The professional field of Social Education in Portugal: the role of higher education institutions

Authors

  • Alexandra Nascimento ISCE — Instituto Superior de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, Centro de Investigação (CI-ISCE), Lisboa, Portugal
  • Luísa Veloso Iscte — Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia (CIES-Iscte), Lisboa, Portugal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7458/SPP202611041812

Keywords:

Social Education, higher education institutions, higher education, professional field

Abstract

Social education training in Portugal evolved significantly after 1989, with higher education helping to shape the professional field. However, it were social needs that drove the development of this training. In order to discuss the development process of the national training offer, the 22 active courses in the 2024/2025 academic year are analysed. The methodology adopted consists of collecting the training offer, both from an institutional point of view and its territorial distribution, as well as analysing the curriculum. The article concludes that, despite the lack of a standardised curriculum, the courses have developed and expanded, thus contributing to shaping the professional field.

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Published

2026-03-03

Issue

Articles in continuous publication

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 P. Alexandra Nascimento, Luísa Veloso

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