EVOLUTION OF PUBLIC POLICIES FOR TEACHER TRAINING IN BRAZIL: ADVANCES, CHALLENGES AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

Abstract

Based on the ideas of Pimenta (2013), teacher training in Brazil represents one of the fundamental pillars for the quality of education, since teachers are the main agents responsible for constructing the teaching-learning process. There is no denying that the impact of inadequate or superficial teacher training has a direct impact on the education of students and, consequently, on the development of knowledge that is essential for the social and economic progress of a country. In a context in which education is one of the key elements for the development of any nation, teacher training assumes an even more significant responsibility, since it is through education that the profile of the educator is shaped and the success or failure of the pedagogical strategies that reach the classroom is defined. Over the last few decades, public policies aimed at teacher training have been one of the central pillars of educational reforms in Brazil, reflecting an effort to meet the demands of an educational system that has historically presented a series of structural challenges, such as professional qualifications, lack of good teaching materials, school structure, etc. According to Gatti et al. (2012), despite the advances that have been recorded in this field, it is possible to state that a series of obstacles persist, compromising the effectiveness of these policies and, consequently, the quality of education offered to Brazilian students. Among the most evident challenges, the persistence of regional inequalities stands out, which have profound effects on teacher training, especially in relation to the economic and social disparities that still mark the different regions of Brazil.

Also according to Gatti et al. (2012), Brazil, with its vast territorial extension and sociocultural diversity, faces complex obstacles related to regional disparities, which directly affect the distribution of resources and access to public education policies. Such inequalities are evident when analyzing teacher training, especially when considering the unequal distribution of infrastructure, financial resources, and training programs. While large cities and more developed regions, such as the Southeast and South, have better conditions to offer quality teacher training, the North and Northeast regions continue to face immense structural difficulties, ranging from a shortage of resources and lack of infrastructure in schools to difficulty in accessing continuing education programs. These aspects represent challenges that compromise the effectiveness of public policies aimed at teacher training and deepen educational inequalities.

Tardif (2014) warns that these regional disparities are particularly problematic when considering that teacher training in Brazil is still marked by an unequal framework, both in initial training and in continuing education. The Law of Guidelines and Bases for National Education (LDB), enacted in 1996, established teacher training as a priority for improving education in Brazil, advising that teacher training should go beyond simple technical mastery of content, including pedagogical, ethical and social aspects that allow teachers to deal with the cultural and social diversity present in their classrooms. However, as Gatti et al. (2012) point out, public policies for teacher training lack a more efficient integration between theory and practice, and the development of essential pedagogical skills for facing the daily challenges of the classroom is often not adequately covered in training programs.