Educational Accountability Policy for Sustainable Development: A Comparative Analysis across 30 Countries

Abstract

This study aims to conduct a comparative analysis regarding Educational Accountability Policies (EAPs) across countries and empirically investigate the factors contributing to the variations in EAP implementation. To achieve these goals, firstly, this study investigated the status of EAP implementation by countries and endeavored to identify the trends regarding the diffusion and variation of EAP. Secondly, this study empirically analyzed the factors associated with variations in EAP implementation across countries. By employing country-level panel data from 30 countries, this study ascertained the status of EAP implementation as a global phenomenon. It examined the factors related to the adoption and intensity of EAP implementation based on the theoretical framework of the principal-agent model. This study has yielded two principal revelations. Firstly, there has been a rapid increase in the number of countries implementing EAP since the 2000s, accompanied by a bolstering of EAP implementation intensity. Nonetheless, there are discernible disparities in the adoption and implementation of EAP by countries. Secondly, this study has revealed that countries characterized by a more advanced economic status or an augmented governmental power tend to exhibit a proclivity for the adoption of EAP. Moreover, countries with a more advanced economic status, an augmented governmental power, or a higher degree of global openness are predisposed to implement EAP with greater intensity. These findings provide significant policy implications for sustainable development in education.