Las Conferencias Pedagógicas, una alternativa decimonónica para la formación permanente del magisterio español

Abstract

The Pedagogical Conferences were the first systematic model for the continuing education of Spanish teachers. They were regulated in 1887 and their organization belonged to the Teacher Training Schools, extending their involvement beyond academic activity. Learning during professional development was an attempt at pedagogical renewal. They sought the participation of educational stakeholders to promote educational progress by contributing with ideas and energizing school activities. These alternative meetings reflected the dire situation of the teaching profession and the precariousness of education, although they had uneven development across the different provinces of Spain. This paper analyzes the beginnings of continuing education for teachers and its updating in the 19th century through the Pedagogical Conferences, with a special emphasis on the Canary Islands, with the aim of understanding their impact and influence on the island’s teaching profession.