Rethinking teachers’ continuing professional development in portugal: a comparative analysis of reference education systems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29352/mill0223e.45699Keywords:
teacher professional development; continuing professional development; teacher reprofessionalisationAbstract
Introduction: Currently, continuous professional development for teachers plays a central role in their professional growth and the improvement of pedagogical practices. However, significant differences exist between countries regarding how it is conceived, organised, and integrated into daily school life.
Objective: To compare continuous professional development models in internationally benchmarked countries and contrast them with the Portuguese reality, identifying structural patterns, weaknesses, and opportunities for transformation.
Methods: A qualitative comparative approach was employed, based on the documentary analysis of public policies, legal frameworks, international reports, and recent scientific literature. The sample included documents from Finland, Estonia, Singapore, South Korea, Canada, Australia, and Portugal.
Results: The results reveal that in the benchmarked countries, continuous professional development is integrated into teaching work, linked to educational research, provided with institutionalised time, and supports multi-level formative paths throughout the career. In contrast, the Portuguese case highlights a predominantly administrative form of training, focused on short-term sessions with little connection to schools’ organizational development, resulting in limited impact on pedagogical practices.
Conclusion: Continuous training in Portugal needs to be reconfigured within a framework of teacher re-professionalisation, strengthening links to research, professional collaboration, and impact monitoring, to promote sustained improvement in educational quality.
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