Cross-National Research on Continuous Improvement

Abstract

Effectiveness and improvement have become key terms in educational research. However, cross-national research applies different approaches to providing knowledge for improvement along with divergent assumptions for change. Most frequently, continuous improvement refers to systemic inquiry, involving practitioners’ knowledge of daily work problems. It thereby seeks to develop, implement, revise, and adapt interventions with the aim of becoming part of regular work routines (see General Overviews). Based on short-cycled, multiple tests of small changes in various contexts, continuous improvement research develops education solutions on scale. For continuous improvement, the Model of Improvement is fundamental and consists of three questions: What are we trying to accomplish? How will we know that a change is an improvement? What changes can we make that will result in improvement? And there is the lan-do-study-act cycle. Continuous improvement relies on systems theory and methods of design-based implementation research. It conceptualizes improvement processes based on a context-based theory of change (see Theoretical Framework and Approaches). Researchers apply various models such as Six Sigma, planned experimentation, and data-based inquiry (see Model and Tools). Furthermore, research in continuous improvement involves cross-sector collaboration between research, education institutions, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) (see Cross-Sector Collaboration). Continuous improvement has become an international phenomenon that refers not only to a strong research base in the United States but also to other research initiatives worldwide (see Research in National Contexts). This article covers several relevant aspects of continuous, practitioner-focused, and cyclical improvement processes in education that have been discussed in cross-national contexts. While the list of references is not exhaustive, it aims to provide a point of entry to this emerging field.