1 Challenges of Initial Teacher Training in Chile Centro de Perfeccionamiento, Experimentación e Investigaciones Pedagógicas, CPEIP October 2008

2 Background Presidential Advisory Council Report 2006 Subject: discussion on Public Education and Teaching Professional Career

3 Background Teacher training system: Initial training Permanent training Systems for the Assessment and accreditation of teachers´performance Initial teacher training programmes delivered by 66 higher education institutions: –Traditional universities –Private universities –Professional Institutes Teacher training for 4 to 5 years. Requirements: school leaving certificate, University Entrance Test (required by traditional universities and some private ones only).

4 Background Context: Growing expansion of teacher training programmes since 2003, with participation of private universities. Increasing enrolement thanks to policies of access to tertiary education. Access of students with lower academic profile. A number of institutions have made entry requirements more flexible. Institutions have autonomy to decide offer and contents of training programmes.

5 Challenges Attract best candidates and strengthen training in: Pre-school education: better specialisation and updating of training programmes. Articulation with Primary Education. Priority of current government: expansion of pre-school service. Target 2010: children of 4 to 5 years old to be admitted in preschool education. Action in progress: surveys to define profile of competences required by teachers of 0-3 and 4-6 year olds, in order to update initial training programmes and define improvement of continuous education.

6 Challenges In Teacher training of: Primary Education: more specialisation in teaching subjects. Currently, teachers are trained as generalilsts in 8 subjects to teach 1° to 8° grades Primary School. Possible structure change of school system to 6 years Primary Ed. and 6 years Secondary Ed. is being considered. Action in progress: postgraduate specialisation for in- service teachers. Secondary Education: better articulation between subject and teacher training.

7 Lines of action to support Initial Teacher Training 1) Competitive funds implemented: FFID ( ): 17 universities MECESUP ( ): specialisation of Primary School teachers Changes have been achieved (such as progressive practices), but it is necessary to progress towards: Specialisation of Primary School teachers. A more solid and permanent relationship with the school system.

8 Lines of action to support Initial Teacher Training 2) National System of Quality Assurance in Higher Education (Law , de 2006): Establishes compulsory accreditation of teacher training and medicine Gives a mandate to Ministry of Education to prepare a proposal for a system of professional licensing. Programmes are in process of accreditation (system of accrediting agencies, with peer reviewers). Quality criteria: institution compliance with objectives.

9 Programa INICIA (2009) Programme to strengthen teacher training 3 components: a)Curricular orientations and subject and teaching standards b)Diagnostic assessment of teacher training students prior to completion of their programmes. c)Competitive funds for training institutions

10 Programa INICIA (2009) a)Curricular orientations and subject and teaching standards, for initial teacher training at all levels (Pre-school, Primary, Secondary and Special Education) –Define knowledge and competences to be developed by every teacher. Reference: Framework for Good Teaching, school curriculum, standards for initial teacher training (generic) already created (2000) –Will be the bases for curricular changes at institutions, complementing their own training identity. –Validated together with teacher training institutions.

11 INICIA Programme (2009) b)Diagnostic assessment for teacher training students prior to their graduation. –Assessment of knowledge of subjects to be taught, general knowledge of education and pedagogy, essential methodology competences, general competences (written communication and ICTs) –Information to institutions on knowledge and competences achieved by their students, as feedback for their training processes. –Useful for students to know their strengths and guide their improvement. –Standards will be a reference for its elaboration.

12 INICIA Programme (2009) c)Competitive funds for training institutions. – institutions will commit themselves to renewing curricula based on standards agreed by consensus and the results of the diagnostic assessment of their students. –Main lines: Strengthening of academic teams Renewal of training curricula Levelling of entry competences New relationship of more systematic collaboration with primary and secondary schools