Primary English teacher education in Portugal: An exploratory study

Abstract

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 creating meaningful professional learning scenarios and promoting learner-centred teaching in schools.

“It’s Exciting and Motivating”: Pre-Service Teachers in Teaching English to Young Learners in Kurikulum Merdeka Implementation

“…Pre-service educators can't feel prepared to teach English to young learners if they lack pedagogical understanding. In order to effectively instruct young learners, one must have a comprehensive understanding of how young learners development influences linguistic acquisition (Nguyen, 2019;Vieira et al, 2022). There is a wide range of linguistic competence, cognitive ability, and learning style among the young students in TEYL courses (Waddington, 2022).…”