CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES IN TEACHER TRAINING FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: ENSURING QUALITY AND INNOVATION

Abstract

This article aimed to analyze the main challenges and strategies in teacher training for Early Childhood Education, highlighting the need to ensure quality and innovation in this process. The research, of qualitative and bibliographic nature, was based on books, scientific articles, and normative documents that discuss teacher education, playfulness, interdisciplinarity, and the contemporary demands of education. The results indicated that initial teacher training still presents significant gaps, mainly due to curricular fragmentation and the lack of articulation between theory and practice. It was also found that continuing education is essential for updating and re-signifying pedagogical practices. Furthermore, the literature analyzed pointed out that the use of play, sensitive listening, and innovative methodologies, such as digital technologies, strengthens pedagogical practice and contributes to inclusion and meaningful learning for children. It is concluded that overcoming these challenges depends not only on revising training curricula but also on public policies that guarantee decent working conditions, professional appreciation, and institutional support. Thus, teacher training for Early Childhood Education must be understood as a continuous, creative, and humanized process, fundamental to consolidating quality education from the earliest stages of school life.