Turn of the tide: New horizons in German education policymaking through IO influence.

In: Transformation of education policy., S. 77-104

Abstract

Because the competence for education is situated within the German Länder, this level is taken into account by focusing on Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). Both are suitable for analysis because they are comparatively similar in terms of population. In contrast, the political preconditions are significantly different in each. While NRW's political structure is shaped by a more social-democratic tradition, Bavaria is influenced by conservative political forces. To conduct the analysis the author drew on the methods of document analysis and expert interviews [...]. Primary documents were taken from official publications of IOs and the German institutions of education policymaking. Additionally, 13 semi-standardized expert interviews were conducted with German education experts, comprising representatives of Federal and Länder ministries of education, officials from coordinating administrative institutions, education-related unions, and education researchers. In the next section of this chapter the systems of secondary and higher education in Germany are described by focusing on the political dimension of education policymaking. Against the background of historical developments in both areas the basic features of Germany's education system - and thus its national transformation capacities - are summarized. The third section focuses on implemented secondary and higher education reforms in Germany since the 1980s and highlights the most important changes on the level of policy, politics, and polity. Here, a clear distinction between a pre-PISA/Bologna period and a post-PISA/Bologna period can be drawn. The emergence of both international processes triggered comprehensive reform dynamics in Germany. The fourth section of this chapter directly links the reform processes to both IO governance instruments and national transformation capacities. The author analyzes how the impact of international initiatives is mediated through national factors and how IOs succeeded in influencing secondary education as well as higher education. The conclusion contrasts the empirical findings with the introduced theoretical framework and gives an outlook for further research. (DIPF/Orig.).