Moving beyond Technicism in English-Language Teacher Education : A Case Study from Turkey

Arguing technicism fixates on methods and techniques at the expense of larger social issues in education, this book advocates a critical and liberal approach to teacher education through examples from the author’s studies with critical teacher education within the limiting space of Turkey’s standardized technicist teacher education curricula.

Highlighting the threats that an overreliance on technology poses for teacher creativity, student voice, and the well-being of democracy, Moving beyond Technicism in English-Language Teacher Education advocates a critical approach to education. Using the author’s own personal experiences, this book offers a critical analysis of the technicist English-language teacher education programs introduced by Turkey’s Council of Higher Education in the neoliberal period. Beginning with the implementation of critical education in the early years of the Republic of Turkey, the book documents how teacher education practices in Turkey evolved from liberal to mechanic with the influence of the Cold War. By shedding light on the transformative actions of a teacher in eastern Turkey, the book explores the impact of critical teacher education on preservice and in-service teachers’ perceptions and practice. Highlighting the ethical responsibilities of educators, the book calls for a critical, democratic, and humanizing approach to teacher preparation.