Power Difference (PD) in Schools

Hofstede (2001) argues that the parent/ child relationship is continued in schools where the teacher/student relationship replaces it. He suggests that this is evidenced in the emphasis on respect in high power difference societies and equality in low power difference societies, suggesting the position and role of the teacher are culturally driven and not universal.

In the New Zealand/UK contexts (a low PD societies), teachers may consider themselves as equals to their students and be comfortable with students disagreeing with them. Students typically might see their teachers as equals and see no need to show respect when meeting them, be comfortable about questioning them and free to disagree with them (Hofstede 2001).

In contrast, high power difference countries might suggest a more typically teacher centred and ordered classroom environment, where pupils are expected to show more respect and not to contradict teachers. Hofstede (2001) also points out that in high power difference societies, education is highly personalised, with the wisdom of the teacher being transferred. This is starkly contrasted by notions of the teacher as facilitator and students as constructors of knowledge as are prominent in the West.
I am currently wondering how transferable the western theoretical frameworks that underpin the content of much that is taught to international students; is there such thing as a universal understanding of what it means to be an effective school teacher and if there is, is she an equal or deserving of special respect?