Teacher education in response to the expansion of compulsory schooling: reflections from the Autonomous Community of Catalonia

Abstract

The proposal to extend compulsory schooling to the age of 18, as outlined in the report by the State School Council, opens up a crucial debate on the meaning of basic education and, in particular, on teacher education. This article analyzes the challenges that such an extension would entail for both initial teacher education and professional development, taking the case of Catalonia as a reference. Based on a qualitative, interpretative methodology, the study triangulates documentary sources, interviews with key stakeholders, and a focus group with education professionals. The findings identify four key dimensions: (1) the need to strengthen ethical commitment as a core principle in access to and training for the teaching profession; (2) the importance of modeling this commitment within university teaching; (3) the centrality
of the practicum as a strategic space for constructing teacher identity; and (4) the urgency of consolidating training teams with diverse and socially engaged profiles. These dimensions suggest that a potential extension of compulsory education would require profound transformations in teacher education models, beyond regulatory or curricular reforms. The conclusions point to an opportunity to rethink the architecture of teacher education from a more inclusive and contextualized perspective, aligned with current educational challenges.
Experiences such as the MIF Program, the institute-school model, and the Sensei residency program offer valuable reference points for moving in this direction. Finally, the article highlights the need for teaching policies that ensure equitable access to the profession, promote ethically grounded training connected to the realities of educational institutions, and recognize teachers as key agents in supporting increasingly diverse and continuous 
educational trajectories.

Key words: teacher education, preservice teacher education, access to the profession, teacher professional development, compulsory education, educational legislation.