Influence of International Organizations on the definition of Educational Policies: a review of the scientific literature

Abstract

This article examines the influence of international organizations on the formulation of educational policies in recent decades. Through a comprehensive literature review, 517 articles published between 1965 and 2024 are analyzed, focusing on how entities such as the World Bank and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development have shaped educational agendas at the international level. The research reveals an exponential growth in scientific production related to this topic, highlighting the predominance of studies from Europe and the limited representation of Latin America, particularly in the case of Chile. Four thematic clusters are identified that reflect the areas of greatest interest, with a particular emphasis on World Bank policies. The findings suggest that the influence of these organizations tends to impose a neoliberal approach that may displace local and cultural realities. Additionally, the limitations of the study are discussed, including temporal restrictions and the exclusion of other relevant databases. This work contributes to the understanding of how global dynamics affect local educational policies and raises the need for further investigation into the implications of this influence in the Latin American context.