Useful characteristics of a teacher development program, according to university professors

Abstract

This paper aims to identify aspects of a teacher development program as perceived by university professors as useful for their development as teachers. The pedagogical-didactic training proposal consisted of a series of voluntary participation events that took place during an academic semester at a Mexican university. Using qualitative methodology, categories were generated from the analysis of two sources: immediate and written responses in which professors evaluated the aspects they considered useful in each training event they attended, and brief interviews conducted one month after the event. As a result, five categories are presented that enunciate the characteristics of the training events considered useful: they served to obtain practical ideas and theoretical support, they built a space for reflection and awareness, they helped to implement the subject matter under study during the event, and offered a place for exchanging knowledge, ideas and experiences with colleagues. These results are similar to those of studies carried out in North America, Europe, Asia and Nordic countries.