Abstract

With respect to Initial Teacher Training programs, the evidence clearly indicates an urgent need to coordinate projects in the short- and medium-term to train teachers for the far northern regions of Chile, as the turnover in Elementary School Training programs is very low in comparison to the current need for professionals in the area. In fact, statistics show that the dropout rates are higher than new teacher incorporation. This data, crossed with the results of external evaluations by both students and teachers, confirm the urgent need to strengthen the professional performance of teachers working in this part of the country, thus validating the opportunity to generate a new initial teacher training proposal focused on this segment. Within this framework, the Universidad Católica del Norte decided to redesign the accredited and online Elementary School Teacher Training Continuing Studies Program, ascribed to the Academic Vice-Chancellor’s Office. The redesign was based on qualitative action research, which translated the national, regional and institutional needs into guidelines for the Elementary School Teacher Training Continuing Studies Program. The program was redesigned in seven phases, and its key product was the reconstruction of the Elementary Education Continuing Studies Program, consisting of four semesters and a curricular structure that responds both to the direction of public policy and the demands of the specific context.