Teacher education in Brazil

historical trajectories, contemporary challenges, and digital technologies

Abstract

Teacher education in Brazil has undergone profound historical transformations, shaped by enduring disputes between technical-instrumental models and critical-emancipatory perspectives, a process further intensified by the implementation of regulatory policies and the proliferation of digital technologies. This article addresses how educational policies and historical trajectories influence teacher identity, professional practice, and autonomy, especially in contexts defined by curricular standardization and evaluative control. The study aims to critically examine the phases, ruptures, and continuities that have characterized teacher education in the country, with particular emphasis on the implications of contemporary legal frameworks and policy directives (such as the LDB, BNCC, and BNC-Formação) and the pervasive influence of digital culture. Findings highlight ongoing tensions between the formal recognition of continuing professional development and international agendas that prioritize efficiency and individual accountability, frequently at the expense of pedagogical autonomy. Nonetheless, the study also reveals significant spaces for resistance, collegial collaboration, and innovative pedagogical practices that reaffirm the teacher’s role as a historical subject. It is argued that the future of teacher education depends on acknowledging educators not as mere implementers of prescribed content, but as public intellectuals, active mediators of knowledge, and leading agents of educational and social transformation. Addressing current challenges requires the articulation of historical foundations, critical analysis, and contextually responsive pedagogical practices.