Initial teacher education between professionalism and alternative pathways: international trends

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. In the past two decades Initial teacher education is undergoing profound changes . This article looks at three elements of teacher education that reflect those changes: the skills and competences needed for teaching, which eventually configure and define training plans; the epistemological and academic status of the teaching education, and the training model, with a particular emphasis on the relationship between theory and practice. It is suggested that there are fundamental differences in the concept of professionalism of teaching and in the role of schools as centers for learning, which leads to models radically different from initial teacher education. It is suggested that the fundamental difference focuses on the concept of professionalizing teaching and the role of schools as centers forlearning, which leads to radically different models of initial teacher education. METHOD. The specialized literature contained in the international databases alert us about using different terms to refer to initial training, such as “teacher education” or “teacher training”, which refer to different conceptions of the same act, as professional development or as a mere practical training. In fact, as indicated by some authors, there is a profound difference in approach and objectives. RESULTS. The analysis of teaching skills, the epistemological status and training model shows the debate between different systems in initial teacher education: on colleges, focused on professionalism and research, or alternative, which arises from the civil society to solve some specific deficits in the education system. DISCUSSION. Education systems require professionals with a high degree of autonomy in their decision-making. It is observed that models focused on the university can offer more guarantees about it, unlike alternative routes, which have emerged to resolve specific needs of the system but are unable to ensure the training of as a liberal professional, as are requiring different statements by international organizations.