(RE)THINKING INITIAL AND CONTINUING TEACHER EDUCATION: CURRICULUM, TEACHER PROFESSIONALIZATION, AND CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL DEMAND

Abstract

Teacher education occupies a strategic position in strengthening basic education, especially in the face of the profound social, cultural, scientific and technological transformations that characterize contemporary society. In this context, teacher education curricula and initial and continuing education policies are continually challenged to respond to new educational demands, requiring training processes capable of integrating scientific knowledge, pedagogical practice, research, innovation and social commitment. This study aims to reflect on initial and continuing teacher education by analyzing the contemporary demands that require curricular reconfiguration aimed at strengthening teacher professionalization. This is a qualitative bibliographic study based on the survey and analysis of scientific publications indexed in Google Scholar, SciELO and the CAPES Journal Portal, published between 2020 and 2024. Data analysis was based on Bardin's (2016) Content Analysis, with analytical categories being constructed inductively from the recurrence of themes identified in the analyzed studies. The findings indicate that, despite significant advances in teacher education policies over recent decades, important challenges remain, particularly regarding curriculum fragmentation, the gap between universities and schools, the influence of neoliberal educational policies and the need to strengthen educational processes committed to the construction of teachers' professional identity. It is concluded that reconfiguring teacher education curricula is essential for aligning initial and continuing education with the demands experienced in contemporary schools, thereby contributing to the education of critical, reflective, autonomous and socially committed teachers.