Dr David Johnson[back]
David Johnson is Reader in Comparative and International Education (Developing Countries) and Dean and Fellow of St Antony's College.
The international challenge to strengthen the quality of educational systems as a necessary condition for reducing world poverty is underlined by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and the Education for All movement. My own research is framed by these larger international goals and over the last fifteen years I have studied changes and qualitative improvements in educational systems in the developing world, largely through a series of longitudinal studies of children's learning. These studies, a number that have been designed either as randomised control trials or quasi-experiments have not only been important in assisting national governments to track improvement in their educational systems, but have also provided international aid agencies (who have been largely responsible for funding the studies) with important information about the relationship between certain types of educational intervention and educational outcomes. Examples include the impact of ‘book flood' experiments on children's reading in the Punjab, Pakistan (1997 - 2000), the impact of national reform of the mathematics curriculum on the mathematical attainment of primary schools in Sri Lanka (2000 - 2004) and the effects of initiatives directed at strengthening the management of educational systems (including through school heads and school governing bodies) on the reading and writing outcomes of children in Bangladesh (2000 - 2004). In addition, I have also conducted a number of national case studies of educational change in developing countries. Examples include case studies of school improvements in The Gambia (1994 - 1997) into the effects of Interactive Radio Instruction on the learning of mathematics in Guyana (2004 - 2006). This year I have been invited to participate in a DFID-funded research consortium based in the Economics department (Institutions for Pro Poor Growth - Collier and Dercon) and to lead on the design of a randomised control trial in the Kenyan educational system. Similarly, I have participated in other Oxford-based studies concerned with the well-being of children in the developing world including the Young Lives Project based in the Department for International Development (Boyden). I have this year carried out two national studies in Bhutan on behalf of UNESCO, the first being a national study of science policy and the teaching of science in primary and secondary schools (Johnson, Childs and Ramachandran). The second was a study into the effects of a professional development programme on the leadership capabilities of head teachers (Johnson and Weber). Further, I have conducted a large baseline study this year (100 schools and 5,000 students) of the conditions of teaching and learning and the literacy and mathematics attainments of children in three states in Nigeria (5,000 children) on behalf of the World Bank, in advance of an extension of credit to the Nigerian educational sector (Johnson, Hsieh and Oniborn). In addition, I provided short term technical expertise to the Federal Minister of Education in Nigeria and carried out comparative evaluations of a number of recent policy imperatives there, all of which were published as briefing papers that were widely disseminated throughout the country. This last point reflects also an aspect of my work that has run throughout all the studies described above - that is the provision of technical expertise to the staff of independent research centres and to those based in the research cells of Ministries of Education in the developing countries in which I have worked, and the publication of accessible policy briefing papers in which the findings of the research are distilled. Examples of such publications are shown in the section titled ‘published research mimeographs' below but there are also a number of major publications arising from the empirical, field-based studies described above and from scholarship. These are shown below.
Apart from the field-based empirical studies described above, I have also engaged in scholarship in comparative and international studies of education including convening a number of interdisciplinary seminar series on education conducted jointly between the Department of Education and various centres in the School of Interdisciplinary Area Studies. These include: Education in Africa (with Beinart), Education in South Asia (with Gooptu), Education in the Middle-East and North Africa (with Brock and Armbrust), Education in China (with Shue) and a forthcoming series on Education in Contemporary Russia (with Service). These series' have all resulted (or will result) in books and journal special issues, some of which are currently in press.
I have also carried out some studies into literacy and learning in England and Wales, as part of an ESRC-funded research team (Hughes, Pollard, Johnson and Osborn) which have resulted in a book and several articles in scholarly journals.
My work over the last two years reflects a narrowing of research focus to educational systems in more fragile economies of the developing world. Not only have I become interested in the nature and quality of educational systems in economically and socially unstable countries, but in the relationship between educational systems, ethnicity and inter-ethnic conflict. This research interest has led to collaboration with the Centre for Research in Inequality, Security and Ethnicity (CRISE) in the Department for International Development (QEH) (Frances Stewart). We hosted a joint international seminar, the proceedings of which are published in the International Journal for Education and Development (IJED, 27, 2, 2006). In that year too, I received a small grant from UNICEF to host an international conference on the topic of Education, Inequality and Conflict. The proceedings of the conference are published in a special issue of the Forced Migration Review (Johnson, Wright, Van Kalmthout and Spink (eds.,)) and it has served as the premise upon which I have launched a research group on education and conflict involving several research students (Spink on Afghanistan, Barakat, on Palestine, Lee, on North Korea, Kane on Liberia, Karpinska on Sudan, Misumoko on Sri Lanka, and Dato on Africa (all supervised by Johnson); and Paulson, on Sierra Leone (supervised by Phillips). The research group is supported by the UNESCO-UNEVOC centre in Bonn, Germany for which it carrying out an ongoing study into ‘education for livelihoods and civic participation in post-conflict countries in sub-Saharan Africa'. A discussion paper, authored by the group (Kane, Paulson, Barakat, Karpinska, Inglis and Yarrow) has recently been published (2007) - ISSN 1817-0374 and is currently being distributed in over 150 UNESCO member countries world-wide. Student members of the research group have also published chapters in a section of the International Handbook on Vocational Education: From assessment to planning: hope for TVET in Uganda, (Bilal Barakat, Lyle Kane and Alex Inglis); Linking TVET to economic opportunities in post-conflict Liberia, (Lyle Kane ); Deepening the divide: the differential impact of protracted conflict on TVET versus academic education in Palestine (Bilal Barakat); Co-ordinated programming for skills development and livelihoods in post-conflict societies: what promise does the TVET hold for Southern Sudan? (Karpiñska ); Vocational training in post-war Sierra Leone and Liberia, (Andrew Benson Greene); TVET and community re-integration: exploring the connections in Sierra Leone's DDR process, (Julia Paulson); and TVET, women and conflict: Palestinians in the Lebanese Civil War, (Rachel Yarrow).
See some recent short public interest commentaries at:
In Press
Johnson, D. & Murphy, R. (2009) Education and the Politics of Development in Contemporary China: Interdisplinary Perspectives. International Journal of Educational Development. Special Issue, 29, 5. Elsevier
Johnson, D. (2009) More and better? The political and policy dilemmas of teacher development in Nigeria. In John Furlong, Marilyn Cochran Smith and Marie Brennan. Politics and Policy in Teacher Education: International Perspectives. London. Routledge Falmer
Books, Journal Special Issues and Monographs
2008 Johnson, D & Maclean, R Teaching: Professionalization, Development and Leadership. Holland. Springer
2007 Johnson, D. & Stewart, F. (Eds.) Education, Ethnicity and Conflict. International Journal of Educational Development. Special Issue, 23, 3, 247 -348, Elsevier
2007 Johnson, D. (Ed.) The changing landscape of education in Africa. Oxford Studies in Comparative Education. Symposium Books
2006 Feiler, A., Johnson, D., Greenhough, P., Scanlan, M., and Andrews, J.: Linking Home and School: Primary Literacy. London: Routledge Falmer.
2003 Johnson, D. & Kress, G. (Eds.) Assessment, Literacies and Society. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, 10, 1. Francis and Taylor
2001 Johnson, D. Assessing Outcomes-Based Education: A guide for Teachers. Johannesburg. MacMillan
2000 Mebrahtu, T., Crossley, M. & Johnson, D. (Eds) Globalisation, Educational Transformation and Societies in Transition. Oxford: Symposium Books
2000 Johnson, D., Broadfoot, P. & Hayter, J. The Quality of Learning and Teaching in Developing Countries: Assessing Literacy and Numeracy in Malawi and Sri Lanka. London: DFID Education Research Papers
1998 Johnson, D., Smith, R.L., Crossley, M. (Eds) Learning and Teaching in an International Context: Research Theory and Practice. Bristol Papers in Education: Comparative and International Studies: 6. Centre for International Studies in Education, University of Bristol
1995 Johnson, D. (Ed) Educational Management and Policy: Research, Theory and Practice in South Africa. Bristol Papers in Education, Comparative and International Studies: 4, Centre for International Studies in Education, University of Bristol
1995 Johnson, D. (Ed) Special Issue of Comparative Education: Educational Reconstruction and Transformation in South Africa, Vol 31,2 . Carfax
1992 Buckland, P., Hofmeyr, J., Johnson, D.F., & Sayed, Y. Governance and Administration of Schooling in South Africa. Cape Town: Oxford University Press
1991 Johnson, D., Unterhalter, E., & Wolpe, H. ‘Formal and Non-formal Structures of Human Resource Development for a Post Apartheid South Africa', in Human Resource Development for a Post-Apartheid South Africa. Commonwealth Secretariat, Mimeograph
Chapters in books
2007 Johnson, D. The enablement of teachers in developing countries In David Johnson and Rupert Maclean (Eds.) Teaching: Professionalisation, Development and Leadership. Dordrecht, Springer
2007 Johnson, D. ‘Hoyle': Serendipity, Ambiguity and Playfulness. In David Johnson and Rupert Maclean (Eds.) Teaching: Professionalisation, Development and Leadership. Dordrecht, Springer
2007 Johnson, D. Improving the quality of education in Nigeria: a comparative evaluation of recent policy imperatives. In David Johnson and William Beinart (Eds.) The changing landscape of education in Africa. Oxford Studies in Comparative Education. Symposium Books
2007 Johnson, D.: Literacy, Design and Technology: New Contexts for Learning and Skills Development in South Africa. In David Wilson and Rupert Maclean (Eds.) International Handbook for Technical and Vocational Education and Training. Holland. Springer
2007 Johnson, D.: Bridging the Learning Divide: A study into adult learning and peer mediation in the workplace. In David Wilson and Rupert Maclean (Eds.) International Handbook for Technical and Vocational Education and Training. Holland. Springer
2007 Johnson, D., Phillips, D., and Kane, L. Vocational Education, Social Participation and Livelihoods in Post-Conflict Countries. In David Wilson and Rupert Maclean (Eds.) International Handbook for Technical and Vocational Education and Training. Holland. Springer
2007 Johnson, D. Globalisation, knowledge and innovation: a sting in the tail for the British entrepreneurial university? In David Johnson, Rupert Maclean and Astrid Hollender (Eds.) Globalisation, Vocationalisation and Mass Higher Education. Dordrecht, Springer
2003 Hughes, M., Andrews, J., Feiler, A., Greenhough, P., Johnson, D., McNess, E., Osborn, M., Pollard, A., Salway., L., Scanlan, M., and Stinchcombe, V, Winter, J., and Yee, W, Exchanging knowledge between home and school to enhance children's learning in literacy and numeracy. Gdansk. ERNAPE
2003 Johnson, D., Garrett, R. and Crossley, M. Global Connectedness and Local Diversity: Forging ‘new' literacies at the point of confluence. In G. Claxton, A. Pollard & R. Sutherland. (Eds.) Learning and teaching where worldviews meet. London: Trentham Books
2000 Mebrahtu, T., Crossley, M. & Johnson, D. Educational Development and Social Transformation in a Global Economy, in T. Mebrahtu, M. Crossley and D. Johnson (Eds) Globalisation, Educational Transformation and Societies in Transition Oxford: Symposium Books
2000 Johnson, D. Intuition, Culture and the Development of Academic Literacy, in T. Atkinson & G. Claxton (Eds) The Intuitive Practitioner: on the value of not always knowing what one is doing. Buckingham: Open University Press
2000 Groves, L. & Johnson, D. Transforming Education for Street Children in Brazil, in T. Mebrahtu, M. Crossley & D. Johnson (Eds) Globalisation, Educational Transformation and Societies in Transition. Oxford: Symposium Books
1999 Johnson, D. Education and Equity: strategies for increasing access, persistence and achievement for girls, in R. Garrett, B. Smith (Eds) Turning Aid Policy into Practice: Operationalising NORAD's Principles, Bristol: Bristol Papers in Education Comparative and International Studies: 7
1998 Johnson, D., Smith, R.L. & Crossley, M.C. Learning and Teaching: International Concerns, in D. Johnson, R.L. Smith & M. Crossley (Eds) Learning and Teaching in an International Context: Research, Theory and Practice, Centre for International Studies in Education, University of Bristol
1997 Johnson, D. Empowering parents for participation in education: Is participatory governance the only option? In J. Lynch, C. Modgil & S. Modgil. Education and Development: Tradition and Innovation. Vol II, Equity and Excellence in Education for Development. London. Cassell
1996 Johnson, D. Muligheter og Utfordinger in Reierson, Pia (Ed) Afrika: Mennesker, Naulur, Kultur. Oslo, Norsk Borforlag
1995 Smith, D. & Johnson, D. The efficacy of Paired Reading in South African Primary Schools. In D. Johnson Educational Management and Policy: Research, Theory and Practice in South Africa. Bristol Papers in Education, Comparative and International Studies 4
1995 Perry, H., Johnson, D. & Crossley M. World Bank Loans for Education: Possibilities and Pitfalls for South Africa. In R. Garrett (Ed) Aid and Education: Mending or Spending. Bristol Papers in Education, Comparative and International Studies 3
1995 Pather, S. & Johnson, D. Breaking down the barriers: Implications for an open admissions policy for South Africa. In D. Johnson (Ed) Educational Management and Policy: Research, Theory and Practice in South Africa. Bristol Papers in Education, Comparative and International Studies 4.
1995 Johnson, D. Widening Access into Higher Education: a critical appraisal of Access programmes in the United Kingdom. Proceedings of the International Seminar on Staff and Educational Development. Stellenbosch. University of Stellenbosch
1995 Johnson, D. Beyond Access: A South African Perspective. In R. Moodley (Eds) Education for Transformation: Black Access to Higher Education. Lancaster: Thomas Danby Publications
1995 Chalufu, J. & Johnson, D. An annotated bibliography of research into education in South Africa. In D. Johnson (Ed) Educational Management and Policy: Research, Theory and Practice in South Africa. Bristol Papers in Education, Comparative and International Studies 4
1994 Johnson, D. Building community capacity for participation in educational governance. In K. Cole (Ed) Sustainable Development for a Democratic South Africa London: Earthscan
1992 Johnson, D. ‘Transforming Teacher Provision and Teacher Training for a Post-Apartheid South Africa'. In E. Unterhalter & H. Wolpe (Eds) Issues in the Democratic Transformation of Apartheid, London: Heinemann
1991 Johnson, D ‘People's education and the politics of writing'. E. Unterhalter & H. Wolpe (Eds) Apartheid Education and Popular Struggles London: Ravan Press
Academic journal papers
2008 Feiler, A., Andrews, J., Greenhough, P., Hughes, M., Johnson, D., Scanlan, M., & Ching Yee, W. The Home School Knowledge Exchange Project: linking home and school to improve children's literacy. British Journal of Support for Learning, 23, 1, 12-18
2007 Johnson, D. & Stewart, F. Education, Ethnicity and Conflict, International Journal of Education and Development, 27, 3, 247 - 251
*2007 Johnson, D. Building citizenship in fragmented societies: the challenges of de-racialising and integrating schools in post-Apartheid South Africa. International Journal of Education and Development, 27, 3, 306 - 317
2006 Johnson, D., & Van Kalmthout, E. Education and conflict. Research, policy and practice. Forced Migration Review, Oxford Centre for Refugee Studies 6, 2006
*2006 Johnson, D. Comparing the trajectories of educational change and policy transfer in developing countries. Oxford Review of Education, 32, 5, 679-696
2006 Johnson, D. Investing in teacher effectiveness to improve educational quality in developing countries: does in-service education for primary mathematics teachers in Sri Lanka make a difference to teaching and learning? Research in Comparative Education, 1, 1, 73 - 87
2005 Greenhough, P., Scanlan, M., Feiler, A., Johnson, D., Yee, W.C., Andrews, J., Price, A., Smithson, M. and Hughes, M. Boxing clever: using shoeboxes to support home school knowledge exchange, Literacy, 2, 97-103
2003 Johnson, D. Activity theory, literacy and assessment. Comparing children's potential for representing meaning through different modes of communication. Assessment in Education. Principles, Policy and Practice. 10,103-129
2003 Johnson, D. & Kress, G. Globalisation, literacy and society: redesigning pedagogy and assessment. Assessment in Education. Principles, Policy and Practice. 10, 5-14
1999 Johnson, D. & Lewis, G. Do you like what you see? The self-concept of adolescent bullies. British Educational Research Journal, Vol 25, 5, 665-677.
1999 Johnson, D. & Isaacs, I. Language and Literacy in Multilingual Settings. Alizes, Vol 18, 158-168.
1998 Johnson, D. Teacher Assessments and Literacy Profiles of Primary School Children in South Africa. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, Vol 5, No.3, 381-412.
1997 Johnson, D. Transforming Organisations: Management Cultures, Women and Leadership in South Africa. Alizes, Vol 14, 31-48
1995 Johnson, D. The challenges of educational reconstruction and transformation in South Africa. In D. Johnson (Ed) Special Issue of Comparative Education: Educational Reconstruction and Transformation in South Africa, Vol 31,2, 131-140
1995 Johnson, D. Language and Education in South Africa: The value of a genre-based pedagogy for access and inclusion. Alizes, Vol 9, 31-57
1995 Johnson, D. Developing an approach to management self development in South Africa. In D. Johnson (Ed) Special Issue of Comparative Education: Educational Reconstruction and Transformation in South Africa, Vol 31,2, 223-241
1991 Beveridge, M.C. & Johnson, D. ‘A New Approach to the Assessment of Academic Literacy in a Zimbabwean Teachers Training College', Language and Education, 5, 1, 1-17
1990 Johnson, D. ‘The Politics of Literacy and Schooling in Zimbabwe'. Review of African Political Economy, Vol 48, 99-106
Published Research Mimeographs
2003 Johnson, D. & Yahampath, K. Primary Mathematics Project: Final Evaluation Report. Sri Lanka: National Institute of Education, Maharagama (ISBN 955-8628-07-7)
2003 Johnson, D. Profiles of Literacy. A survey of primary school children in Bangladesh. Dhaka. DFID/CEC
2003 Johnson, D. A baseline profile of the quality of primary education in Bangladesh. Dhaka. DFID/CEC
2002 Yahampath, K., Johnson, D., & Fernando, S. The impact of reforms in primary mathematics on student attainment: Longitudinal studies of Grades 1 to 5 from 1988 - 2002. Colombo, DFID/CEC (ISBN 955-8628-06-9)
2002 Yahampath, K., Johnson, D., Dyananda, B., & Fernando, S. Tracking the effects of activity-based teaching on the mathematics learning outcomes of Sri Lankan students. Colombo, DFID/CEC (ISBN 955-8628-05-0)
2002 Yahampath, K. & Johnson, D. The efficacy of in-service training to the teaching strategies of primary school teachers in Sri Lanka. Colombo, DFID/CEC (ISBN 955-8628-04-2)
2002 Dias, S., Johnson, D., Yahampath, K., & Weber, M. Teacher and Student evaluations of Curriculum Materials. Colombo, DFID/CEC (ISBN 955-8628-03-4)
2002 Yahampath, K. & Johnson, D. Evaluating Teacher Responsiveness to in-service training in Primary Mathematics. Colombo, DFID/CEC (ISBN 955-8628-02-1)
2001 Johnson, D., Yahampath, K. & Batty, M. & Dayananda, B. Monitoring the professional competencies of trainers in teacher centres. Colombo, DFID/CEC (ISBN 955-8628-00-X)
2001 Cash, T., Yahampath, K., Johnson, D., & Sibli, S. Monitoring the in-service training of teachers in the use of new curriculum materials. Colombo, DFID/CEC (ISBN 955-8628-01-08)
2000 Mirza, M. & Johnson, D. A longitudinal study of reading attainment in Punjab middle schools. Lahore: DFID and PMSP (ISBN 969-8484-06-X)
2000 Johnson, D. & Anwar, M. The impact of the Punjab Middle School Project on learning and teaching: case studies of 32 schools. Lahore: DFID and PMSP (ISBN 969-8484-05-1)
1998 Johnson, D. & Mirza, M. Case studies into the use of supplementary reading books in Punjab middle schools. Lahore: DFID and PMSP (ISBN 969-8484-03-2)
1998 Johnson, D. & Mirza, M. A baseline profile of reading comprehension in Punjab middle schools. Lahore: DFID and PMSP (ISBN 969-8484-03-3)
Professional journal papers
1987 Johnson, D. ‘The prefect system vs. the student representative council'. Teachers' Forum. College Press, 15,8,12-13
- 1989 Johnson, D. ‘Children's writing: current research and a teaching model'. Teachers' Forum. College Press, 17,9,12-14
1994 Johnson, D. South Africa: Paradise or wasteland. Nonesuch, vol 4, 2
Recent Conference papers
2007 ‘Fighting corruption, leakage and financial wastage in education: the community accountability and transparency initiative in Nigeria'. UKFIET. Oxford University
2007 ‘Globalisation, knowledge and innovation: a sting the tail for the British University': International Conference on Knowledge, Innovation and the Entrpreneurial University. Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
2006 ‘Evaluating the impact of national reforms in education on learning, human and organisational behaviour' CREED, Taipei, Taiwan
2006 ‘Education and radicalisation' Conference on Intelligence and the sociology of terrorism. Pluscarden Programme for the Study of Global Terrorism and Intelligence, St Antonys College and the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies
Major research grants
2002/04 DFID/CEC: Evaluating the Quality of Education in Sri Lanka. £68,000
2001/04 ESRC Teaching and Learning Programme, Phase II: £889,171 Hughes, Pollard, Claxton, Johnson and Winter)
1998/00 British Aerospace. The impact of design and technology on language and literacy in South African Primary Schools. £89,000
1995/01 De L'Ensignnement Superieur et de la Recherche, France Language, Culture and Education: a comparative study in South Africa, Reunion, Mauritius and Madagascar £55,000
1995/98 Overseas Development Administration (now DFID): The Quality of Learning and Teaching in Developing Countries: Assessing Literacy and Numeracy in Malawi and Sri Lanka £81,000
1994/95 Spencer Foundation, USA Research into children's literacy in South Africa £8,000