Primary English teacher education in Portugal: an exploratory study

The expansion of early language learning has fostered the need to prepare qualified teachers of English to young learners. This paper presents findings from a multi-site case study of initial teacher education programmes created in 2015 in Portugal when English became compulsory in grades 3 and 4. The study investigated intended professional learning competences and tasks as described in curricula, as well as teaching and inquiry practices developed in practicum settings. A multi-method approach was used, involving the analysis of ten higher education institutions’ curricula, a sample of practicum reports, the responses of former student teachers to an online survey, and reflective records from student teachers, faculty supervisors, and cooperating teachers. Findings portray a reflective, inquiry-oriented view of professional development and the enactment of current teaching approaches. The study stresses the role of curricula and practicum arrangements in creat- ing meaningful professional learning scenarios and promoting lear- ner-centred teaching in schools.

Keywords

Initial teacher education Professional learning Teaching English as a foreign language Primary education Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES::Social sciences::Education

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10198/26829

Citation

Vieira, Flávia; Mourão, Sandie; Andrade, Ana Isabel; Cruz, Mário; Reis-Jorge, José; Leslie, Carolyn; Orega, Maria Isabel; Pinho, Ana Sofia; Silva, Elisabete Mendes; Simões, Ana Raquel (2022). Primary English teacher education in Portugal: an exploratory study. European Journal of Teacher Education. ISSN 0261-9768, p. 1-21