This course provides an overview of the evolution of comparative education as a field of study, covering historical-philosophical, positivistic, phenomenological and neo-Marxist approaches to the field. It also looks at how comparative education scholars have responded to the literature of postmodernism and globalization. Central themes of the course are the purpose of comparative education, the impact of diverse views of social change, and the idea of scientific method. The role of such international organizations as the International Bureau of Education, UNESCO, and the World Bank in comparative education is discussed.