A SEARCH FOR NEW ALTERNATIVES IN THE EDUCATION OF MEXICO'S FUTURE PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

This study, originally conducted in Spanish, represents exploratory research carried out for planning purposes. Participatory planning methods were used to delineate the complex problem that introducing new alternatives for the future education of Mexico's primary school teachers constitutes. These alternatives should both have the support of normal school personnel and be feasible for implementation between 1977 and 1986.;The fieldwork on which the study's conclusions are based was accomplished by means of a participatory planning tool that has been called the, "Panel Questionnaire for Formulating New Alternatives". This questionnaire was administered to a scattered sampling of primary normal school directors, teachers, and senior year students. Conventional and unconventional research methods were combined in the development and administration of the panel questionnaire and included such resources as historical analysis, content analysis, statistical analysis, the delphi policy, and action research. The questionnaire underwent development from 1974 to 1976.;Questionnaire participants were selected by means of a systematic subsampling of staff and students selected from the lists of a national sample of fifty-five primary normal schools. These schools were chosen by the random numbers process from the National Catalog of Schools, updated through 1976.;The first round of the questionnaire was conducted between mid-November of 1976 and February of 1977. Four hundred and twenty-four participants responded. The second and third rounds yielded responses from three hundred and fifty-five participants.;Participants proved to be in wide agreement on the proposals which they considered to be innovative and top priorities. However, there was diversity in the strategies they proposed to achieve realization of the highest priority proposals.;The questionnaire participants formulated a fundamental, coherent body of proposals relating to the future content and future organization of teacher education. These in turn served as the basis for structuring alternatives for implementing new teacher education policy. Among these actions are: (1) Setting a date by which time high school studies will become a prerequisite to admission into normal education, (2) Establishment of an interinstitutionally supported, national program to select and train teacher educators, (3) Selection of candidates for educational careers, (4) Restructuring basic and higher normal schools' courses and programs and the coordination of these programs with those offered by the National Pedagogical University. . . . (Author's abstract exceeds stipulated maximum length. Discontinued here with permission of author.) UMI.