THE HISTORICAL DYNAMICS OF COMPARATIVE EDUCATION STUDIES: THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONCEPTS AND THEIR RELEVANCE IN THE ERA OF GLOBALIZATION

Abstract

Comparative education is a branch of educational science that examines the similarities and differences in educational systems, policies, and practices across countries and cultures using descriptive, historical, and analytical approaches. This article aims to examine the historical dynamics of the development of comparative education studies, starting from its roots in the early 20th century and its relevance in responding to the demands of education in the era of globalization. This research uses a qualitative method with a literature study approach that examines primary and secondary sources in the form of books and accredited national journal articles. The results of the study show that comparative education has developed through several historical phases, namely the phase of cross-national knowledge exchange (traveler's tales), the phase of educational borrowing, the scientific-factor phase, up to the phase of socio-policy analysis framed by Bereday's four-stage model and that of Noah and Eckstein. In the era of globalization, comparative education is increasingly relevant as a strategic instrument in formulating national education policies that are adaptive to global dynamics without neglecting local context, cultural values, and national identity.