Compare and contrast education essays are essays that require a writer to compare at least two (or more) points related to education topics. These items always differ depending on the assignment given. For example, a student or writer might be asked to compare and contrast between two educational theories or principles and their effects on student and teacher performance. Although an education assignment may refer to comparison as its major purpose, the assumption should always be that a student or writer is being asked to highlight the similarities and differences between the items being described; in other words, these types of essays asks one to compare and contrast the items of discussion.
The Structure of Comparative Education Essays
A comparative education essay may be structured in two major ways depending on the quality and clarity of similarities and differences available. The two structural patterns of writing a comparative educational essay include:
- The alternating method (or point-by-point pattern).
- The block method (or subject-by-subject pattern).
The alternating method gives a clear outline of both similarities and differences. Firstly, the writer has to find points that are closely related or common to his or her major subjects in an essay. Secondly, the writer alternates between these central subjects on the basis of the points identified. Therefore, a comparative education essay written in an alternative pattern should appear in an ABABAB format, showing its alternative nature between subject A and B. For example, a writer may want to compare two major subjects such as benefits and risks of year-round and traditional school calendars. In this case, the writer may want to examine how both school calendars impact on students and teachers performance-wise and burden-wise. The following is an example of an alternate pattern representation.
A)Paragraph 1 in body Year-round school calendar and positive student performance
B)Paragraph 2 in body Traditional school calendar and positive student performance
A)Paragraph 3 in body Teacher strategies in the year-round school calendar
B)Paragraph 4 in body Teacher strategies in the traditional school calendar
A)Paragraph 5 in body Management system of the year-round school calendar
B)Paragraph 6 in body Management system of the traditional school calendar.
The block method (AB) is mainly used when a writer is unable to find enough points on his or her central subjects A and B that are related to each other. The pattern may also be used when ideas on a particular central subject – B – are an extension of the first central subject, A. Lastly; the block pattern may be used when a writer is asked to compare three or more central subjects as opposed to the traditional comparison which uses two subjects. In this pattern, the writer first discusses everything about the first subject (A) and then moves to the next subject (B). If for example the writer was asked to compare the year-round and traditional school calendars, he or she would first discuss all of the points in the year-round school calendar and then discuss all of the points in the traditional school calendar. The following is a representation of the block method.
A)Paragraphs 1-3 in body How the year-round school calendar increases or reduces student and teacher performance
B)Paragraphs 4-6 in body How the traditional school calendar increases or reduces student and teacher performance
Tips on How to Write a Comparative Education Essay
Before a writer can begin to work on his or her comparative education essay, there are important aspects that need to be considered. Firstly, a writer has to read and understand the topic of discussion. Secondly, it is critical to collect evidence (points) from numerous quality sources such as in-house and online libraries. For an education paper, collection of evidence entails detailed reading of all assigned reading materials on the topic. After the evidence is collected, the third step involves formulation of a possible answer to the question of the topic. At this point, the writer should also be in a position to give strong arguments to the points gathered; these arguments form the basic foundation of the paper. After all is done, the last step in preparation is writing an outline. The outline should contain an introduction, body, and a summation (or conclusion). An outline gives the writer a map to follow especially on the main points and even makes the final writing easier.
Examples of Comparative Education Essay Topics
- Compare and contrast the drop-out rates of students from Grades 3-8 in the United States and China.
- Compare and contrast the vacation periods of universities and colleges between North America and Africa.
- Compare elementary school funding rates between the United States and Canada.
- Compare and contrast Mathematics and English teaching skills between American elementary schools and Asian primary schools.
- Compare the university and college admission criteria between Japan and the United States.
- Comparison between awarding of scholarships in Californian and Boston universities.
- Compare and contrast the university and college ranking systems in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Germany.
- Compare and contrast innovation levels in high schools, colleges, and universities in Kenya and Germany.
- Compare education satisfaction levels in North American and Caribbean schools.
- Compare and contrast education status between the Hispanics and the Native Whites in the United States.