Accompanying practices of tutors in pedagogy programs: analysis of the quality assurance and certification devices of terminal learning

Abstract

In the last 25 years, the traditional theoretical, academic, and disciplinary education has given way to theoretical-practical and pedagogical perspectives and orientations that have been strongly incorporated in the curriculum of initial teacher education, positioning the practical training as one of the key components. On the other hand, within the framework of the System of Quality Assurance and the accreditation processes, the graduation profiles and the learnings proposed in it, have become the focus of attention, stressing the coherency of the study plans and formative experiences regarding the expected achievements. This study investigates how training at the final practicum dialogues with the assurance and certification of the learning involved in the graduate profiles of teacher education programs. To achieve this objective, an exploratory-descriptive and comprehensive research approach was used, with a multiple case studies design that delves into twelve teacher programs at two universities in central Chile. The results report: limited presence of practical activities in teacher training curriculum which does not exceed 10%; a peripheral, ambiguous and overloaded role of final practice tutors; the meetings of the student in practice with the tutor mainly address idiosyncratic topics; the accompaniment that the tutor gives the student in practice translates into a constant presence at school.