RGP Cycle Three Grantees and Projects

Clara Morgna: Constructing Educational Quality in the Arab Region

Among international organizations such as the World Bank and UNESCO, regional organizations such as the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), and Ministries of Education in Arab states, the pursuit of improvements in educational and teacher quality have become a major preoccupation. Although scholars have examined the globalization of educational quality practices, few researchers have examined and studied their influence on educational policy developments in the Arab region. The research study focuses on ALECSO's regional initiative on educational quality and its two programs on educational evaluation and teacher development. The analysis draws on documents produced in relation to educational and teacher quality initiatives as well as interviews with officials, teachers and principals, and NGOs. Using concepts from the fields of political economy, public policy and policy sociology, my research seeks to answer the question: What have been the effects of the adoption of educational evaluation and teacher quality practices on ideas, interests and institutions?

Clara Costandi Morgan is Assistant Professor in Political Science at UAE University where she teaches and conducts policy research for the Center for Public Policy and Leadership. Prior to joining UAE University, Clara taught at Carleton University (Canada) in the areas of comparative politics, public policy, and inter-disciplinary studies. Clara’s research focuses on the global governance of education and its regional and local interaction. She has recently published journal articles in Comparative Education, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, and Global Social Policy.