Finding the Poster Child: Reference Patterns in OECD Country Reports

Abstract

In Chap. 6, Helen Seitzer seeks to find the origin of the OECD’s ‘model education system’ by analyzing country reports on education. Through these reports and the corresponding policy advice, the OECD is contributing considerably to the diffusion of a transnational model of education. However, critics argue that one size does not fit all, and the policy advice distributed might not benefit all countries equally; this is due to their specific local conditions as well as the ‘model education system’s’ origin. In this chapter, Seitzer explores a reference network in OECD publications to detect where the education systems most referenced are located. Furthermore, she determines if reference patterns are regionally clustered or if references transcend all geographical and cultural boundaries.