Rethinking Dewey for Clinical Experience-Based Teacher Education

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Seeking Dewey's Relevance

Abstract

The general trend in many countries’ teacher education programs has been centered around increasing clinical, hands-on experiences in schools. As emphasizing clinical experience, however, we have easily treated it not as focused experiment of knowledge but for development of technical proficiency. This approach cannot build the teacher candidates’ method of intelligence, from which they can obtain knowledge that forms the technically proficient educator in the long run. Through theoretical research on John Dewey’s theories of knowledge, experience, reflection, communication, and growth, this paper investigates how clinical experience works in teacher candidates’ learning and suggests how we should design or re-design teacher education courses around clinical experience.

Author

• Jiwon Kim, Monmouth University