Analysis of national and subnational planning instruments for continuing teacher education in Mexico

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze how local education authorities structure their planning tools for continuing teacher education, based on the federal guidelines established in the 2024 National Strategy for Continuing Education. To achieve this objective, a content analysis was conducted using an inductive approach, which allowed for a thorough review of the opening sections of the 32 State Strategies for Continuing Education published in 2024; in this way, full coverage of Mexico’s federal entities was achieved. The results identify a clear tension between the federal authorities’ proposals and their corresponding reflection in state documents. Consequently, it is concluded that the analyzed texts exhibit a lack of depth in data analysis, a marked disjointedness in the information presented across their various sections, and an evident failure to utilize the inputs generated by internal evaluations. Thus, it is demonstrated that the preparation of these documents responds more to the formal compliance with an administrative directive from the federal authority than to genuine management and improvement of continuing education at the local level.