Reaffirming (Teacher) Education Practice During Emergency Learning: A Dewey-Inspired Self-Study

• In Event: Learning From, Building Upon, and Extending Self-Study Research in Turbulent Times

Abstract

During the COVID-19 outbreak in the spring of 2020, school buildings and college campuses all over the county were closed to prevent the spread of illness (Education Week, 2020). Proceeding through this rare type of crisis, we wondered how we could move forward with our careers and help our students--many of whom were teachers or were planning to be teachers--think about the future and feel a sense of peace and purpose. We read John Dewey’s (1938) monograph Experience and Education (EE) as a way to organize our thinking. The specific research question associated with this self-study of education practice (S-STEP) was intentionally broad: How can we reaffirm the purpose of education and school in these times within our practice?

Authors

• Mary F. Rice, The University of New Mexico

• Mark Diacopoulos, Old Dominion University