I'm a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology and the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (dual-major). I arrived at IUB in 2005, after completing BA (Political Science and Educational Policy) and MA (Sociology of Education) degrees at Tel-Aviv University.
My research and teaching interests focus on education, comparative research, political sociology, environmental sociology, sexuality, and research methods (quantitative and qualitative). My dissertation, Testing for All: The Emergence and Development of International Assessments of Students Achievements 1958-2008, examines the global and local forces that shape international assessments - such as TIMSS, PIRLS and PISA - which are considered to be vital catalysts in the globalization of education. Related research projects explore the worldwide spread of environmental education, and its implementation in different contexts. Other projects about education/schooling include the emergence and consequences of two-year technological colleges in Israel (i.e., the local version of community colleges), and public views toward higher education in the United States. Finally, merging my interests in sexuality and organizations, I examine the experience of LGBT youth in Israeli schools and in the Israeli Defense Force.
For more information, please visit my website: www.orenpizmonylevy.com