A new opportunity for pre-service training of Secondary School teachers

Expectations about education have qualitatively and quantitatively increased in changing, uncertain and conflictive world where we live. Education reforms developed in the very last decades try to fit educational systems with society demands, claiming as one of its purpose the achievement of quality education for all. Hence, teaching has become a more complex, difficult and problematic task. The need of furthering and improving teachers training becomes a basic demand which involves all sectors of society. Under these assumptions, and after having reviewed the recent history of pre-service training of Secondary School teachers in Spain, we have identified some of its lacks and underlying beliefs. We propose to rethink this kind of education taking into account socialization and professional development processes which interfere or make possible the acquisition of the necessary professional knowledge required by Secondary School teachers. It will be crucial to overcome the inertia and the weight of tradition to achieve a type of teacher training whose main aim is not only the knowledge of related contents (academic, psychological and pedagogical), but also qualifying them for the interpreting of situations and justifying decision-making along with alternative performances. Training programs should be oriented towards the development of a professional identity committed with knowledge acquisition, knowledge attitudes and learning to learn processes in order to contribute to innovation and permanent improvement. In addition, from the point of view of teaching as a profession, it is necessary to redefine the professionalisation of Secondary School teachers regarding both the mechanisms and processes involved in it as well as the internal and external characteristics which help to identify it (self-image, social recognition, expectations ...).