PNIEB Teachers' Profiles and Professional Development: A Needs Analysis 1

The implementation of the PNIEB presents a tremendous demand for new classroom teachers, which is exceeding the available pool of qualified candidates. Therefore, there is an urgent need to focus on teacher training, and to organize teacher training efficiently in order to maximize the effects and make wise use of limited resources. The authors report on a needs analysis study undertaken to identify key areas to focus training efforts for PNIEB teachers. The study consisted of a national survey of 370 teachers representing 24 different states. The analysis of the surveys identified three different profiles of PNIEB teachers. Each type of teacher identified has different strengths and professional development needs. Given this diversity, a “one size fits all” approach to teacher training does not seem adequate. The findings suggest that training programs for PNIEB teachers should take a differentiated approach, and be tailored to respond to their specific linguistic, pedagogical and educational needs. The authors conclude by encouraging long term capacity building, in particular by creating specializations within licenciaturas and diplomados that focus on working with specific needs and characteristics of children in public schools.