The impact of the west on post‐Soviet Russian education: change and resistance to change

Abstract

In this paper we draw on Bronfenbrenner's theory of human development in order to examine western influences upon Russian education. We argue that while some have embraced western ideas about education and schooling, reflecting both the influence of specific educational theorizing and that of broader globalizing trends, many teachers have continued to rely on traditional practices and values and have shown resistance to these changes. We examine some of the perceived educational gains and deficits that have accrued since the end of the Soviet period and conclude by considering tensions that are unlikely to be resolved in the immediate future.

Acknowledgements

The second author would like to thank Natasha Kulakova and Irina Snezhkova for interviewing the parents and teachers in Obninsk, Russia. For providing the time to finish writing this paper, the second author would also like to thank the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for the award of a year‐long Research Assignment and the Psychology programme of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, for the invitation to spend a year as Visiting Professor with financial support generously provided by CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior).