National Assessments: Underlying Cultural Values Revealed by Comparing English and French National Tests

Educational Reception in Rotterdam and Barcelona: Policies, Practices and Gaps

“…For instance, in a comparative study between teachers' practices in primary schools in England and France, Broadfoot et al (1988) found that national contexts deeply influence the work practices of teachers by fundamentally shaping their views on professional responsibility (restricted vs. expanded), their view of teaching (problematic vs. axiomatic), their focus (process vs. product), and the type of goals they set (universalist vs. particularistic). In another study these different educational cultures are explained with reference to the distinct forms of thinking that each national culture favours: the rationalist tradition of Descartes in France, and Locke's empiricist philosophy in England (Planel et al 2000).…”

Saudi National Assessment of Educational Progress (SNAEP)

“…Educators argue that national assessments will assist in reaching and maintaining higher academic standards than individual establishments are willing to self-impose (Lawton, 1997). Planel, Broadfoot, Osborn, Sharpe, and Ward (2000) argue that a national assessment can be utilized as a case study to demonstrate the fundamental educational and cultural values that underlie an educational system. Assessment results play an essential role in education reform.…”