Educational Values in Complex Systems - An Introduction to the Educational Values Evaluation and Design Framework and a Case Study of Inclusivity in Bhutan

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by nayy☆

Educational systems are analyzed as complex social systems in which educational values, outcomes, and utilities emerge through contextual relations among multiple actors. The article proposes an Educational Values Evaluation and Design (EVED) Framework to evaluate alignments and misalignments of educational values within complex systems, rather than comparing across countries. The Bhutan case study, grounded in two years of qualitative field research, examines how inclusion and diversity are pursued beyond legal access frameworks, clarifying how intentional and unintentional goals shape schooling and societal outcomes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

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Introduction

Educational Values in Complex Systems

Inclusion and diversity as an educational value

Current Issues in Comparative Education (CICE), Volume 24, Issue 1, Winter 2022 Educational Values in Complex Systems: An Introduction to the Educational Values Evaluation and Design Framework and a Case Study of Inclusivity in Bhutan Matthew J. Schuelka College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota Kezang Sherab Paro College of Education, Royal University of Bhutan Education systems are complex social systems. This article argues that it in order to analyze educational values, attributes, and outcomes within a complex system, greater attention must be paid towards understanding the utility of education and the contexts, discourses, and narratives surrounding the purpose of schooling in society. An Educational Values Evaluation and Design (EVED) Framework is put forward as a means to effectively understand the alignment – or misalignment – of educational values within a complex system. This is particularly relevant for inclusion and diversity in education, in that various elements must be in place beyond legal frameworks promoting access for inclusion to be meaningful and effective. This article presents the case study of Bhutan to support the EVED Framework that was a result of two years of qualitative field research. The results of the research demonstrate that there are multiple and various actors and elements operating with a variety of intentional and unintentional goals within a complex system. Through an exploration of the value of inclusivity in Bhutanese education, we show that an application of the EVED framework can expose the alignmentsand misalignments that contribute towards the realization of educational values in schools and in society. Keywords: Inclusion, Education, Bhutan, Complex Systems, Values, Utility Introduction Throughout the history of comparative education, there has been an attempt to compare various elements of education systems – e.g., curriculum, pedagogy, policies, national character – often in reference to normative Global North models of education (see SteinerKhamsi, 2004) . The march towards the scientization and quantification of education through comparison has attempted to analyze education systems according to adisaggregation and regression of various widgets, inputs, and outputs (Sobe, 2018) . However, we argue that education systems should be viewed as complex systems where all elements of a system affect, and are relational to, each other. Using complexity theory as our theoretical framework, we also put forward an analysis and proactive design tool – the Educational Values Evaluation and Design (EVED) Framework – that compares elements within a specific complex education system, rather than across countries. That being said, global discourses are a factor in education systems today and they need to be understood across multiple axes (Bartlett & Vavrus, 2017) . What we argue is that any comparative study of educational values should look first towards an education system’s © 2022, Current Issues in Comparative Education, Teachers College, Columbia University. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Current Issues in Comparative Education, 24(1), 114-131. Educational Values in Complex Systems own goals and objectives – which may certainly be informed through global discourse, borrowing, coercion, and transfer – and analyze these goals within the complex relationality of elements that align or misalign towards reaching these goals. In this article, we will explore educational values in Bhutan as both expressed in policy as well as how these values are interpreted and realized by teachers and students. Specifically, we will focus on ‘inclusion and diversity’as an educational value. The idea of inclusion in education is often viewed, or advocated, within a human rights framework centered around the idea of the right to equally access an education (Gordon, 2013) . However, what this equal access proposition often means in practice is the perpetuation of ‘spec

FAQs

What is the EVED Framework proposed in the article?

The EVED Framework is introduced as a proactive evaluation and design tool for understanding the alignment or misalignment of educational values within a complex education system.

Why does the article treat education systems as complex systems?

It argues that education systems should be viewed as interrelated systems where elements affect one another, making it insufficient to analyze education only through detached comparisons.

How does the Bhutan case study support the article’s argument?

Using two years of qualitative field research, the study shows multiple actors and elements in Bhutan’s education system operating with different intentional and unintentional goals, revealing value alignments and misalignments relevant to inclusion.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by nayy☆