Curriculum reform in Turkish teacher education: Attitudes of teacher educators towards change in an EU candidate nation

Abstract

Educational development is one way through which Turkey enhances progress towards its social goals and prepares itself for European Union membership. A major effort to upgrade the Turkish educational system was made through a multi-phased comprehensive reform of the sector introduced during the 1990s. One part of this reform, perhaps most crucial to the long-term effectiveness of other developments in education, was a transformation of the approach to teacher education. This paper utilizes recently conducted research to assess the nature and extent of that reform as well as identifying the factors which enhanced its effectiveness. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Why is active learning so difficult to implement: The Turkish case

“…It is clear from the findings of this study, as well as from other studies on curricula changes which have been noticed in Turkey since the 1990s (Dundar & Lewis, 1999;Grossman, Onkol, & Sands, 2007;Aksit, 2007;Grossman & Sand, 2008;Grossman, Sands, & Brittingham, 2010), that the implementation of many well-intended reforms has been inefficient because the radical changes and reform have not been transferred effectively into the TE culture in Turkey. Whether a change is curricular or structural, or initiated internally or externally, there is no guarantee that practice follows a policy (Hopkins & Levin, 2000).…”

Evaluating an English Language Teacher Education Program Through Peacock’s Model

“…This body is also in charge of making program reforms by revising the content of courses offered by different departments at Turkish universities including the departments in the education faculties. English language teacher education departments are one of these departments the curriculum of which has recently been reshaped to conform to the changing social necessities and educational developments in Turkey (Grossman et al, 2007). This recent English teacher education program was introduced by HEC in the 2006-2007 academic year.…”

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

“…In the second half of the 1990s, education system went through another major reform process and teacher training programs were restructured. National Education Development Project was initiated and carried out by HEC with the support of World Bank in 1997 (Grossman, Onkol, & Sands, 2007). After the process, teacher training programs were divided into two main tracks.…”