Assumptions and implications of adopting educational ideas from the West: The case of student-centered pedagogy in Turkey

The neoliberal reform movements of recent decades, the globalization of educational policy, and increasing practices of 'borrowing' and 'lending' school reforms have led many observers to conclude that educational systems around the world are converging toward one international model. This chapter seeks to analyze student-centered pedagogy (SCP) as an educational idea which originated in the West and was adopted by Turkey at the turn of the century as part of a major curriculum review process. It explores how primary school teachers viewed adoption of SCP as a Western pedagogical approach, and the ways in which they implemented SCP in their classrooms. The World Culture Theory and the World System Theory tend to attribute little or no national agency in policy development. Turkey initiated a major curriculum review process in 2004, replacing the old curriculum for primary schools which was in place since 1968. 'Look West' and 'learning from the West' have been historically powerful metaphors in Turkey.