Pleasing Yourself and Working for the Teacher: Children's Perceptions of School.

Interviewed 311 four- to 9-year-olds of various cultures to explore how they perceived and experienced activities, roles, responsibilities, and relationships with peers and teachers in school. Found that school created conflict in terms of competing demands of pleasing teachers versus pleasing oneself. Liking school was associated with enjoying literacy. Gender differences were most marked at age 5. (KB)