Can Piaget, Freud or Erikson Explain my Self-Development? Preservice teachers' Personal Evaluation

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand how pre- service teachers evaluate their personal development on the basis of their experiences. Participants' written texts within the context of the Developmental Psychology course formed the data in this study. Pre-service teachers have interpreted their own experiences within the framework of theories of classical theorists in developmental psychology such as Piaget, Freud and Erikson. Pre- service teachers stated that this personal evaluation process allowed them to increase their self- awareness and to be more understanding towards children and youngsters. It is suggested that using such kind of stories in teacher education will contribute positively to professional development of pre-service teachers.