The teaching professions and globalization : a scoping review of the anglophone research literature

Based on a scoping review of anglophone, peer-reviewed studies published in the period 1990-2018, we analyze and discuss the research literature on teachers, teaching, and globalization. Distinguishing between three categories of globalization theories, centered on (i) culture, (ii) political economy, and (iii) flows and systems, we trace the uses of these theories in the literature over the period, as well as their associations with specific topics concerning teachers and teaching. We argue that the theoretical trajectories of these strands have come to emphasize certain topics, while neglecting other topics such as teachers’ labor markets, and call for further research into the theoretical trajectories dominating the field. Furthermore, our review highlights that a large part of the research in the field does not theorize globalization at all, leaving several issues concerning teachers and teaching undertheorized.