Important notice
The course guide is provisional.
The PDF version of the course guide may take a few days to become available in the DDD.
Globalisation, Education Policies, and Inequality
Code: 44040Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Social Policy, Employment and Welfare | OP | 1 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Maribel Garcia Gracia
- Email :
- maribel.garcia@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Ricard Benito Perez
- Laia Sanchez Guerrero
- Rafael Merino Pareja
- Juana Sorondo
- Maribel Garcia Gracia
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
None
Objectives
This module explores the impact of globalization processes on education systems and policies at the international level. It aims to familiarise students with the main actors involved in the definition of the global educational agenda, to identify the main educational policies and reforms that are being expanded and standardised worldwide, and to highlight their main effects on social and educational inequalities. The module will explore the current debates on globalisation, poverty and inequality as a key element for situating and understanding the global education agenda. Specific policies in the field of education privatisation, accountability, the fight against poverty and inequality, educational success, widening access or compensatory policies will be analysed.
Learning outcomes
- CA17 (Design and evaluate educational policies in comparative contexts, considering their impact on equity, social cohesion and the reduction of inequalities.) Design and evaluate educational policies in comparative contexts, considering their impact on equity, social cohesion and the reduction of inequalities.
- CA18 (Develop and lead research or evaluation projects for educational policies, integrating individual and team work, and using data and indicators at different territorial scales.) Develop and lead research or evaluation projects for educational policies, integrating individual and team work, and using data and indicators at different territorial scales.
- KA14 (Critically evaluate the relationship between globalisation, educational policies, and social inequalities, with special attention to their implications for human development and multidimensional poverty.) Critically evaluate the relationship between globalisation, educational policies, and social inequalities, with special attention to their implications for human development and multidimensional poverty.
- KA15 (Compare theories and approaches on the impact of globalisation on education, using literature and empirical data at the international level.) Compare theories and approaches on the impact of globalisation on education, using literature and empirical data at the international level.
- SA14 (Interpret the political and social processes that influence educational policies at the local, state and global scales of social action.) Interpret the political and social processes that influence educational policies at the local, state and global scales of social action.
- SA15 (Apply theoretical knowledge about education policy to international case studies.) Apply theoretical knowledge about education policy to international case studies.
Contents
S1. EDUCATIONAL REFORMS IN SECONDARY EDUCATION AND EDUCATIONAL PATHWAYS IN POST-COMPULSORY TRANSITIONS
Reforms in secondary education have shaped, within the European context, differentiated educational models according to the degree of comprehensiveness of education systems and the structure of educational pathways. While these models may be better suited to addressing student diversity, they also introduce mechanisms of differentiation and stratification that influence educational opportunities. The analysis of these dynamics requires a systemic perspective (the organization of the education system), a longitudinal perspective (the study of educational trajectories over time), and a biographical perspective (individual experiences, expectations, and decision-making processes). Post-compulsory transitions constitute a critical stage in which social inequalities become more visible and future educational and labour-market opportunities are shaped.
S2. EDUCATIONAL INEQUALITIES: SOCIAL CLASS, GENDER, AND ETHNICITY
The social and school-related determinants of academic achievement from an intersectional perspective. The analysis of educational trajectories highlights that social class, gender, and ethnicity remain fundamental axes of inequality. Schools not only reflect existing social inequalities but may also contribute to reproducing or, alternatively, mitigating them through their practices, structures, and educational policies.
S3. EDUCATIONAL DROPOUT IN THE EUROPEAN CONTEXT AND SECOND-CHANCE PROGRAMMES
Educational dropout is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon present across European countries, although with varying levels of intensity and different profiles depending on educational models and institutional contexts. It results from the interaction of structural, institutional, and territorial factors of inequality. Dropout trajectories are understood as progressive processes of disengagement from the education system, characterized by accumulated academic difficulties, institutional misalignments, and a weakening of students’ attachment to school. An intersectional perspective makes it possible to examine how different axes of inequality interact in shaping the risk of dropout. Within this framework, and in line with European strategies aimed at reducing early school leaving, second-chance programmes have emerged as a specific institutional response designed to promote educational continuity and social inclusion.
S4. THE EVOLUTION OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN AN INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
Vocational Education and Training (VET) has developed across education systems through four major models: the dual model (German-speaking countries), the school-based model (Mediterranean countries), the liberal model (United Kingdom), and the integrated model (Nordic countries). Despite their institutional differences, these models share common challenges, including the lower social prestige of VET compared to academic and university pathways, the social profile of students enrolled in VET programmes, and the relationship between VET and labour-market needs. In recent years, many educational reforms have drawn inspiration from the German dual VET model, often presented as the most successful approach. Spain represents a paradigmatic example of this policy transfer, reflected in the 2022 Organic Law on the Organisation and Integration of Vocational Education and Training. The implementation of this legislation raises important questions regarding the social and economic functions of VET and its potential to reduce or reproduce educational inequalities.
S5. SCHOOL SEGREGATION AND EDUCATIONAL INEQUALITY
School segregation refers to the unequal distribution of students across schools according to socioeconomic background, cultural characteristics, or migrant origin. Although partly associated with residential segregation, it is also influenced by institutional dynamics and educational policies. The social composition of schools affects academic outcomes through mechanisms such as peer effects, teacher expectations, and the availability of educational resources. Consequently, school segregation contributes to the reproduction of educational and social inequalities.
S6. EDUCATIONAL POLICIES AND SCHOOL SEGREGATION
Educational policies play a crucial role in shaping school segregation. School choice policies, when insufficiently regulated, may foster the concentration of socially disadvantaged students in certain schools. To address this issue, a range of policy measures have been developed, including the planning of school provision, more equitable admission criteria, and local initiatives aimed at redistributing students across schools. The effectiveness of these policies depends not only on their design but also on their implementation and their capacity to influence the structural dynamics of the education system.
S7. EDUCATIONAL POLICIES ON EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND INEQUALITY
Global processes of emotionalization and therapeutization have placed students’ emotional well-being at the centre of contemporary educational policies. These developments have promoted new forms of intervention focused on mental health, socio-emotional development, and personal support for students. At the same time, they raise important questions regarding their impact on social and educational inequalities and the risk of shifting attention away from the structural factors that generate inequalities towards explanations centred on individual characteristics.
S8. EDUCATION, PRIVATIZATION, AND INEQUALITY
Over recent decades, the involvement of private actors in education has intensified through both direct and indirect forms of privatization, including private provision, the outsourcing of services, and the introduction of market-oriented logics into educational governance. Public–private partnerships are frequently presented as instruments for enhancing efficiency, innovation, and flexibility, yet they also raise concerns regarding equity, transparency, and accountability. In particular, school choice policies may encourage competitive dynamics between schools and contribute to processes of social and academic segregation, with significant consequences for educational inequality.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| tutorials | 40 | 1.6 | |
| master classes | 75 | 3 | |
| seminars | 35 | 1.4 |
The methodology will combine master classes and practical exercises.
The students must attend previously prepared sessions, having made the mandatory readings and, where appropriate, preparing the practical sessions individually or collectively.
The practical sessions will consist of debates, case analysis, data analysis and other participatory methodologies.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposal | 20% | 0 | 0 | CA17, CA18, KA14, KA15, SA14, SA15 |
| Assignment | 75% | 0 | 0 | CA17, CA18, KA14, KA15, SA14, SA15 |
| Attendance and participation in class | 5% | 0 | 0 | KA15, SA14 |
The module is assessed through a coursework assignment that may be completed in one of three different formats:
Option 1. Scientific article based on a case study of an educational policy
Objective: To critically analyse a global educational policy programme implemented in a specific country, region, or local context.
Option 2. Development of the first part of the Master’s Thesis
Objective: To develop the theoretical framework and analytical model for the Master’s Thesis research project, provided that it addresses educational issues.
Option 3. Essay or reflective paper on one of the topics addressed during the course
Objective: To critically examine a selected topic, both from a theoretical perspective and through its empirical grounding, based on the analysis of available data and evidence.
Assessment System
The assignment will be submitted in two stages:
- Proposal and justification of the task (20%)
- Following an initial exploration of topics, literature, and available data, students will submit a proposal for their coursework assignment before the Christmas break.
- Coursework assignment (75%)
- Students will submit the final paper during the last or second-to-last week of January (date to be confirmed).
In addition, class attendance and participation (5%) will be taken into account. Class sessions will include group exercises and discussions.
Bibliography
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Atkinson, S. (2021). The toxic effects of subjective wellbeing and potential tonics. Social Science & Medicine, 288, 113098. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113098
Benito, R., Alegre, M. A., & González, I. (2014). School segregation and its effects on educational equality and efficiency in 16 OECD comprehensive school systems. Comparative Education Review, 58(1), 104–134.
Ben-Porath, S. R. (2009). School choice as a bounded ideal. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 43(4), 527–544.
Bernardi, F. (2014). Compensatory advantage as a mechanism of educational inequality: A regression discontinuity based on month of birth. Sociology of Education, 87(2), 74-88
Bernardi, F., & Cebolla, H. (2014). Social class and school performance as predictors of educational paths in Spain. Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas, 146, 3–22. https://doi.org/10.5477/cis/reis.146.3
Bonal, X., & Rambla, X. (2009). In the name of globalisation: Southern and northern paradigms of educational development. In R. Dale & S. Robertson (Eds.), Globalisation and Europeanisation in education (pp. 143–158). Symposium Books.
Bonal, X., Zancajo, A., & Scandurra, R. (2019). Residential segregation and school segregation of foreign students in Barcelona. Urban Studies, 56(15), 3251–3273.
Bonal, X., Zancajo, A., & Verger, A. (2017). Making poor choices? Demand rationalities and school choice in a local Chilean education market. Journal of School Choice, 11(2), 258–281. https://doi.org/10.1080/15582159.2017.1286206
Brunila, K. (2014). The rise of the survival discourse in an era of therapisation and neoliberalism. Education Inquiry, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.3402/edui.v5.24044
Calarco, J. M. (2014). Coached for the classroom: Parents’ cultural transmission and children’s reproduction of educational inequalities. American Sociological Review, 79(5), 1015-1037.
Cebolla-Boado, H., Radl, J., & Salazar, L. (2017). Preschool education as the great equalizer? A cross-country study into the sources of inequality in reading competence. Acta Sociologica, 60(1), 41-60.
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Ecclestone, K., & Brunila, K. (2015). Governing emotionally vulnerable subjects and ‘therapisation’ of social justice. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 23(4), 485–506. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2015.1015152
Echevarría, B., & Martínez Clares, P. (2019). Diagnóstico de la investigación sobre la formación profesional inicial en España (2005–2017). Fundación Bankia por la Formación Dual.
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Fernández-González, N. (2016). Repensando las políticas de privatización en educación: El cercamiento de la escuela. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 24, 123. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.24.2509
Fontdevila, C., Verger, A., & Avelar, M. (2023). Sector privado y políticas públicas: Una sistematización de las estrategias de actores no estatales en la promoción de reformas educativas. Revista Española de Educación Comparada, 42, 133–150. https://doi.org/10.5944/reec.42.2023.35942
García Gracia, M., & Valls, O. (2018). Trayectorias de permanencia y abandono educativo temprano: Análisis de secuencias y efectos de la crisis. Revista Metamorfosis, 129–143.
García Gracia, M., Merino Pareja, R., & Sánchez Guerrero, L. (2026). Abandonos educativos en las transiciones post obligatorias: El peso de los resultados educativos desde la interseccionalidad. Revista de Investigación Educativa, 44. https://doi.org/10.6018/rie.637771
García Gracia, M., Sánchez-Gelabert, A., & Valls, O. (2022). Itinerarios educativos, trazabilidad y autopercepción de notas en las transiciones postobligatorias. Revista de Educación. https://redined.educacion.gob.es/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11162/222123/GarciaGracia.pdf?sequence=1
Giancola, O., Bonanni, M., & Moreschini, I. (2025). The effect of the structure of secondary education in Europe: A perspective in terms of effectiveness and equity. Scuola Democratica, 2, 381–406. https://doi.org/10.12828/118258
Gonzàlez Balletbò, I., Benito, R., & Albaigés, B. (2023). La segregación escolar a escala local: Factores contextuales e institucionales en Cataluña. Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas, 183, 39–56.
Kragten, N., Burgoon, B., & van de Werfhorst, H. (2022). The politics of equity and efficiency in educational reforms in Europe.
Lareau, A. (2002). Invisible inequality: Social class and childrearing in black families and white families. American sociological review, 67(5), 747-776.
Merino, R. (2023). La formación profesional reglada: Evolución y perspectivas de futuro. In A. Blanco Martín (Coord.), Informe España 2023 (pp. 129–139). Universidad Pontificia Comillas. https://blogs.comillas.edu/informeespana/wp-content/uploads/sites/93/2023/11/Informe_Espana_2023_Capitulo_1.pdf
Merino, R., Casal, J., & García, M. (2006). ¿Vías o itinerarios en el sistema educativo? La comprensividad y la formación profesional a debate. Revista de Educación, 340(1), 1065–1083.
Merino, R., Olmeda, E., García Gracia, M., & Palomares, D. (2022). Jóvenes y segunda oportunidad: Cambios en las trayectorias formativas y laborales. Profesorado. Revista de Currículum y Formación del Profesorado, 26(3), 221–241. https://doi.org/10.30827/profesorado.v26i3.23455
Merino-Pareja, R., & García-Gracia, M. (2022). Vías e itinerarios de formación profesional: La persistencia de la asociación entre bajo rendimiento y opción profesional. Estudios sobre Educación. https://revistas.unav.edu/index.php/estudios-sobre-educacion/article/view/42459
Milanovic, B. (2003). The two faces of globalization: Against globalization as we know it. World Development, 31(4), 667–683. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X(03)00002-0
Oficina Nacional de Prospectiva y Estrategia. (2021). España 2050: Fundamentos y propuestas para una estrategia nacional de largo plazo (pp. 123–163). https://futuros.gob.es/nuestro-trabajo/espana-2050
Planas, J. (2018). El futuro de la relación entre educación y trabajo. In La revolución digital en España: Impacto y retos sobre el mercado de trabajo y el bienestar (pp. 157–186). https://ddd.uab.cat/record/190323
Sorondo, J., & Abramowski, A. (2024). La centralidad de las emociones como nuevo discurso dominante. In Regímenes de verdad en educación (pp. 104–125). Dykinson.
Troiano Gomà, H., & Sánchez-Gelabert, A. (2025). Transiciones y trayectorias en la educación superior. Pensamiento Universitario, 23, 79–91.
Verger, A., Steiner-Khamsi, G., & Lubienski, C. (2017). The emerging global education industry: Analysing market-making in education. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 15, 325–340. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2017.1330141
Software
No especific software is required.
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TEm) Theory (master) | 1 | Spanish | first semester | afternoon |