Quality and Diversity: Reconsidering John Dewey and Some Fundamental Problems of Teacher Training System in Turkey

Abstract

Summary John Dewey has had significant influence on the education system of the Republic of Turkey, especially during the early periods of the Republic. He provided his recommendations, among others, on the training of teachers in Turkey in his Report and Recommendation upon Turkish Education and contributed to the development of teacher education system in Turkey. Although Turkey has a relatively long history of teacher education, the system has suffered from some fundamental issues for decades. In this regard, by focusing on the concepts of quality and diversity, this work examines the relevance of Dewey’s ideas as provided in his report and presented in his seminal book Democracy and Education to some historical problems of the system. It ultimately aims at providing a wider perspective on some contemporary problems of the teacher training system by framing an understanding of a competent teacher while focusing on the concepts of pluralistic democracy, multiculturalism, and multilingualism.