Description:
When teachers have completed their training and start working, they usuallyfeel that the theories they have studied don’t help them in solving the manypractical problems confronting them every day in their work. In an actiontheory perspective the prevalent outlook on knowledge is dichotomized. At-tention is focused either on theory or practice, they are not integrated. Aristot-le put forward a distinction between two aspects of action, poiesis and praxis.I claim there is a risk that students focus on instrumental action, poiesis,aiming at grades and exams, rather than actions which are meaningful fortheir own sake, praxis. In the present article it is suggested that in order for thestudents to be able to integrate theory and practice it is necessary that duringtheir training they are allowed to work in preschools and schools where theyperform field studies and are paid a salary. Then, what is here called assimila-tive learning may be developed.