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Дата изменения: Mon Nov 1 13:28:40 2004 Дата индексирования: Mon Oct 1 23:30:57 2012 Кодировка: |
Edward Roslof
This paper gives a brief survey of the differences in American and Russian academic cultures based on the experience of Fulbright scholars.
The Fulbright Program has been supporting academic
exchanges between the U.S.A. and Russia/U.S.S.R. for thirty years. Grantees from both
countries continue to report on the differences in the academic cultures that they
encounter. The following is a brief summary of the observations on those differences.
Teaching. Russian students tend to see the instructor as the authority
in the classroom, the source of information and knowledge. Professors are given a great
deal of respect. Instructors present formal lectures in their fields of expertise, and
students take notes on the lectures. The physical arrangement of Russian classrooms
reinforces this. The desks and chairs are usually arranged in traditional rows. In some
classrooms, and in large lecture hall, the desks and benches are fastened to the floor and
simply cannot be moved. Russian students generally do not see their peers in any other
role other than that of fellow students. The students grade for a course is often
determined by an oral final exam.
American students usually see the instructor as a facilitator in
learning. Professors are less highly respected. Students expect to participate in
classroom discussion and activities where sharing their own information, insights, and
experiences play a role. Students are expected to listen to each other, and then respect
each other's opinions. Furniture in many US classrooms is easily re-arranged. The
students grade for a course is usually determined by a combination of written
papers, projects, and exams or tests administered over the course of the term.
Faculty/Student Interaction. Many Russian faculty members hold several
positions simultaneously, simply to make ends meet. Traditionally, they have little, if
any, space to meet with students for consultations or do classroom preparations.
Consequently, students do not expect to consult with instructors outside of class. When
instructors must dash off as soon as class is over in order to make their next job, they
have no real need for such space and students still do not have well-developed needs for
the consultative services of their instructors.
American faculty members are expected to consult with students and have
an office and regular hours each week for doing so. American students expect access to
faculty members.
Instructional and Institutional Resources. Russian universities often
have less office equipment (computers, copies, printers, fax machines) than American
institutions. American instructors usually expect all students to purchase individual
copies of textbooks and other course materials, while Russian instructors usually do not.
Classroom facilities in the USA tend to reflect the large sums of money devoted to
universities, both public and private, since the end of World War II. Russian universities
continue to struggle with financial costs associated with deferred maintenance and
inadequate state funding.
Expectations of Faculty. In most US colleges and universities, faculty
members are expected to be engaged in both research and teaching. They are usually given a
great deal of freedom in setting the curriculum for their courses. They have an
expectation of deciding their own affairs (faculty governance) with minimal
interference from university or governmental officials. They are encouraged to be
independent educational entrepreneurs as long as their outside activities (writing,
speaking, consulting) does not interfere with their institutional responsibilities.
American faculty members tend to insist on strict limits to their teaching loads and class
sizes. They apply for grants (like Fulbright) in order to be freed from teaching
responsibilities and to have time for individual research projects.
Most Russian university faculty are expected to teach rather than be
engaged in research. Their schedules and curricula are subject to scrutiny by university
and government officials. Institutional structures tend to be more hierarchical and less
horizontal.