“Teachers in Latin America—like those in other regions—enter the classroom feeling insecure and lacking in confidence. Teachers do not feel prepared to handle the day-to-day challenges of working in an educational institution,” says Dr. Denise Vaillant, dean of the Institute of Education, in the article “The Integration of New Teachers in Latin America: Toward Comprehensive Policies.”
The article is based on evidence compiled by the author in three recent projects. More specifically, it focuses on the policies and processes for integrating new teachers into Latin American schools.
This report identifies the main trends, while also highlighting the specific characteristics of various countries and regions. At the same time, it offers some insights into the hiring of new teachers in 2020 and 2021, in the context of the pandemic.
Finally, some suggestions for improvement are presented. “It’s not about reforming the old system,” says Vaillant, adding that we need to “adopt a different perspective.”
“To move forward, we need to consider the holistic nature of policies and how they align with initial training, career development, working conditions, and the context in which new teachers work,” he concludes.
“The Integration of New Teachers in Latin America: Toward Comprehensive Policies” was published in volume 25, issue 2, of the journal Profesorado.