of history of humanistic sciences

5. Desire for alternate ways of seeing things (”the gaze”) in history Ethos, approaches to analysis, alternate technologies in investigations Other kinds of questions find cracks and openings in the facade (not why? But how?) Self-criticism, alienate and distance from own normalizing ”gaze” ”Capillary power” – the specificity of power carried out in effect, smallest flows of power, micro level Problèmatique –historical problematization - how something becomes a problem, Or made a problem? Understand how that is played out (via normalizing processes).

6. ”My point is not that everything is bad, but that everything is danger­ous, which is not exactly the same as bad. If everything is dangerous, then we always have something to do. So my position leads not to apa­thy but to a hyper- and pessimistic activism.” (Foucault)Feminist critique, poor historian, relativistNormality–Deviance Ex. History of Madness Metaphor: Lift the roof – school, prison, army, hospital (ex Panopticon, drill, body posture, straight rows)

7. Ex. From public bodily punishment …

8. Panopticon – surveillance in the prison

9. …to modern cell prison How understand this?

10. From Foucault’s power toolbox … Meaning of power? “Conduct on conduct”? Modern power and governance? Shaping of the modern human subject? Power is not only repressive (Laws, rules, punishment, prohibition), but is productive at the same time. The “Janus face” of Power, ambiguous, different sides. Concepts or Notions of Power A dynamic concept, not an object that someone carries, or has, is bestowed upon. Power is characteristically a relational concept, lived out between human subjects all the time in everyday life. Power effects and side effects

11. Power comes in various shapes Sovereign power– a traditional execution of power Based on the notion of a sovereign king and ruler with power over a geographical territory, via force, violence, laws, traditions, religion, physically penal system. Disciplinary power : disciplinary regime ruling and governing the bodies and individual is controlled in detail. From outer bodily to the inward (docile).

12. Bio power–art of governing an entire population, power over human life (bio), administrating mass population via demografic statistics, modern technology, science, medicine, economy, bureaucratic administration. Pastoral power – the shepard’s care of the sheep, the soft caring power, with focus on truth, confessions, law, norms

13. Conducting a Foucauldian power analysis - How? Focus on individuality What kind of modern subject shaped within a specific power technology, institutions, what power relations? Archeology Different meanings to phenomenon, and how the layers are constructed, relate or not. Not longitudinal historical studies. Cross-sectorial. (Fendler, 2010). Genealogy Tracing historical genealogical threads, relations and similarities, complex root system, common ancestry and connections, complex links, threads, linkages

14. Discourse analysis How we in and through language create, enable, govern our practices, thoughts, actions and conduct. “Governmentality or art of governing“ With what mentality of government? What is made a problem to govern? Based on what knowledge? What techniques/praktices are used? What desirable subject is wished/created through techniques? (Dean, 1999)

15. "Comparative Education as global Experience: Perspectives on Schooling, and Learning in Sweden and elsewhere”

16. ”The Age of Measurement” (Biesta) - narratives of examination and grading, now and then. Pär Widén – UNSAM, November 2018

17. We are what we measure? Northern hemisphere, Eurocentric world… how do we measure? With what models?

18. Gaussian normal curve or ”The Slippery Slope”

19. ”The Leaning Tower” of PISA

20. How understand the ”eternal” question/problem of grading? • Controversial in Sweden - Grade marks from year 6 (previously year 8) • A complex matter • Political/ideological notions • Pedagogically debated– differing knowledge views • Technical and och Administrative systems on various levels • A changing constant – ex. Minister of Education proposal on subject grades in upper secondary school (2018). Psychosocial well being. • Everybody’s experience -”we all know how it works in reality”

21. Previous Research on examination and grading Vast international research field, increase of Swedish studies in decade 2000 Mostly Behavioral science studies Psychometric investigations, science statistics, large scale international and national surveys and pedagogical class room studies The national systemic functions of grading Pedagogical measures and effect studies on knowledge apprehension International comparative studies and comparisons Few problematizing attempts and studies of the histories of grading, assessment and evaluation

22. Educational history perspectives on grading Written by politicians, State investigators och officials Interpreted as - Industrialization, Democratization and Individualization A necessary, linear turn of events (historical determinism) Consensus and compromise perspective Political visions and history writing – same thing?

23. The example of the Swedish Folk School, 1842 Democratization, or where should the children be? At home, on the Street, in the Factory or in School?

24. My research on examination and grading Focus on grading and examination as: Power relations between State, Teachers and students 1960-1995 (grading reforms in 1964 and 1991) Study arena/context: Politics, Teacher press, public media debate School reforms visions and initiatives: social justice, democracy, individualize grading and assessment. Meaning of democratization and individualization in practice? Use of ”Narrative” to interpret, analyze and problematize the historical changes as a winner’s historical narative (discourse)

25. What is a ”Narrative” in my study? It includes: • Vision of the State and Society • Use of Scientific knowledge • Specific examinatory/grading techniques • Relation State and individual – State, Teacher, Pupil • Base for political school reform acts/decisions

26. The dominant narrative in the 1960’ies Described: A Traditional and exclusive and A Modern inclusive evaluative system

27. The old traditional schools A Moral/religious discipline Based on Cultural Traditions and Authorities Socially exclusive programs, hindrances, large exam tests, many dropouts and non-graduates

28. The portrayed Traditional Teacher and her knowledge Classical bildung, trained in traditional subject knowledge Partial, biased Teachers and censors from workplace Autonomous Teachers Authoritarian instruction/teaching, monological, oneway Unprepared, oral collective test techniques Great variations in examination and grading

29. The Modern progressive school system Belief in National system, education technology, efficiency, standardization, rationalization, future optimism Statistics and mathematic calculations, national comparative population norms (Gaussian curve) Swedish ”Strong Society”, a strong objective, neutral State based on bureaucratic power

30. The Modern progressive school system Entire youth population integrated in unitary school system All youth examined by common norm National Board of Education – strong centralized state bureaucracy Simplify and effectivize administration of examination General demands/requirements for acceptance and assessment Increased ”positive” examinatory control Regulated teachers with official state inspectors and councelors, control teachers teaching

31. The modern Teacher (and her knowledge) A Councelor, Tutor and Guide To Educate autonomous and democratic pupils By Modern neutral and scientifically objective knowledge (psychological) Systematic, standardized, recurring control of individual pupil’s knowledge Relational Distance to students Critical (democratic) thinking, not knowledge drill excercise The student’s own responsibility Central bureaucratic detail regulation of Teachers

32. The dominant narrative in the 1990’ies Described: National and international ”financial crisis” The enormous expansion of school system – financial and organisation Above 90% of cohort to Upper Secondary school (1960: approx. 20%) Critique against State school bureaucracy – shut down 1991 State power – Decentralized to municipalities power

33. The dominant narrative in the 1990’ies Described: Teachers increased responsibilty for evaluation/Assessment Questioned the national comparative and collective grading norm Individualized grading techniques, various meaning Decreased or increased grading and assessment? Written or verbal/Formal/Informal grading and evaluation, or both?

34. The dominant narrative in the 1990’ies Described: Grading as pedagogical experience - ”paedagogization” of grading Lifelong learning perspective, grading and assessment spread, widened in time and space (number of grade marks) Behavioural order grade ”revived” - legit as a pedagogical and ethical issue and order The sorting function of grades debated The effects of grading on individual – Teacher and pupil Widened Grade function : evaluation of teacher, school leader, school and municipality

35. Historic Transformation of Examinatory power Before 1960: Varied Examinatory regements Fragmented, variation, conduct and behavior, discipline and order, verbal and written grade marks. A, a, AB, Ba, B, Bc, C. 1960’ies: An National Examinatory System: Uniform, centralized administrative system, written formal grading techniques and scientifically objective. Gauss Relative grade marks: 1-5 1990’ies: Individualized examination of learning outcomes In 1992: A=Excellent achievement, F = unsatisfactory achievement Social democrat –gov’t 1994: U, G, VG, MVG 2000’ies: International examinations in large scale surveys of youth population IQ.

36. A Few lessons The democratization of grading or the expansion of examinatory power (in name of normalization)? Or both? School politics becomes school history Recurring themes: Blame and hold Teachers responsible; Threat & Promise Beyond right and wrong on written or verbal grade marks and evaluation, subject and knowledge grades, letters and numbers

37. …. A Few lessons ”Everything is not bad, but everyting is dangerous.” Michel Foucault Risks with all examinatory systems and techniques Grades as most obvious power technique has increased, widened in scope and spread out Process of shaping modern subject/individualities State power has changed /strengthened relation to individual? From Teacher corps to pedagogical leader? The democratic fostered to the self-planning student?

38. We are what we measure? Or we become what me measure?

39. Risks with the Slippery Slope and Leaning Tower of Grading

40. ”Trends” in our day – not truths The Teacher profession of grading/evaluation  administrative, planning, documentation instead of engaging in knowledge and learning Big Data – statistics, numbers, documentality/documentalism Focus on visible knowledge and measurable facts? (compete with AI ?) ”PISA-fication” of education, international statistics, data and comparison Juridification risk, with increased judicial governance To grade and measure is to govern. What do we really want to govern (Grade and Measure?) How to really do and accomplish that?

41. What knowledges governs measuring categories today? Delinquent slow nervous roudy ADHD Idiot low IQ hysteric immature Aspberger Adamant half-idiot left-handed anxious Tourettes Lazy imbecill drop-out school-immature dyslexia Moral Psycho-medical Pedagogical soc/psycho. Neuropsych. 1800s 1900s 1930- 1950-60 1990-

42. Measuring, Grading and pedagogical possibilities of balance? Linear/chronological – rhizomatic learning? Visible – unvisible knowledge (signs of) Short term – long term perspective and goals? Complicated – complex? Quality or quantity – what measuring instruments do we use? Product – process of learning?

43. Rhizome

44. The Global Goals