5 Findings and discussion
This chapter presents the findings from the collected data of the semi-structured interviews with TTI teachers, TTI students attending the 6th semester and teachers of a rural and an urban school in Mexico and from the unstructured observations. This section includes a comparison of the perceptions of the TTI teachers and students as an attempt to explore different angles of the same topics. Five major and relevant themes have emerged from the participants’ views; the TTI teachers’ capacity to develop TTI’s students’ competences, the TTI curriculum’s role in promoting an equitable and inclusive approach in education, the TTI students’ and teachers’
response to the diverse socioeconomic contexts in Mexico’s schools, the TTI teaching practices role in the TTI students’ training towards E&I and the educational policies in Mexico towards lifelong learning opportunities for all.
5.1 Theme 1. The TTI teacher’s capacity to develop the TTI students’
competences
Most of the TTI teachers and teachers agreed that the TTI have been in constant evolution and transformation. New educational policies’ reforms have been part of the efforts to improve the quality of the TTI schools, consequently, the quality of the candidate teachers.
I have been through 3 important educational reforms in the TTI; 1984, 1997 and 2011, each of those reforms involved the implementation of a new curriculum. I think things have improved for TTI over the years, things are not as politicised as before, TTI teachers are obtaining more rights and teachers are now evaluated (TTI1).
As pointed out by TR1, transforming teacher’s education into a higher education level, was an important step to improve and reinforce the teaching profession. Moreover, the changes in the entry requirements have improved the perception people have of teachers.
I have been teaching for more than 38 years, I enrolled the TTI after secondary education; therefore, I was a licensed teacher at the age of 18. I think the teaching profession was underestimated back in the years but that changed once the entry requirements were modified (TR1)
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But according to all TTI1, the TTI still struggle with important limitations that translate in the lack of tools for the students, such as limited access to internet and books.
The TTI conditions are okay, especially the classrooms are good, but the computers are insufficient, and we also suffer a lack of books. (TTI1)
Furthermore, most of the students consider that the lack of resources and tools affects their productivity and the situation is time consuming. They need to work on their assignments at home or in the coffee shops to use the internet or photocopy materials they don’t find in the school library (S6). Nevertheless, even though all students mentioned the shortages in the TTI, they were highly critical about their teachers.
We are preparing to be teachers; therefore, we become very critical of the TTI teachers.
In my personal experience, I have had two teachers that I see as a role model, the rest don’t engage me in the class, or they really don’t know much about the teaching profession (S2).
All students concur with this issue; they have the impression that some of the teachers lack the knowledge and skills to provide quality teaching. They also commented that some of the teachers have not received teacher training.
We have teachers that have never taught in primary education, for me is important that teachers tell me about the challenges in the classroom and how to intervene in real life situations (S4).
How are they supposed to tell me how to react to situations in the classrooms, if they haven’t done it? They cannot tell me what works (S6).
As pointed out in the literature review, the teacher factor is crucial to develop the students’
competence (Griffin, 1999). As stated by most TTI students, the TTI teachers are not only expected to give a lecture and to teach, they are also expected to influence and set the example of what teaching must be.
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Nevertheless, according to TTIS3 there are some challenges in the selection of TTI teachers that are affecting the students directly.
Some of the teachers are good, but many others are not, or don’t know how to approach us, it seems they are not interested in teaching. For some of us, it’s very clear, they haven’t planned and prepared the class, and we all end up reading some articles, theories or even book chapters. This is very bad for me. I really want to see how good teaching looks like, and sometimes I just want the class to be over (S3).
All the TTI students agree on the issue; as S6 points out, some of the TTI teachers don’t use pedagogic methods or consider the student’s learning needs. In addition, the classes are conducted in blocks of 1 hour and 40 minutes and the only breaks the students have are those in between classes when they wait for the next teacher to arrive.
The standards of the TTI are very low, the teachers promote traditional teaching; they speak, they write and present the class. They don’t really consider our learning styles.
It doesn’t help that we must sit and see the same story from 7:00 to 13:40. It seems that the teachers prepare 50 minutes of class and the rest of the time is left for improvisation (S6.)
As referred by SEP (n.d.), the MES has gone throughout significant policy reforms that have hardened the entry requirements for teacher candidates. Nevertheless, the participants
suggested that the recruitment of candidates is still politicized and somehow unclear. Both, the TTI teachers and the students recognize the issue, they agreed that the recruitment of TTI teachers lacks clarity and is ineffective.
There is a “tradition” in TTI that consist on inheriting the teaching positions of those teachers who have retired. For example, if my father was a teacher in a TTI, and I decided to become an engineer or a doctor, any other profession, I can still get a position as a TTI teacher, it doesn’t matter that I don’t have the qualifications, it is about connections (TTI1).
Most of the TTI students mentioned this issue; they feel frustrated with the fact that they are being taught by teachers who don’t have the formal training, academic profile, experience and sometimes interest in the teaching profession. TTI1 pointed out that this practice of inheriting the job positions called “plazas” is derived by negotiations and agreements between the SEP and the SNTE and it’s an unwritten rule.
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Some of the participants concurred that the SNTE is an obstacle in the MES, the teachers also pointed out that the union is highly politicised institution with unclear interests.
I am very frustrated with the TTI teachers who have never taught before, it is difficult for us to learn how to be in a classroom if our teachers are trained in gastronomy. A TTI teacher is supposed to transmit knowledge to us and to show us how to perform properly (TTI1).
According to most of the students and teachers, the current situation suggests that there are rooted issues in the system that impedes the development of quality teachers. Consequently, most of the participants feel demotivated by the situation; they are concerned that they will not be prepared properly for the teaching profession. Some students even considered to drop out and change to other school.
If we don’t get to have quality teachers in TTI, what can be expected from us? Are we supposed to learn by ourselves and find out how to manage once we are in the classroom? I’m disappointed of the system, I have also lacked motivation. I will finish my studies because I don’t consider myself a quitter, but my perspective on the profession has changed dramatically (S1).
The issue of the quality of TTI teachers was somehow unexpected by the researcher, as previously stated in the research questions, the focus of this study is the curricula and the teaching practices, but both students and TTI teachers repeatedly commented about the relevance of the problem. When it comes to teachers (urban and rural) four out of six agree with the former; as pointed out by TU1, the production of quality teachers will remain a challenge if the TTI teachers are not equipped to provide appropriate teaching.
I was motivated to become a teacher, so I could change children’s lives, but I see that the problems in MES start in the TTI. I personally believe that I made myself a teacher, by learning in the schools and by doing research (TU1).
We are hiring many young and inexperienced teachers, they can interpret the TTI curricula very differently, because they have the freedom to do so, and that is dangerous (TTI1).
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TTI teachers also stated that they have peers they don’t fit the profile to develop TTI student’s competences; furthermore, some of the TTI teachers haven’t received teacher training. TTI1 pointed out that besides the lack of formal training, those teachers are not really interested and committed to the teaching profession.
There are many new pensioners in the MES that pass their positions to their family members. The teaching positions are very valued in Mexico because they are a stable source of income. They provide access to social security and way more holidays a year than in any other job in Mexico. It is sad, but for many people it is convenient to become a teacher even if this is not their profession (TTI1).
TTI teachers recognise the risk in the practice of inheriting the teaching positions; they agree that this is one of the most harmful practices in the TTI, that directly impact the TTI students’
learning outcomes and motivation.
Some of those teachers are engineers or architects, they don’t know of pedagogy and how to recognize the student’s needs. The TTI is in the need for reforms to occur to renew the system and eliminate those kind of practices (TTI1).
Nevertheless, the corruption within the MES and specifically in the TTI was mentioned by some of the participants, especially from students and teachers. S3 mentioned that she has witnessed and was part of the corruption in the system; she didn’t pass the entrance exam to the TTI, but S3 had connections that made the enrolment to the TTI possible.
5.2 Theme 2. The TTI curricula’s role in promoting an equitable and inclusive approach in education
The TTI curriculum aims to respond to the needs of knowledge and professional competence that teachers require. As described by SEP (n.d.), the TTI curricula has gone through a sustained evolution (SEP, n.d.). The most recent reforms to the curricula incentive a more inclusive and humanistic education, nevertheless, the findings show mixed perceptions on the TTI curricula.
All the TTI students agreed that the optative courses lack relevance.
I feel satisfied with the TTI curriculum; I think it is balanced and that we have many courses that are very good a critical in our formation, especially those that prepare you to plan the classes and the learning environments. But the optative courses are just a waste of time, they are changed every semester and we don’t manage to have a proper follow up of the courses (S2).
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I think that the optative courses are just subjects that attempt to complement the curricula, but they are not very relevant because they will not have continuation, I think they should skip optative courses and add more practical oriented courses (S6).
All the TTI teachers concur when questions about the curricula, they consider that it covers important aspects of the teachers’ competences, and it is very well planned. In the other hand, TTI students and teachers consider is good, but is lacking courses with relevant practical interaction. As TU2 points out, there are things that you can only learn by doing, and the theories in the classrooms require the practical approach to understand how handle situations in the schools. Furthermore, (S6) commented that the TTI curricula sometimes lacks coherency with the situations they face in the schools in their teaching practices.
I think teachers in TTI could do the classes more practical. We study a lot of theory, but I think we need to put all this information in the real context. We should be taught on how to apply this into the teaching practice (S3).
Sometimes you learn relevant theory in the TTI classrooms and read a lot about them, TTI teachers encourage you to apply it once you become a teacher, nevertheless, once you go to observe the classes (in the teaching practices) you see the teachers doing exactly the opposite, it is a bit contradictory sometimes (S6).
The former statement suggests a mismatch between the theoretical and practical training, it also raises a concern on the selection of the teachers in the schools of the teaching practices. TTI1 and TTI4 added relevant comments on the TTI curriculum’s design.
The TTI curriculum in Mexico has always considered the European models, and that is good, but they need to adapt it more to the realities we live in Mexico, it needs relevant adjustments (TTI1).
I think the TTI curriculum is correct, but it’s missing a human approach on it. We live in conflictive times, with many social and political problems; this can be a good way to influence the development of good persons and good citizens (TTI4).
As described by the SEP (n.d.), the TTI curriculum has two relevant courses aimed to train teachers to achieve E&I in education. Nevertheless, when the participants were asked whether the TTI curricula was designed to prepare TTI students to promote equity and inclusion, the TTI teachers didn’t agree with teachers and students. According to TTI teachers, the curriculum integrates new subjects that do respond to the needs of the vulnerable groups. On the contrary, the teachers and the TTI students feel the TTI curriculum doesn’t address the topic in depth.
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The teachers also stated the importance to increase or extend subjects that relate to equity and inclusion in the TTI.
The TTI curriculum has integrated courses that are focused in the children from disadvantaged groups and to pay attention to the diversity of the children, the curricula now promotes inclusion and tolerance (TTI2).
We have two subjects that relate directly to educating disadvantaged children;
“attention to diversity” and “curriculum adaptations” but I think something is missing.
I haven’t been leading a class before, but after the teacher practices I have the impression that I need more training to handle children with learning barriers (S5).
The reality is very different of what you are told in the TTI, this is something I didn’t see in the teacher practices either. I do believe that the TTI curricula must be more sensitive to consider the many different situations we have in real life. If this is not possible in the TTI classrooms, they must include this in the teacher practices somehow. Students need to see and understand the challenges they will face (TU1).