Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice Vol. 14, No. 3, June 2008, 225–238 ISSN 1354-0602 print/ISSN 1470-1278 online © 2008 Taylor & Francis DOI: 10.1080/13540600802006129 http://www.informaworld.com The impact of international programs on pedagogical practices of their participants: a Russian experience Anatoli Rapoport* College of Education, Purdue University, Beering Hall of Liberal Arts and Education, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA Taylor and Francis Ltd CTAT_A_300778.sgm (Received 4 September 2007; final version received 15 March 2008) 10.1080/13540600802006129 Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice 1354-0602 (print)/1470-1278 (online) Original Article 2008 Taylor & Francis 14 3 0000002008 Dr AnatoliRapoport rapoport@purdue.edu International exchange and training programs play a significant role in the development of international cooperation between educators from different nations. More and more teachers and school administrators participate in exchange programs and implement new curricular and instructional practices in their institutions. The objectives of this interpretive exploratory case study were (a) to investigate the impact of international exchange and training programs on pedagogical practices of Russian school teachers and administrators and (b) to find out how participants of international programs apply, implement, and transfer their experiences and knowledge that they obtain during their programs. The data were collected through personal interviews, observations, and materials from several debriefing sessions in 2005. The study demonstrated that the participation in international programs significantly impacts educators’ pedagogical practices, expands the range of their instructional approaches, makes program alumni more culturally sensitive and perceptive, and influences their interpersonal relations in schools, their professional growth, and social status. This research can be of interest to perspective participants of international programs and practitioners who develop and organize international programs for educators. Keywords: international educational exchange; teacher exchange programs; teacher experience; action research; teaching practices Introduction International programs in education have been growing in importance since World War I as a result of major cultural and political transformations in the world (Bu, 2003; Thomson & Laves, 1963; Vestal, 1994). They gained an additional momentum after the Fulbright Act of 1946 and the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 and soon became an important aspect of American foreign policy (Coombs, 1964; Richmond, 1987; Thomson & Laves, 1963). The dramatic political changes in the 1980s and 1990s in the Soviet Union and in the countries of Eastern Europe resulted in the intensifying of exchange and training programs involving educators at both primary and secondary levels. New conditions and new leaders in these coun- tries needed new approaches to education in general and civic education in particular (Quigley & Hoar, 1997). Both educators and government officials ‘have increasingly sought the assistance of American civic education organizations in creating educational programs conducive to the development of responsible and effective citizens in a free society’ (Quigley & Hoar, 1997, p.12). In response, numerous programs and projects were developed by centers and universities in the United States specifically for the new democracies (Bahmueller, 1997; Craddock & Harf, 2004; *Email: rapoport@purdue.edu