{"id":511016,"date":"2024-05-07T15:06:29","date_gmt":"2024-05-07T18:06:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/?p=511016"},"modified":"2024-06-05T16:24:19","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T19:24:19","slug":"teaching-degree-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/teaching-degree-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching degree crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Public and private schools in Brazil are having to work around a scarcity of subject-specific educators, with many students completing the 2023 academic year without being taught physics or sociology by teachers specializing in these subjects. With not enough candidates to fill teaching positions, schools are having to improvise, assigning teachers trained in other fields to fill gaps in both primary and secondary education. This practice is being replicated in various Brazilian states and municipalities, as revealed by previously unpublished research data from the National Institute for Educational Studies and Research (INEP). For instance, in Pernambuco, only 32.4% of high school physics classes are taught by qualified physics teachers, and in Tocantins, just 5.4% of sociology classes are taught by specialists in sociology. The declining number of teaching-degree graduates in specific subjects, which dropped from 123,000 in 2010 to 111,000 in 2021, is symptomatic of Brazilian youth\u2019s decreasing interest in pursuing a teaching career. The data point to a dire shortage of educators in the near future. To reverse this trend, researchers are advocating for urgent policy reform to make the teaching profession more appealing and restructure the curriculum.<\/p>\n

See more:<\/strong>
\n– Teaching profession at risk<\/a><\/div>\n

\u201cThe gap in teaching degrees is concerning,\u201d says M\u00e1rcia Serra Ferreira from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), who serves as director of education for primary teachers at the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES). Teaching degrees in specific subjects are higher education programs that qualify graduates to teach in the later years of elementary school and in high school within their chosen subjects. Data from the latest Census of Higher Education, published last year by INEP, an agency affiliated with the Brazilian Ministry of Education (MEC), reveals a consistent decline in the number of enrollments in traditional teaching-degree programs since 2014. A similar trend is observed in distance education programs since 2021. \u201cThe subjects with the largest gaps are the social sciences, music, philosophy, and arts, which saw the lowest enrollment figures in 2021. Meanwhile, physics, mathematics, and chemistry recorded the highest cumulative dropout rates over the last decade,\u201d Ferreira notes.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\n \n \n \n <\/picture>Alexandre Affonso \/ Revista Pesquisa FAPESP<\/span><\/div>
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Data from INEP, accessible through the National Education Plan (PNE) Dashboard, indicate that in 2022 approximately 59.9% of teaching positions for grades 6 to 9 in elementary school and 67.6% of those in high school were being taught by qualified subject-specific educators. Marcos Neira, associate dean for undergraduate affairs at the University of S\u00e3o Paulo (USP), notes that the size of the gap varies across different subject areas. \u201cOn average nationally, 85% of physical education teachers are qualified in their respective discipline, while the equivalent percentages for sociology and foreign languages are respectively 40% and 46%. In other words, the gap can be more or less pronounced depending on the subject and the state,\u201d highlights Neira, who is currently conducting a FAPESP-funded research project on curriculum reform in physical education.<\/p>\n

The lack of properly trained teachers can have an impact on student achievement, as reported by Matheus Monteiro Nascimento, a physicist at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), in a study published in 2018. In the absence of qualified physics teachers, mathematics teachers are often used as stand-ins, he explains. \u201cAs a result, we find that the approach to teaching physics tends to lean heavily on mathematical formalism,\u201d he says. Instead of exploring mechanics, electricity, and magnetism using phenomenological, conceptual, and experimental approaches, teachers often address these topics in the classroom solely through mathematical formulas and equations that lack a direct connection to students\u2019 real-life experiences. \u201cMathematical formalism in teaching physics is precisely what most hampers students\u2019 interest in this subject,\u201d adds Nascimento.<\/p>\n

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L\u00e9o Ramos Chaves\u2009\/\u2009Revista Pesquisa FAPESP\u2002<\/span>Students in a chemistry teaching-degree program at USPL\u00e9o Ramos Chaves\u2009\/\u2009Revista Pesquisa FAPESP\u2002<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Researchers from INEP conducted a study in September to assess whether these gaps could be filled by hiring teachers who have earned education degrees in Brazil in recent years. They examined existing deficiencies in both public and private schools in the later years of elementary and high school. \u201cEven if all graduates with teaching degrees from 2010 to 2021 were to teach in their respective subjects in the later years of elementary and high school in 2022, Brazil would still struggle to meet the demand for arts teachers in fifteen states, physics teachers in five, sociology teachers in three, and mathematics, Portuguese, foreign languages, and geography teachers in one,\u201d estimates Alvana Bof, one of the authors of the study. In addition, the study evaluated whether the number of teaching-degree recipients from 2019 to 2021 would be sufficient to replace all teachers without appropriate training in 2022. They found that there would be a shortage of arts teachers in 18 states, physics teachers in 16 states, foreign language teachers in 15, philosophy and sociology teachers in 11, mathematics teachers in 10, biology, science, and geography teachers in 8, Portuguese teachers in 5, history and chemistry teachers in 2, and physical education teachers in one state. \u201cOur findings show a severe shortage of teachers across various states and subjects,\u201d says Bof, who holds a degree in literature and a PhD in education.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\n \n \n \n <\/picture>Alexandre Affonso \/ Revista Pesquisa FAPESP<\/span><\/div>
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Another contributor to the study, sociologist Luiz Carlos Zalaf Caseiro from INEP, notes that the gap in trained teachers is unrelated to a lack of available spots in teaching-degree programs. \u201cIn 2021, Brazil had 2.8 million available spots, of which only 300,000 were filled. This means that 2.5 million spots remained vacant, with a substantial portion in the private sector and in distance education programs,\u201d he reports. In-person teaching-degree programs at public universities also had a significant number of vacant spots. \u201cFrom 2014 to 2019, the vacancy rate in public institutions hovered around 20%, and in 2021, this percentage increased to 33%,\u201d he says. For programs like mathematics, the situation was even more dire. \u201cIn 2021, public universities recorded a 38% vacancy rate in in-person teaching-degree programs with a major in mathematics,\u201d Caseiro notes, highlighting that many filled spots are often abandoned shortly after. Furthermore, he adds, only one-third of students who complete teaching degrees opt for a teaching career; the majority pursue alternative professional paths. The study intersected data on active teachers from INEP\u2019s Basic Education Census with data on enrollments and graduates in teaching-degree programs from its Higher Education Census \u2014 these census surveys provide an annual snapshot of basic and higher education institutions, students, and educators.<\/p>\n

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Rubens Cavallari\u2009\/\u2009Folhapress<\/span>Students at a school in S\u00e3o Paulo attending an arts class \u2014 both subjects have seen a significant shortage of teachersRubens Cavallari\u2009\/\u2009Folhapress<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Teaching-degree programs are also grappling with the challenge of modernizing their curricula. Taking physics for example, Marcelo Alves Barros, a physicist from USP S\u00e3o Carlos, explains that physics teaching-degree students are typically not trained to teach the subject in a way that connects to other subjects and is relatable to basic-education students\u2019 experiences. According to Barros, the traditional method of framing and delivering physics content in the classroom is inconsistent with official guidelines, including the National Common Core Curriculum (BNCC) guidelines for secondary education. Issued in 2018, the current guidelines call for a shift from organizing school curricula by subject to an approach that encompasses broader fields of knowledge. Physics classes, for example, could be integrated into the larger realm of natural sciences, including chemistry and biology. Barros notes: \u201cAlthough this cross-subject approach is certainly an improvement, most physics teachers in Brazil are not equipped to implement it in the classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n

He believes the new secondary education framework enacted by Law no. 13,415 in 2017 \u2014 which introduces a flexible curriculum in the form of learning pathways (see<\/em> Pesquisa FAPESP issue n\u00ba\u00a0 316<\/em><\/a>) \u2014 poses a new challenge in training physics teachers. Acting teachers are currently not adequately trained to teach within the new framework. \u201cTeachers without the skills needed to apply the new secondary education curriculum are undermining students\u2019 learning performance. And when students perform poorly in physics, they are more unlikely to pursue a teaching degree in this field,\u201d he notes. The USP Institute of Physics in S\u00e3o Carlos has been an exception, notes Barros. Since the 1990s, students in the teaching program there have received a cross-disciplinary education that has equipped them to teach science, physics, chemistry, and mathematics for grades 6 through 9 as well as high school. To support the new model, the researcher believes physics teaching-degree programs should be revamped to align with modern scientific advancements, covering contemporary fields like quantum mechanics, relativity, and astrophysics while introducing innovative teaching methods. \u201cTo implement this approach in classrooms, it\u2019s essential for schools to have experimental laboratories to better capture student interest,\u201d suggests Barros, who is part of a FAPESP-funded project to overhaul science education.<\/p>\n

The new common core curriculum and high school reform have also posed challenges for teaching-degree programs majoring in history, says Marieta de Moraes Ferreira, a historian at UFRJ. \u201cThe new guidelines have streamlined basic education content in subjects such as sociology, history, and philosophy, shifting to a cross-disciplinary approach. However, teachers have not been adequately trained for these changes,\u201d Ferreira notes. The first degree programs in this field were established in Brazil in the 1930s with a focus on training teachers, she explains. In the 1970s, with the advent of graduate programs in history, higher education institutions began to prioritize research over training history teachers. The debate resurged in the 2000s as institutions began to distinguish between students pursuing a teaching degree and students pursuing a bachelor\u2019s degree to work as researchers. \u201cI disagree with this separation; I believe you cannot be a competent teacher without the ability to do research. To develop better educators, teaching programs should intertwine teaching activities with research focused on issues relevant to the classroom setting,\u201d she argues.<\/p>\n

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Ez Photos\u2009\/\u2009Alamy\u2009\/\u2009Fotoarena<\/span>High school students in Fortaleza, Cear\u00e1, a state that implemented a strategy to improve training for mathematics teachersEz Photos\u2009\/\u2009Alamy\u2009\/\u2009Fotoarena<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Jorge Herbert Soares de Lira, a mathematician at the Federal University of Cear\u00e1 (UFC), agrees that the new core curriculum has the potential to enhance teaching and learning, but says these changes also need to be reflected in teaching-degree programs. Lira, who serves as the chief scientist at the Cear\u00e1 State Department of Education (SEDUC), believes there is a need to combine in-depth content with effective teaching strategies for mathematics. In the latest Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which assesses student performance in mathematics, science, and reading, Brazil ranked among the bottom 10 countries worldwide in mathematics proficiency.<\/p>\n

To determine why student achievement in mathematics stagnates or declines when they enter lower secondary education, a group of researchers from UFC, led by Lira, partnered with SEDUC to conduct a survey in 2018. \u201cSchool principals and coordinators were puzzled by a distinctive plateau in students\u2019 math performance when transitioning from primary to lower secondary education. This led us to conduct an in-depth investigation to determine the root cause of the problem,\u201d he recounts. The UFC researchers analyzed historical data on school achievement among middle and high public-school students in Cear\u00e1, and found that students began struggling on a massive scale during their transition from primary to lower secondary education. Concurrently, they assessed teachers\u2019 pedagogical skills and found gaps in their ability to teach basic concepts since the early years of elementary education \u2014 from fractions and understanding graphs and tables to the decimal numeral system and basic arithmetic operations. \u201cTeachers lack an in-depth understanding of basic mathematics and the complex skills necessary to teach the foundational concepts introduced in the initial stages of basic education. Consequently, they are ill-prepared to guide students in applying these concepts in more complex contexts, particularly from the 6th<\/sup> grade onward,\u201d remarks Lira.<\/p>\n

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Lalo de Almeida\u2009\/\u2009Folhapress\u2002<\/span>A history class at a school in Rio Branco, AcreLalo de Almeida\u2009\/\u2009Folhapress\u2002<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Based on the researchers\u2019 report, the State Department of Education (SEDUC) commenced periodic assessments to pinpoint the areas where students were struggling. Based on the findings from these assessments, the department initiated training programs to better equip educators to teach fundamental topics within the curriculum. \u201cWe train teachers on revisiting basic concepts and linking them to the more complex ones using teaching strategies that present students with problems based on everyday, scientific, social, and economic contexts,\u201d Lira adds. His project is funded by the Cear\u00e1 Foundation for Scientific and Technological Development Support (FUNCAP). For Lira, giving students a solid foundation in math throughout basic education can increase their interest in teaching the subject in the future.<\/p>\n

Marcos Neira says an overhaul is needed of the 28 teaching-degree programs at USP to avoid the issues Lira identified in Cear\u00e1 and address those found in S\u00e3o Paulo. The institution, he adds, has launched initiatives to support program coordinators in reformulating the curriculum. \u201cWe plan to offer integrated programs, moving away from the notion that bachelor\u2019s and teaching degrees should be pursued separately,\u201d he concludes. USP is exploring a partnership with the S\u00e3o Paulo State Department of Education to offer paid internships in public schools to students studying for teaching degrees.<\/p>\n

Researchers are advocating for a reformulation of teaching-degree programs to provide comprehensive training not only in the subject to be taught but also in the practical and educational skills needed to teach it effectively. \u201cWhatever the subject, students in teaching programs should receive specialized training covering areas like educational policies, curriculum theory, planning and evaluation, school management, and pedagogical organization,\u201d says M\u00e1rcia Aparecida Jacomini, a professor of education at the Federal University of S\u00e3o Paulo (UNIFESP). She notes that many teaching-degree courses currently focus heavily on teaching the subject itself, often sidelining crucial practical and methodological aspects essential for a successful learning process.<\/p>\n