Political-curricular options in the initial education of teachers and educators in Portugal

Abstract

This paper conducts an analysis of educational policies associated with the initial training of preschool educators and teachers, both because of the changes imposed by the Bologna Process and because of the panorama of the teaching profession in various latitudes. In line with the broader reflection on educational policies and the curriculum, this case study linked to the Portuguese reality aims to study the educational-curricular policies that, following the Bologna Process, have framed the initial education of educators and teachers in the country. To do this, it is based on the documentary analysis of normative texts, available for online access, specifically Decree-Law 43/2007, Decree-Law 79/2014, Decree-Law 112/2023 and Decree-Law 9-A/2025. A detailed reading of these documents, supported by the MaxQDA 2020 software, allowed for a qualitative analysis focused on the conceptions assumed by the legislator regarding teacher training, the main curricular deliberations and the place given to educators and teachers within the education system. From the outset, systematic changes in this initial training underlying the different legislative documents enacted can be seen, as well as a chronological trend towards technique and execution in the classroom and compliance with what is advocated by others than teachers.