Lifelong Learning: The Career and Identity of Teachers in Transition

Abstract

It is known that the professional development of the teacher includes learning opportunities that are facilitated throughout their careers and in different contexts - both formal and informal. In other words, the diversity of significant and enriching experiences that teachers encounter are favourable for the development of teachers and, consequently, of the quality of their teaching.Our proposed communication is part of a research, whose main objective to understand the impact of recent Portuguese legislation on the (re)construction of professional identity and the teaching career in the context of lifelong learning. The intended learning activities that are developed throughout life in order to acquire, develop or improve professional knowledge and skills lead the strategic plans of European governments, which are eager to achieve significant changes in the educational area. In Portugal, we question whether these political intentions have brought the desired effect(s)? To answer this question we will focus on the results from a questionnaire, which was given to 396 primary teachers and its statistical analysis, as well as on the analysis of the content of oral and written narratives and of three discussion groups formed for this purpose. The professional voices reported by the participating teachers in this study indicate results, which reveal professional discontent that has negative effects on the contexts of the educational dynamics, thus undermining up the purposes of Portuguese politics.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2013.v3n7p143