Ontology, Epistemology, and Axiology in Comparative and International Education

The aim of this chapter is to stimulate thinking about how our philosophical assumptions— including those concerning the nature of reality (our ontological assumptions) along with those concerning how we acquire knowledge about reality (our epistemological assumptions) and the values that underpin our work as researchers (our axiological assumptions)—are fundamental for shaping how we go about conducting research in the field of comparative and international education (CIE). Indeed, it will be suggested that it is important to be explicit about our philosophical assumptions so that we can provide transparency to the reader about the research process. This includes decisions about the purpose, design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation of research that have a bearing on research outcomes. As such, it is hoped that the chapter will provide a useful point of reference for a consideration of different methodologies, approaches, and methods outlined in later chapters of the book.

The chapter will discuss in turn the significance of ontology, epistemology, and axiology for conducting and interpreting research in CIE. It will then consider how our philosophical assumptions are operationalized in the form of research paradigms that provide a link between our assumptions and the approaches and methods discussed in later sections of the book. To further illustrate each paradigm, the chapter will conclude with a discussion of how each might be applied in practice to conceptualize studies of Teaching Quality in Primary Education