Teacher education and the challenges of the reflexive practice

Abstract

This article approaches the importance of teacher practice and their initial and continuing education in the light of the challenges offered by the critical reflexive proposal. The aims of this study were to investigate the underlying assumptions regarding teachers’ current education and practice, to research and analyze the major difficulties found in the development of teaching practice, to comprehend and analyze the complexity inherent to the teacher’s performance in the initial years of elementary school. A bibliographic research and a qualitative research with elementary school teachers were therefore developed. The results indicate that although teachers believe the learning process to be continuous, they do not invest in this type of education. Furthermore it was found that teachers’ critical reflexive attitudes are blended with eproductivist attitudes.

Keywords

• Teaching practice, Elementary school,Teacher education.