Teacher polices and reforms in Latin America: within higher education agenda and teaching training

Abstract

In the last four decades Latin American countries have been going through reforms in teaching training systems and institutions. Particularly, as from the 2000s, these transformations have become a subject of discussion within the context of higher education as well as a concern as to how these changes would have an impact on the professional identities of teachers, their training, tasks and continuous education, as well as an extension of functions developed by these institutions (teaching, research, continuous education and extension with schools of the educational system). This article intends to: firstly, examine the changes that have been made in teacher policies during these last four decades and the focus through which they have passed. Secondly, some effects and traits produced by these transformations in teachers, key collective. Thirdly, the discussion of the paper puts forward a thesis and five challenges to consider changes, a result of the tensions produced upon intending to harmonize and give response to the reform agendas taking place in teacher policies: higher education and the specific one, training of teachers and professors.