Comparative didactics today: Introducing a special issue

Abstract

This special issue aims to advance and disseminate research in the field of comparative didactics, offering a comprehensive overview of its current state. Featuring contributions from leading scholars across diverse continents and disciplines, the publication seeks to foster the growth and internationalization of comparative didactics, promote cross-disciplinary methodology transfer between school subjects, and support scholars in identifying and sharing theoretical perspectives across different contexts. While each paper presents unique findings, they collectively enable deeper comparisons of the meaning and impact of comparative didactics worldwide.

Aiming to promote and disseminate research in comparative didactics, this special issue provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of the field. Following a 2-day symposium held in Örebro, Sweden, this publication seeks to accelerate the development and internationalization of comparative didactics, facilitate the transfer of methodology between school subjects, and support scholars from diverse environments in identifying and sharing theoretical perspectives. Before introducing the featured articles, comparative didactics will be positioned in relation to adjacent research areas.

Since its introduction and development by Socrates, Thomas Aquinas, and John Amos Comenius, the term didactics has been a subject of ongoing debate. While some scholars and institutions have preferred the label curriculum studies, others have retained the term didactics to emphasize its focus on teaching and learning practices (Gundem and Hopmann, 1998; Hudson and Schneuwly, 2007). Beyond this distinction, the German-speaking, French-speaking, and Scandinavian communities have long worked independently, developing distinct research traditions and applications of the term (Gundem, 2011; Schneuwly, 2011, 2021; Vollmer and Rothgangel, 2024).

Whether referred to as didactiques disciplinaires, subject didactics, or Fachdidaktik, much didactic research has traditionally been conducted on a subject-by-subject basis. As a result, different branches of didactic research have often repeated similar procedures, overlooking systemic issues and benefits that only become apparent from a broader comparative perspective. To enhance the general understanding of teaching- and learning-related phenomena, subject-specific didactics must therefore be supplemented with comparative approaches that juxtapose and contextualize the findings of individual subject didactics (Ligozat et al., 2023; Mercier et al., 2002; Rothgangel and Vollmer, 2020; Schneuwly, 2014; Schubauer-Leoni and Leutenegger, 1997; Vollmer, 2014).

In 2006, L’Association pour les Recherches Comparatistes en Didactique (ARCD) was established in France, marking an early milestone in the development of comparative didactics. A similar initiative took place in Sweden, where Scandinavian scholars used the term allmän didaktik, which translates to general didactics. Both traditions acknowledged the potential to compare educational practices across different school subjects and levels of the educational system, as well as to integrate theories and methods from the humanities.

Researchers in comparative didactics examine the planning, execution, and evaluation of learning activities in schools. Some projects focus on learning styles, others on teachers’ selection of instructional materials, and still others explore contrasting views on formative and summative assessment. Additional areas of inquiry include Bildung aspects, student identity development, and (trans)national education policies (see, e.g. Schneuwly and Vollmer, 2018). Like the related field of comparative education, comparative didactics investigates the impact of political, cultural, and social factors on the education system. However, it differs from comparative education in its sharper focus on learning activities and educational practice.

Within comparative didactics, certain research emphasizes the agency of teachers and students in societal and ethical development, supporting schools and learners in responding to contemporary challenges, such as societal and environmental changes (Hudson and Meyer, 2011; Öhman, 2014; Schubauer-Leoni, 2009; Sensevy and Ligozat, 2017; Tretheway, 2014; Van Poeck et al., 2019).

It is important to emphasize that the comparative approaches advocated in this special issue are not intended to replace subject didactics but rather aim to enhance them by studying the general to refine the particular. In other words, individual school subjects benefit from comparative studies of institutional boundaries that shape learning. Through systematic comparisons, generic variables can be identified and described, making it easier to recognize and assess context-dependent factors (Ligozat, 2023; Ligozat et al., 2015; Ligozat and Leutenegger, 2023; Schubauer-Leoni and Leutenegger, 2002).

The first article in this special issue, titled “Comparative didactics: Towards a Generic Model for Analyzing Content-specific Dimensions of Teaching Quality,” authored by Florence Ligozat and Yoann Buyck from the University of Geneva, explores a comparative model for characterizing the quality of teaching practices using the conceptual categories of the Joint Action in Didactics (JAD) framework. Since the 2000s, research employing JAD has investigated how knowledge content is developed through teacher-student interactions in the classroom. By comparing teaching and learning practices in two school subjects—Science and Physical Education—this paper proposes a provisional set of dimensions and generic criteria for capturing content-specific aspects of teaching quality, while also highlighting key methodological conditions necessary for conducting qualitative analyses of these dimensions. The study thus makes important methodological contributions that can inform future research on teaching quality across various school subjects and educational levels.

Fabienne Brière, Teresa Assude, and Claire Guille-Biel Winder from Aix-Marseille University contribute the article titled “Analysis of a Teacher Training System Through the Prism of a Comparative Approach in Didactics,” which examines the implementation of constellations—an institutional framework for in-service training of primary school teachers in mathematics and French. Using a comparative approach inspired by the JAD framework previously mentioned, the authors explore the didactic phenomena that arise during the interactions between trainers and teachers in various disciplinary and geographical contexts.

The study is guided by three key questions: First, how are constellations organized over time concerning work situations, professional knowledge, and the tools used? Second, what are the processes involved in negotiating and co-developing the work theme of each constellation? Finally, how do trainers and national education leaders define the work theme and assign related roles? The methodology employs multiple levels of analysis to investigate the processes of co-developing a problematic in joint action and to identify the trainers’ practical epistemology. The article provides insights into the different types of knowledge involved in teacher professional development and explores strategies for equipping trainers to facilitate collaborative learning throughout all stages of the training process.

Finally, the paper titled “Towards Models of Language-Supportive Pedagogy in Sub-Saharan Africa – Comparing and Analyzing Curricula and Practice,” authored by Mats Deutschmann from Örebro University, Justin Zelime from the University of Seychelles, Angeline Barrett from Bristol University, Eliakimu Sane from the University of Dodoma, Tanzania, and Maryam Ismail from the State University of Zanzibar, examines the challenges, dilemmas, and consequences associated with current medium-of-instruction policies. The authors emphasize that effective learning requires instruction and activities to be conducted in a language that students understand. Deutschmann et al. highlight the issue of excluding home languages from the classroom, which creates unfavorable learning conditions for many students, often resulting in poor performance and early dropout.

The paper introduces an analytical framework designed to identify the strengths, weaknesses, and inconsistencies in current language-in-education policies. It focuses on how various policy levels address the challenges of learning and teaching in a second language within Sub-Saharan contexts. This framework provides a systematic approach for assessing how the outcomes of language-in-education policies align or diverge from their original intentions. By incorporating a comparative perspective, the authors also underscore the relevance of their analysis for understanding language-in-education policies in Western education systems.

In summary, the papers included in this issue provide valuable and relevant insights into the field of comparative didactics in Europe and beyond. The Joint Action in Didactics (JAD) framework is particularly central to the first two research studies featured in this issue. The concept of didactic joint action encompasses the idea that (a) teachers and students collaboratively (re)construct knowledge content in the classroom within a dynamic learning environment, and (b) understanding the teacher’s actions—and, by extension, the processes of re-actualizing knowledge in a specific teaching project—requires an analysis of student participation.

Notably, the first two papers in this issue illustrate that the JAD framework can be effectively applied across diverse educational contexts. While Florence Ligozat’s team investigated science and physical education classes with 11–13-year-olds in Switzerland, Fabienne Brière’s team employed a similar methodology within a French teacher training context. Despite presenting distinct findings, the two articles can be read together to facilitate further comparisons of the meaning and impact of didactic joint action across different European countries.

Additionally, including research conducted in postcolonial contexts is particularly significant, especially when focusing on the systemic issues arising from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds among learners, teachers, and curriculum designers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The fact that such transcultural research is being undertaken is encouraging for those with a global citizenship education perspective. Moreover, the findings themselves hold substantial value for various educational contexts in both the Global South and the Global North. Similar to the Swiss and French contributions mentioned earlier, Deutschmann et al.’s research underscores the importance of methodically incorporating the learner’s perspective into established didactic models.

In essence, this special issue not only showcases exemplary instances of comparative didactics in practice but also demonstrates how different comparisons interrelate and form unexpected structures. It is hoped that this thematic issue on comparative didactics will inspire further, more in-depth applications of the theories and methods discussed, leading to excellent new research and, by extension, improved conditions and outcomes in educational institutions worldwide.