EDUCATION MATTERS
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CORE PURPOSE OF PEC TO SOMEONE NEW TO IEA? SH: Our job is to provide an extra, final layer of quality assurance for all IEA output prior to publication. Project teams and series directors monitor the publications they are responsible for, but we are tasked with providing a further, independent scrutiny before any publication is issued under IEA auspices. THE DEPUTY CHAIR ROLE IS NEW TO PEC. WHAT MOTIVATED ITS CREATION? SH: It is IEA policy to have backup for all key roles. Heretofore, I did not have a backup—and I am delighted to welcome Stephen to that role! SEAMUS, HOW DO YOU ENVISION WORKING WITH STEPHEN IN THIS DUAL LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE? SH: As the work of PEC grows in volume and complexity, it is good to be able to share the leadership role. We have expanded PEC membership and Stephen’s role as Deputy Chair is part of the strengthening of PEC capacity. In specific terms, Stephen will take responsibility for progressing some PEC reviews. No less important, as PEC faces new challenges such as the impact of AI and the growing diversity of modes of dissemination, it will be immensely valuable for Stephen and I to be able to confer on these matters. STEPHEN, HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR ROLE SUPPORTING OR EXTENDING PEC’S WORK? SP: I see my role as complimenting and augmenting the Chair’s work—not only by sharing the workload of IEA’s flourishing publications, but also by exploring the new challenges that Seamus just mentioned. There are an ever- increasing array of avenues for communication as well as demands for people’s attention, and as such IEA can benefit from having more capacity to explore the strategic options for the dissemination of its work. WHAT PART OF THE PEC WORK DO YOU FIND MOST REWARDING, OR CHALLENGING? SH: The buzz comes from helping colleagues communicate accurately and powerfully. IEA has important messages to share with a diversity of audiences, and we owe it to our stakeholders to communicate those messages as effectively as possible. As a writer myself and a longtime journal editor, I appreciate very much the added value of independent, expert pre-publication feedback such as PEC provides.
Challenges? I guess the biggest—and the PEC chair’s nightmare!—is when reviewers disagree: A says it’s wonderful and B says it’s awful. To be honest, that does not happen very often but we do occasionally receive differing emphases which could be confusing for authors. Our guiding principle v/v feedback to authors is that it should be clear and unambiguous so that they know precisely what they are being asked to change or reconsider. How do we deal with this in practical terms? It depends very much on the extent of reviewer divergence. If it is minor, we add a note that clarifies our expectations in respect of response to PEC advice. (And here of course is another reason why I look forward to Stephen’s input—in these situations two heads are better than one.) In extreme cases, and if time permits—PEC reviews generally have tight schedules—we would seek a further review. WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEC’S WORK WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE BROADER EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH COMMUNITY? SH: IEA has significant findings to report and important things to say. In a world where misinformation is rife—and promulgated by powerful voices—it is imperative that what we say is accurate and robust against hostile scrutiny. It is no less essential that we communicate what we have to say as effectively and powerfully as possible. There are many loud voices out there and we have to craft our messages with clarity and precision so that they do not get drowned and do reach our target audiences. These are big, but unavoidable, tasks and our aspiration is to assist IEA colleagues in achieving them. SP: I agree and would merely add that I hope we can assist IEA to be an exemplar of innovative ways that high- quality, reliable, and valid education research can be made accessible, relevant, and practical so as to have real bearing on and advance international understandings of key issues in education. ■
The Publications and Editorial Committee provides expert review and guidance to ensure the high quality of IEA publications. For more information, visit the IEA website here: iea.nl/about/org/committees/pec
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