Epistemic work amidst ‘firefighting’: a tale of two paths in global education policy during COVID-19

This study examines whether the responses of the World Bank, the OECD, and UNESCO to COVID-19 brought about transformational or adaptive shifts in their roles, epistemic practices, and policy agendas. Drawing from a qualitative analysis of documents and interviews, through the lenses of epistemic governance, institutionalism, and global education policy, the study reveals that these organisations adopted a ‘firefighting mode:’ strategic adaptations in epistemic practices to navigate the crisis and maintain authority. This mode entailed two paths: reinforcing pre-existing agendas and accelerating EdTech. The findings offer a novel conceptual perspective to critically assess crisis-driven recommendations from international organisations.