Honduras

Abstract

One of the main limitations to educational progress in Central America is the poor quality of teacher training. Because of this, the majority of those teaching at the primary level, have not mastered Early Grade Literacy (EGL) content knowledge and skills. The objective of this article is to present research findings which analyze the state of EGL pre-service teacher education at the National Pedagogical University (UPNFM) of Honduras. The data comes from a mapping of the EGL courses of the Basic Education Teaching Curriculum for the I and II Cycles in the bachelor’s degree field, against a conceptual framework based on current evidence on the teaching of EGL. In addition, teacher trainers and teachers in training were interviewed and observed. This qualitative study was carried out from July 2018 to March 2019. The results show that the strength of the program is the curricular design based on the competency-based education model. However, courses related to EGL teaching are insufficiently aligned with the scientific evidence. There are gaps in the curriculum that weaken the teacher training process and result in gaps in teacher trainees’ mastery of EGL content and pedagogical knowledge. These findings are presented along with recommendations for improving teacher training as a part of other efforts to provide greater opportunities to children.