Chapters authored
Perspective Chapter: MOOC – A Decade Later! What Is the Current Situation in Teacher Education?
The growth of distance education, even if in emergency modalities such as those compelled by the pandemic context in which we live in the last 3 years, seems to have potentiated a second massification of the use of MOOC. In this sense, it looks important to us to make research on the current status of these courses, namely, regarding their adoption in the continuing education of teachers. The study was based on a survey of the MOOCs carried out in the context of in-service teacher training in Portugal. The exploratory research focused only on the last 3 years—which involved the pandemic. The information was collected in the NAU platform, but also by searching for keywords in the search engines of MOOCs carried out in the field of teacher training. This way it will be possible to understand, in a more concrete and deeper way, the impact of this technology on teacher training in Portugal and the contribution it can make to improve the quality of the teacher training.
Part of the book: Massive Open Online Courses - Current Practice and Future Trends
Challenges of Artificial Intelligence in Teacher Training: Perceptions of Future Teachers
The growing presence of AI-based tools in teaching practices presents new challenges for training institutions, requiring future teachers to be prepared not only to use these technologies but also to critically understand their implications. This study aims to investigate future teachers’ perceptions of the main challenges of AI in teacher training, focusing on three central dimensions: technological, pedagogical, and ethical challenges. The research employed a quantitative–descriptive approach, utilizing a questionnaire-based method with a sample of 72 participants. The respondents were students enrolled in the Bachelor’s degree in Basic Education and the professional Master’s degree in Teaching at a higher education institution located in northern Portugal. The results not only reveal a widespread perception of the relevance of AI for pedagogical practice but also point to significant limitations. On the technological level, difficulties related to the available infrastructure and the digital training of teachers in training stand out. Pedagogical challenges are associated with the effective integration of AI tools into teaching strategies, as well as the redefinition of the teacher’s role in a technology-mediated setting. Finally, ethical challenges include concerns about data privacy, algorithm transparency, and the risks of dehumanization of the educational process. It is concluded that teacher training should incorporate a critical and interdisciplinary approach to AI, promoting technical, pedagogical, and ethical skills that enable future educators to act responsibly and conscientiously in an increasingly digital and automated educational setting.
Part of the book: Construction of a Learning Society