Analyzing situated cognition theory and its relation to teacher education

This paper investigates the theory of situated cognition and its possible application in the teacher education. Based on new perspectives in the field of cognitive science, cognition and its related components are not limited to the mind and mental processes. From the perspective of this theory, knowledge is distributed and embodiment that is actively produced by participating in the different situations, the authentic activities and living in its special culture. The current paper based on the perspective of situated cognition theory (SCT) and using the method of normative inquiry explains the educational principles of SCT include learning in context, community of practice, learning as active participation, knowledge in action, mediation of artifacts, tools and artifacts as cultural repositories, rules, norms and beliefs, history, levels of scale, Interactionism, and identity and constructions of the self. Then, the application of each of these principles in teacher education was explained. Finally, the paper proposes two key strategies which are implementing cognitive apprenticeship and formatting the community of practice to apply the SCT in the educational systems in Iran, and in current paper; teacher education.