Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, Volume 36, Issue 4, (November 2008) pp. 291 - 307
The study discusses the impact of John Dewey (1859-1952) on Turkish teacher education system. Therefore, it heavily relies on the commissioned report “The Report and Recommendation on Turkish Education” prepared by Dewey in 1924.
This article documents Dewey's ideas about teacher education in Turkey and analyses their take up in practice. Based on the research findings, it could be argued that Dewey had a considerable impact on the transformation of teacher education system in Turkey.
His most visible impact was best observed in the policies and practices in the training of village teachers. The Village Institutes Project, launched in the early 1940s to introduce a model specific to Turkey, was extensively based on Dewey's recommendations.
In the Republican Era, Dewey's ideas and thoughts on education have been eagerly observed and implemented by Turkish authorities, who have openly recognized his competence and authority in the field of education. His impact on Turkish education system is still visible as the present policy makers make reference to his works.