Dialogical Self Theory in Education: An Introduction

Abstract

It seems that education in Western countries is in crisis. At the start of the 21st century, the assumption on which the dominant educational discourse rests is still Seneca’s declaration ‘Non scholae sed vitae discimus’ – not for school do we educate, but for life. However by most who participate in the system, school is rarely seen as useful for life. The majority of students and their parents is only extrinsically motivated to pursue education: everything is focused on attaining the highest possible diploma and the bulk of what is learned for taking exams is forgotten with weeks.