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Soft governance in education: The PISA study and the Bologna Process in Switzerland

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  • Bieber, Tonia

Abstract

This paper analyzes the importance of governance of international organizations (IOs) to Swiss policy making in the field of education. The focus is on the Bologna Process driven by the European Commission, and the 'Programme for International Student Assessment' (PISA) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The theoretical framework draws on sociological institutionalism and rationalism. The results demonstrate that IOs gave impulses for domestic reforms by applying diverse governance instruments. National transformation capacities of veto-players and cultural guiding principles on education in Switzerland were not able to hinder these impulses as supposed. Instead, the empirical findings show a surprisingly high impact of IO governance instruments, particularly of standard setting, coordinative activities and discursive dissemination on reforms in Swiss education policy-making. This is because IO governance modified domestic guiding principles on education so that they matched those of the IOs. Another reason is that the domestic level strategically used the international initiatives of PISA and Bologna to overcome long-standing backlog of reform.

Suggested Citation

  • Bieber, Tonia, 2010. "Soft governance in education: The PISA study and the Bologna Process in Switzerland," TranState Working Papers 117, University of Bremen, Collaborative Research Center 597: Transformations of the State.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:sfb597:117
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Martens, Kerstin & Brüggemann, Michael, 2006. "Kein Experte ist wie der andere: vom Umgang mit Missionaren und Geschichtenerzählern," TranState Working Papers 39, University of Bremen, Collaborative Research Center 597: Transformations of the State.
    2. Angel de la Fuente & Antonio Ciccone, 2003. "Human capital in a global and knowledge-based economy," UFAE and IAE Working Papers 562.03, Unitat de Fonaments de l'Anàlisi Econòmica (UAB) and Institut d'Anàlisi Econòmica (CSIC).
    3. repec:bla:jcmkts:v:44:y:2006:i::p:845-864 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Putnam, Robert D., 1988. "Diplomacy and domestic politics: the logic of two-level games," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 42(3), pages 427-460, July.
    5. Nagel, Alexander-Kenneth & Bieber, Tonia & Jakobi, Anja P. & Knodel, Philipp & Niemann, Dennis, 2009. "Measuring transformation: a mixed-method-approach to the internationalization of education politics," TranState Working Papers 83, University of Bremen, Collaborative Research Center 597: Transformations of the State.
    6. Leuze, Kathrin & Brand, Tilman & Jakobi, Anja P. & Martens, Kerstin & Nagel, Alexander-Kenneth, 2008. "Analysing the two-level game: international and national determinants of change in education policy making," TranState Working Papers 72, University of Bremen, Collaborative Research Center 597: Transformations of the State.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bologna Process; Direct Democracy; Education Policy-Making; EU; Federalism; International Initiative; International Organization; OECD; PISA Study; Switzerland; Veto-Player;
    All these keywords.

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