Classroom observation and student group interviews in two French and two English elementary schools suggest that student understanding of such educational values as authority, thought, the nature of student control over learning, and educational goals and how to achieve them are related to national culture and affect student motivation. Contains…

Compares the beliefs, goals, and teaching methods of French and English elementary school teachers working in areas of disadvantage to illuminate how teachers in the two countries resolve the dilemmas involved in providing equal educational opportunities to all children. Research before and after recent educational reforms indicates the central…