Initial training of future teachers of Secondary Educationan assessment of the pedagogical competences acquired

Resumen

The basic competences in Compulsory Secondary Education, specifically the pedagogical ones, take on particular importance in the initial stages of teacher training. In this study, therefore, we assess the pedagogical competences acquired by future teachers of secondary education, in addition to reviewing the initial training they receive. Methodologically, the experimental design involved applying an instrument created ad hoc on a sample of future secondary education teachers in Castile & Leon (Spain) (N=173) who were students of a Master’s degree program in teaching. Forty percent of the sample were men and 60% were women; all of them were graduates of universities both from different parts of Spain and from other countries, and 50% stated they had previous teaching experience before starting the Master’s program. The results show that half of these future teachers consider that they had acquired the pedagogical competences taught to them throughout their initial training in the Master’s program for Secondary Education and they gave a very positive assessment of the importance of receiving this kind of training considering their future as educational professionals. As our main conclusion we would highlight the great importance of generic training in pedagogical competences, and the relevance of this type of training for correct professional performance in teaching-learning processes. Finally, we propose a future study on the impact of this initial training, as well as its repercussion on the teaching to be done in secondary education classrooms.