TEACHER TRAINING AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGES: CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES AND POSSIBLE WAYS FORWARD

Abstract

This text, grounded in authors such as Valente (2005), Sancho (2006), Papert (1985), Lévy (1999), Fairclough (2001), Quijano (2005), and Silva (2022), discusses the need for ongoing teacher education that is responsive to social and technological changes, emphasizing the role of teachers as agents of innovation and development. Initial teacher education in Brazil is characterized by fragility, with excessive focus on theoretical content and limited attention to the critical use of educational technologies. The dominance of distance learning and private institutions in teacher training exacerbates the issue, often leading to educators entering classrooms unprepared for digital demands. Teacher autonomy regarding technology is linked to critical training, as highlighted by Fairclough and Quijano in their analyses of power relations and the coloniality of knowledge. The devaluation of teacher education courses and lack of structured opportunities for technological training contribute to the reproduction of educational inequalities. The text also addresses the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education and, drawing from Silva (2022), underscores the need to prepare teachers to face the ethical and pedagogical challenges posed by these tools. Finally, it argues that teacher education should be a state priority, integrating infrastructure, digital literacy, and professional appreciation to ensure equitable and emancipatory education.