Beware of Greeks? Some aspects of intercultural communication in international training programs for educators.

The last decade has witnessed a growing number of international exchange and training programs for educators, particularly in the areas of social studies. Dramatic changes in Central and Eastern Europe made the western, particularly the American, experience in civic education and teaching for democracy more and more desirable. In many instances, instructors from the US and western Europe have acted as experts in those programs. However, there are observations that challenge the success of the ‘West as Expert model.’ In the described study, a group of Russian faculty and administrators of teacher‐training universities was probed on questions regarding their attitudes toward foreign and native teachers and instructors. The results of the study demonstrate that, despite unanimous support for international education, all respondents, regardless of the length of their professional experience, demonstrated a slight preference for Russian teachers and instructors compared with foreign teachers and instructors. This preference is a result of differences in school cultures, determined mainly by specific features of every school, local cultural traditions, and prejudices and misconceptions of the local population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]