EDUCATIONAL-REFORM IN RUSSIA AND THE USA - WHERE ARE THE TROOPS

To determine the level of support that differing concepts of education al reform had among the actual practitioners of public education in th e former Soviet Union and the USA, a sample of teachers was surveyed t o measure the value they placed on divergent educational goal statemen ts as well as their respective philosophical orientations. This study found that US teachers were most committed to educational goals relate d to basic skills development and critical thinking and least supporti ve of goals related to creativity and enculturation; Russian teachers on the other hand were most supportive of interpersonal understanding and human relations, moral and ethical well-being, and critical thinki ng, and kast supportive of the goal related to citizenship and civic r esponsibility. With regard to educational philosophical orientation, U S teachers were divided between maintaining order and stability, devel oping individual interests and abilities, and improving society. Russi an teachers were more united in their belief that the purpose of educa tion is to develop individual interests and abilities, with a signific ant minority selecting the 'transforming society' orientation.