The Contribution of IEA Research Studies to Australian Education

This chapter is concerned with the contribution of the research studies conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) to Australian education. During a period of 50 years education across the world has undergone a remarkable transformation. Many of the changes that have occurred have been initiated by the United Nations Organization and its agen¬cies, particularly UNESCO. From its origins within the UNESCO Institute in Hamburg, IEA and its programs have evolved to develop the worldwide conduct of research in education both through the undertaking and reporting of studies as well as the informal training of research workers to participate in these studies. Consequently, the large group of people who have been involved in the IEA studies together with their colleagues have built a new world vision of education in schools. This vision that extends beyond the boundaries of western Europe and North America has been presented in the two editions of the International Encyclopaedia of Education with its numerous Handbooks as well as an electronic version named the Complete Encyclopaedia.