Staff Profile

• •Professor (School of Education)
  
  Career
  Michele joined the School as Professor of Comparative and International Education in January 2013 from the University of Birmingham.  Originally from Canada, she has also worked as a teacher, trainer or teacher educator in Sierra Leone, Indonesia, Scotland and the Turks and Caicos Islands, and has conducted research in a range of contexts internationally.  
  
  Qualifications
  
  PhD University of Warwick
  MSc University of Oxford
  BEd University of Western Ontario
  BA University of Western Ontario
  
   
  
  Research Interests
  Michele is interested in tensions between global frameworks (such as children’s rights, and notions of ‘best practice’ in teaching and learning) and local and cultural imperatives.  Her research takes a comparative and international perspective on:
  
  •democratic education and education for democracy, especially the contribution of learner-centred pedagogy;
  •global citizenship education;
  •teacher professional learning and identity;
  •education in developing and transitional countries;
  •university internationalisation and the transnational, intercultural and academic experiences of mobile students.
   

Selected Publications: 

Article

Schweisfurth, M. (2012) Are sojourners natural comparativists? Critical perspectives on the learning experiences of international students. Research in Comparative and International Education, 7 (1). pp. 81-89. ISSN 1745-4999 (doi:10.2304/rcie.2012.7.1.81)

Schweisfurth, M. (2012) Beyond converging agendas in education. Comparative Education, 48 (3). pp. 281-282. ISSN 0305-0068 (doi:10.1080/03050068.2012.702010)

Schweisfurth, M. (2011) Learner-centred education in developing country contexts: from solution to problem? International Journal of Educational Development, 31 (5). pp. 425-432. ISSN 0738-0593 (doi:10.1016/j.ijedudev.2011.03.005)

Grimshaw, T., Gu, Q., and Schweisfurth, M. (2011) Rethinking University Internationalisation: Towards Transformative Change. Special Issue of the Journal Teachers and Teaching [volume editors]. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 17 (6). ISSN 1354-0602

Schweisfurth, M. (2011) How did we get here? Unintended consequences in education. Comparative Education, 47 (4). pp. 407-409. ISSN 0305-0068 (doi:10.1080/03050068.2011.614070)

Schweisfurth, M. (2011) Power, politics and process: the challenge of change in and through education. Comparative Education, 47 (2). pp. 135-137. ISSN 0305-0068 (doi:10.1080/03050068.2011.563056)

Gu, Q., Schweisfurth, M., and Day, C. (2010) Learning and growing in a ‘foreign’ context: intercultural experiences of international students. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 40 (1). pp. 7-23. ISSN 0305-7925 (doi:10.1080/03057920903115983)

Schweisfurth, M. (2010) Constructing the local and deconstructing the global in education. Comparative Education, 46 (4). pp. 407-408. ISSN 0305-0068 (doi:10.1080/03050068.2010.519476)

Schweisfurth, M. (2010) This year's model: international perspectives on educational aspiration and influence. Comparative Education, 46 (2). pp. 109-111. ISSN 0305-0068 (doi:10.1080/03050061003775306)

Schweisfurth, M., and Harber, C. (2010) Education and Global Justice. Special Issue of Educational Review [volume editors]. Educational Review, 62 (3). ISSN 0013-1911

Otten, M., Allwood, J., Aneas, M.A., Busch, D., Hoffman, D., and Schweisfurth, M. (2009) Qualitative Research in Intercultural Communication. Special Issue of Forum: Qualitative Social Research [volume editors]. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 10 (1). ISSN 1438-5627

Schweisfurth, M., and Crossley, M. (2009) What lies beneath: comparative education unmasks policy, theory and assumption. Comparative Education, 45 (4). pp. 457-459. ISSN 0305-0068 (doi:10.1080/03050060903391552)

Schweisfurth, M., and Gu, Q. (2009) Exploring the experiences of international students in UK higher education: possibilities and limits of interculturality in university life. Intercultural Education, 20 (5). pp. 463-473. ISSN 1467-5986 (doi:10.1080/14675980903371332)

Gu, Q., and Schweisfurth, M. (2006) Who adapts? Beyond cultural models of 'the' Chinese learner. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 19 (1). pp. 74-89. ISSN 0790-8318 (doi:10.1080/07908310608668755)

Schweisfurth, M. (2006) Education for global citizenship: teacher agency and curricular structure in Ontario schools. Educational Review, 58 (1). pp. 41-50. ISSN 0013-1911 (doi:10.1080/00131910500352648)

Schweisfurth, M. (2006) Global and cross‐national influences on education in post‐genocide Rwanda. Oxford Review of Education, 32 (5). pp. 697-709. ISSN 0305-4985 (doi:10.1080/03054980600976510)

Schweisfurth, M. (2005) Learning to live together: a review of UNESCO's Associated Schools Project Network. International Review of Education, 51 (2-3). pp. 219-234. ISSN 0020-8566 (doi:10.1007/s11159-005-3579-9)

Davies, L., Harber, C., and Schweisfurth, M. (2002) Democracy and Authoritarianism in Education. Special Issue of Comparative Education [volume editors]. Comparative Education, 38 (3). ISSN 0305-0068

Davies, L., Harber, C., and Schweisfurth, M. (2002) Editorial. Comparative Education, 38 (3). p. 249. ISSN 0305-0068 (doi:10.1080/0305006022000014115)

Schweisfurth, M. (2002) Democracy and teacher education: negotiating practice in The Gambia. Comparative Education, 38 (3). pp. 303-314. ISSN 0305-0068 (doi:10.1080/0305006022000014160)

Schweisfurth, M. (2000) Teachers and democratic change in Russia and South Africa. Education in Russia, the Independent States and Eastern Europe, 18 (1). pp. 2-8. ISSN 1351-0371

Schweisfurth, M. (1999) Gleaning meaning from case studies in international comparison: teachers' experiences of reform in Russia and South Africa. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 29 (3). pp. 331-340. ISSN 0305-7925 (doi:10.1080/0305792990290310)

Book

Schweisfurth, M. (2013) Learner-Centred Education in International Perspective: Whose Pedagogy for Whose Development? Series: Education, poverty and international development . Routledge, New York, NY, USA. ISBN 9780415600729

Phillips, D., and Schweisfurth, M. (2008) Comparative and International Education: An Introduction to Theory, Method and Practice. Continuum, London, UK. ISBN 9781847060594

Davies, L., Harber, C., and Schweisfurth, M. (2005) Democratic Professional Development: A Guidebook for Supervisors and Inspectors of Teachers. Centre for International Education and Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. ISBN 9780704425156

Davies, L., Harber, C., and Schweisfurth, M. (2002) Democracy Through Teacher Education: A Guidebook for Use with Student Teachers. Centre for International Education and Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.

Schweisfurth, M. (2002) Teachers, Democratisation and Educational Reform in Russia and South Africa. Series: Monographs in international education . Symposium, Oxford, UK. ISBN 9781873927342

Book Section

Schweisfurth, M. (2012) Comparative education. In: Arthur, J. and Peterson, A. (eds.) Routledge Companion to Education. Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon, UK, pp. 246-253. ISBN 9780415583466

Schweisfurth, M. (2012) Learner-centred education and teacher professionalism at the local-global nexus. In: Seddon, T. and Levin, J. (eds.) World Yearbook of Education 2013: Educators, Professionalism and Politics: Global Transitions, National Spaces, and Professional Project. Routledge, London, UK. ISBN 9780415529143

Schweisfurth, M. (2008) Education and democracy in the Gambia: reflections on the position of development projects in a small African state. In: Johnson, D. (ed.) The Changing Landscape of Education in Africa: Quality, Equality and Democracy. Series: Oxford studies in comparative education (19 (1)). Symposium, Oxford, UK, pp. 63-75. ISBN 9781873927113

Schweisfurth, M. (2006) Preparing for active citizenship: international comparisons. In: Electoral Training Commission of Korea: Participation-oriented Civic Education Contributing to Political Development. National Electoral Commission, Seoul, Korea, pp. 94-106.

Schweisfurth, M. (2004) Citizenship education and commonwealth values. In: Matlin, S. (ed.) Commonwealth Education Partnerships. Stationery Office, London, UK. ISBN 9780117032392

Schweisfurth, M. (2000) Perspectives from the Fourth Seminar. In: Alexander, R.J., Osborn, M. and Phillips, D. (eds.) Learning From Comparing: New Directions in Comparative Educational Research [Policy, Professionals and Development]. Symposium, Oxford, UK. ISBN 9781873927632

Schweisfurth, M. (1999) Coming in from the cold: a reflexive account of an outsider researching education in Russia. In: Sayer, J. (ed.) Preparing Teachers to Meet Special Educational Needs in Russia. Garant, Leuven, Belgium, pp. 41-54. ISBN 9789053508916

Schweisfurth, M. (1999) Resilience, resistance and responsiveness: comparative and international education at UK universities. In: Alexander, R.J., Broadfoot, P. and Phillips, D. (eds.) Learning From Comparing: New Directions in Comparative Educational Research [Contexts, Classrooms and Outcomes]. Symposium, Oxford, UK. ISBN 9781873927588

Edited Book

Schweisfurth, M. and Harber, C., (Eds.) (2012) Education and Global Justice. Routledge, London, UK. ISBN 9780415693493

Cox, S., Dyer, C., Robinson-Pant, A. and Schweisfurth, M., (Eds.) (2010) Children as Decision Makers in Education: Sharing Experiences Across Cultures. Continuum International, London, UK. ISBN 9780826425485

Crossley, M., Broadfoot, P. and Schweisfurth, M., (Eds.) (2006) Forty Years of Comparative Education: Changing Contexts, Issues, and Identities. Series: Education heritage series. Routledge, London, UK. ISBN 9780415413411

Schweisfurth, M., Davies, L. and Harber, C., (Eds.) (2002) Learning Democracy and Citizenship: International Experiences. Symposium, Oxford, UK. ISBN 9781873927298

Research Report or Paper

Davies, L., Harber, C., Schweisfurth, M., Williams, C., Yamashita, H., and Cobbe, S. (2009) Education in Emergencies in South Asia: Reducing the Risks Facing Vulnerable Children. Other. United Nations Children’s Fund, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Schweisfurth, M. (1996) Researching National Systems of Primary Education: Sources, Approaches and Cautions. Other. Centre for Research in Elementary and Primary Education, University of Warwick, Warwick, UK.

This list was generated on Tue Mar 19 05:22:22 2013 GMT.

Research grants and consultancies: 

• Evaluation of the International Fellowship and Networking Schemes (ESRC 2011)
• Options for Education Research under DFID’s New Research Strategy (DFID 2009)
• Rethinking the Needs of International Students:  a critique of university internationalisation  (ESRC seminar series 2008-10)
• The Impact of UK Educational Experiences on Chinese Returnees’ Lives and Careers (British Academy 2008)
• Global Citizenship Education as a Framework for Teaching about Diversity.  Funded link with Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto  (International Council for Canadian Studies 2008) 
• Education and Emergencies:  impact on the vulnerable in South Asia  (UNICEF 2008)
• A Comparative Study of International Students’ Intercultural Experiences (ESRC 2006)
• Children as Decision Makers (ESRC 2006 – seminar series)
• Education and Democracy in Rwanda (CfBT 2005) 
• Sustaining Democracy in Education in The Gambia through the Professional Development of Inspectors (CfBT 2002 – 2004)
• UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network Review (UNESCO 2002 – 2003)
• Teacher Education and Democracy in The Gambia (CfBT 2000-2002)
• Education for Global Citizenship:  case studies of good practice in Canadian schools (Faculty Research Programme Grant, Government of Canada 2004)  Visiting Scholar:  Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, March – April 2004.
• Teachers’ Perceptions and Support Needs in Project Schools in Perm, Russia (TEMPUS-TACIS 1998)
• Remote Highland Schools in Lesotho, Southern Africa:  constraints and the targeting of aid (Overseas Development Agency 1997)
• General School Provision in Perm, Russia:  a case study of School 134 (TEMPUS-TACIS 1996)

 

Michele welcomes inquiries and applications from potential research students who share any of her research interests, or who are doing comparative studies and would like methodological advice within their supervisory team.

 

Michele is editor of the journal Comparative Education.
Podcast: 

http://www.educationarena.com/expertInterviews/interviewcategory5/cced.asp

 

She is also a member of the editorial board for International Journal of Educational Development and European Education:  Issues and Studies.

She is past Chair of the British Association for International and Comparative Education (http://baice.ac.uk/).