Fifty years of initial teacher education in Portugal: looking back, looking forward

This paper looks at Initial Teacher Education (ITE) over the last 50 years in Portugal (1974–2024). This is especially significant as 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of democracy in the country happily coinciding with the Golden Jubilee of the Journal of Education for Teaching. ITE policy development over the last five decades has generally been positive, particularly regarding the professionalisation of teachers through the recognition of ITE at higher education level, the accreditation of ITE programmes, the adoption of a master’s degree as the required level of professional qualification for all sectors of education (from pre-school to secondary school), and the role of higher education institutions in the education of teachers. However,a number of drawbacks can also been identified including the fragmentation of ITE curriculum components as a result of the Bologna process and the adoption of a sequential model, as well as, more recently, a reduction in foundational courses and the introduction of more ‘flexible’ ways to enter teaching within the context of a teacher shortage. The threats and opportunities in such a scenario are explored and implications for policy and practice are discussed.