This document summarizes statistics about teachers in Portugal who have obtained graduate degrees. It finds that 8% of teachers have graduate degrees, with most having 11-20 or 21-30 years of experience. The majority studied educational sciences (72%) rather than a specific discipline. Most teachers were satisfied with their degree and reported substantial knowledge increases and self-satisfaction. They applied their new competencies to areas like planning, developing resources, and student assessment. The main constraints were lack of resources, management recognition, and resistance from families.

6. Levels National
totals
Teachers with
graduate degrees
Sample
Pre-K 8.343 336M+6D 244
1-4 24.640 994M+22D 845
5-6 80.845
21843+
59002
8123M+421D 2872
7-9 +
10-12
Special
needs
2.325 16M+2D 236
TOTALS 116153 9.469M (8%) +
451D (0.4%)
4.197
End of
2012/13

7. Years of experience Frequency %
Less then 5 23 0,5 %
5 - 10 209 5,0 %
11 - 20 1900 45,3 %
21 - 30 1554 37,0 %
More then 30 511 12,2 %

8. Area Nº of teachers %
N= 4197
Specific scientific
discipline
1185 28,2
Educational studies 3012 71,8

9. Educational Sciences field N %
Management and school administration 499 11,9
Specific didactics 235 5,6
ICT 156 3,7
Supervision of professional practice 310 7,4
Teacher assessment 15 0,4
Curriculum development 73 1,7

10. Reasons %
Personal satisfaction 59,1
Career progression 23,4
Need to improve knowledge 55,9
Improve professional practice 53,9
Distance training opportunity 1,7
Enrolling a prestigious university 1,7
Answering new school demands (administration, assessment, ...) 12,7
Others 6,4

11. Did the degree answer your expectations %
Completely 41,9
A lot 48,8
Enough 8,2
Not enough 0,9
Not at all 0,02

12. Reasons %
Improve professional practice 40,5
Supervisor’s suggestion 5,4
Easy access to the study subjects 7,9
Improve my knowledge in a specific area 19,7
Motivation for the theme 47,2
Answering new school demands (administration, assessment, ...) 12,7
Others 6,4

13. Perceived effects None +
low %
High +
very high %
Improved status in the workplace 78,5 21,5
Change to new functions 82,7 17,3
Substantial knowledge increase 4,3 95,7
Space of personal renewal 6,9 83,2
Peer recognition 68,3 31,7
Self-satisfaction 4,2 95,8
Career progression 73.9 26,1

14. Use given to the new competences acquired None +
low %
High + very
high %
Planning 34,6 60,6
Conception and development of pedagogical resources 26,4 73,6
Diversifying classroom strategies 23,1 76,9
Improved student-teacher relationships 34,9 65,1
Promoting new student-teacher
interaction/communication strategies
25,3 74,7
Student assessment 38,7 61,3

15. Use given to the new competences acquired None +
low %
High + very
high %
Curricular and disciplinary articulation 33,6 66,4
Cooperation/integration in supervising and management structures 62,9 37,1
Relationship with the educational community 50,7 49,3
Updating personal knowledge 4,6 95,4
Improving professional performance 11,6 88,4
Society intervention 45,0 55,0
Autonomous work 12,9 87,2

16. Constraints Strongly disagree +
partially disagree %
Partially agree+
strongly agree %
Lack of resources to support a change in practices 50,5 49,4
Management recognition 55,9 44,1
Peer recognition 57,8 42,2
Resistance by families 91,5 8,5
Student difficulties 91,3 8,7

17. Constraints Strongly disagree +
partially disagree %
Partially agree+
strongly agree %
Lack of incentive policies at the school level 47,6 52,4
Lack of collaboration with other colleagues 63,9 36,1
Lack of new school organization strategies 57,1 42,9
Administrative work overload 35,7 64,3

18. Years of experience %
11 - 20 21,4 %
21 - 30 48,3 %
More then 30 30,3 %
TOTAL 100 %

20. No
Yes
n/a

21. No
Yes
n/a

22. No
Yes
n/a

23. No
Yes
n/a

24. No
Yes
n/a

27. Luís Tinoca
ltinoca@ie.ulisboa.pt
Amadeu de Souza Cardoso,
CAM, FCG