El desarrollo profesional del profesorado de español para estudiantes inmigranteslogros y retos pendientes

Abstract

Teaching of Spanish to immigrant students as a vehicular language in schools has been underway in Spain since the 1990s. From the outset, this work has been carried out by a new figure: the teacher of the designated “special classrooms for immigrants” or “temporary classrooms for linguistic adaptation”. After 25 years, their role has become institutionalized, but some issues related to their professional development remain worthy of analysis. This paper explores the key determinants of this process, examining the factors that define how their work is carried out, their status and professional promotion, and their impact on the positive management of cultural diversity. To this end, qualitative research and the use of techniques such as interviews and focus groups are applied. The perceptions of Spanish teachers in three Andalusian provinces -Cadiz, Granada and Huelva- are analysed. The results highlight the importance that factors such as itinerancy, the loneliness they experience, the resources and spaces they have access to, the inclusive culture of schools and the predisposition to teacher collaboration have in the development of their work. Likewise, they underline the scant use made by the educational administration of Spanish teachers’ experience in cultural diversity.