In order to teach in the different non-university programmes established by Article 100 of Organic Law of Education 2/2006 (LOE) as amended by Organic Law 3/2020 (LOMLOE), it is necessary to hold the corresponding academic qualifications and to have the pedagogical and didactic training established by the Government for each programme.
Institutions, level and models of training
The initial training of early childhood education technicians and early childhood and primary education teachers is concurrent, i.e. it combines theoretical and practical training related to teaching with training and study in the subjects they will teach as teachers.
The training of future teachers of Compulsory Secondary Education, Baccalaureate, Vocational Training and Special Regime Education is consecutive, i.e. they first receive academic training in the specific subjects of their chosen first-cycle university degree and, after obtaining the degree, they acquire a master's degree in pedagogical and didactic training which includes internships.
Initial training is provided in different institutions and lasts for different lengths of time depending on the level of education at which the teaching profession is to be pursued.
EDUCATION LEVELS |
PROFESSIONAL TITLES (PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION) SPECIALITIES (PRIMARY EDUCATION) STUDIES (POST-COMPULSORY SECONDARY EDUCATION) |
INITIAL EDUCATION | INSTITUTIONS | LENGTH | ||
PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION (0-6 years old) |
Advanced Technician of Pre-Primary Education (teaching in the first cycle: 0-3 years old) | Advanced Vocational Training Cycle in Early Childhood Education |
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2 academic years (instruction time: 2000 hours)1 120 ECTS |
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School Teacher of Pre-Primary Education | Bachelor's degree in Pre-Primary Education School Teacher | Public or private university education institutions |
4 academic years 240 ECTS (30-60 ECTS of the qualifying mention) |
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PRIMARY EDUCATION (6-12 years old) |
Primary Education | Bachelor degree in Primary Education School Teacher | Public or private university education institutions |
4 academic years 240 ECTS (30-60 ECTS of the qualifying mention) |
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Music speciality | Bachelor's degree in Primary Education School Teacher | With qualifying mention in Music | ||||
Physical Education speciality | With qualifying mention in Physical Education | |||||
Foreign Language speciality (French, English, German) | With qualifying mention in Foreign Language in the corresponding language and accreditation of the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages | |||||
Specialities related to attention to diversity of students during their learning process | Speciality of Therapeutic Pedagogy2 | With qualifying mention in Therapeutic Pedagogy3 | ||||
Speciality of Hearing and Speech2 |
With qualifying mention in Hearing and Speech | |||||
LOWER COMPULSORY SECONDARY EDUCATION (ESO) (12-16 years) |
PhD, Bachelor's degree, degree in Engineering or Architecture, or the corresponding degree or other equivalent qualifications for teaching purposes Pedagogical and teaching training at postgraduate level (University Master's Degree in Teacher Training for Secondary Education, Bachillerato, Vocational Training and Language Teaching.) Specialities that cannot be studied in a Master's programme: Equivalent official certification |
Public or private university education institutions |
Degree: 4 academic years 240 ECTS Master: 1 academic year 60 ECTS (up to 120 ECTS max.) |
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POST-COMPULSORY SECONDARY EDUCATION | Bachillerato |
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Vocational Training (VT) | ||||||
Specialised Education (Artistic and Sport Education) |
2 Teachers of these specialities are part of the educational and psycho-pedagogical guidance teams in Early Childhood and Primary Education, and of the guidance departments in Secondary Education.
3 Or those other qualifying mentions related to the assistance to pupils with special educational needs.
The institutions that provide the degrees required for initial teacher training have a great degree of autonomy to organise time for:
- theoretical and practical training, within the limits established by the competent education authorities;
- external internship hours, although they must comply with the following requirements:
- Advanced Training Cycle in Early Childhood Education (ANNEX I and ANNEX II, Order ESD/4066/2008): 400 hours Workplace Training module.
- University Degree in Early Childhood Education and Primary Education (ANNEX, Order ECI/3854/2007 and ANNEX, Order ECI/3857/2007): 30 to 60 ECTS 'Practicum' module. This module includes the End of Degree Project, which must have a minimum of 6 credits and a maximum of 12.5% of the total credits of the degree.
- University degree (Article 14, Royal Decree 822/2021): up to 25 % of the total credits of each degree. The variability is associated with the number of ECTS credits that each university assigns to the 'Practicum' module, and whether the End of Degree Project is included in this module. If it is included, it is associated with the number of credits assigned to it, with a minimum of 6 credits and a maximum of 12.5% of the total number of credits of the degree.
- University Master's Degree in Teacher Training for Secondary Education and Baccalaureate, Vocational Training and Language Teaching (ANNEX, Order ECI/3858/2007): 16 ECTS 'Practicum' module.
Admission requirements
Pre-primary and Primary Education
In order to work as an Advanced Technician in Early Childhood Education, the Advanced Training Cycle in Early Childhood Education must be completed.
In order to access advanced training cycles, at least one of the following requirements must be fulfilled (article 112 of Royal Decree 659/2023):
- completion of the Intermediate Level Vocational Training Technical qualification or the Plastic Arts and Design Technical qualification;
- completion of Baccalaureate qualification;
- successful completion of a Grade C training offer included in the training cycle;
- completion of a specific free preparatory training course for access to advanced level cycles in centres expressly authorised by the Education Administration; having passed an entrance exam;
- possession of an Advanced Vocational Training Technical qualification or a university degree.
To access the University Degrees in Early Childhood Education Teacher and Primary Education Teacher, at least one of the following requirements must be met (article 3 of Royal Decree 412/2014):
- completion of the Bachillerato degree or the equivalent and have passed the University Entrance Examination;
- completion of a VT Advanced Technician certificate;
- having passed the university entrance examination for students over 25.
Secondary education
According to article 9 of Royal Decree 1834/2008, a master's degree level of pedagogical and didactic training is required, which takes the form of the Master's Degree in Teacher Training for Secondary, Baccalaureate, Vocational Training and Language Teaching. To access to this master's degree, each university establishes specific requirements that include:
- holding an official Spanish university degree or other qualification issued by a higher education institution in the European Higher Education Area that entitles the holder to access master's degree courses in the country issuing the degree;
- accreditation of mastery of the competences concerning the targeted specialisation by taking a test designed for this purpose by universities, from which those in possession of any of the university degrees that correspond to the subject will be exempt;
- proficient command of a foreign language equivalent to level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages;
- accreditation of proficiency in the co-official language and in Spanish, in those autonomous communities with a co-official language.
The Didactic Specialisation or the Official Master's Degree is a requirement for teaching in compulsory secondary education and Bachillerato, unless, prior to 1 October 2009, one of the following requirements is met:
- holding the Certificate of Pedagogical Aptitude, the Professional Titles of Didactic Specialisation, or the Certificate of Pedagogical Qualification;
- holding a degree in Teaching, a degree in Pedagogy or in Psychopedagogy, or a bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification including pedagogical and didactic training;
- having completed 180 credits in one of the three aforementioned degrees by 1 October 2009;
- having taught for a minimum of 12 months in public or private regulated education centres, at the levels and in the teaching specialities regulated in Royal Decree 1834/2008.
Curriculum, level of specialisation and learning outcomes
- Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports (MEFD): it sets the requirements for verifying the official university degrees of bachelor and master that enable the exercise of teaching in non-university education, vocational training and specialised education (artistic and sports education).
- Universities: they autonomously establish the study programmes for bachelor's degrees and second cycle degrees in line with the minimum requirements established in the State regulations, which are evaluated by the competent organisms.
Curriculum
Pre-primary and Primary Education
Advanced Vocational Training Cycle in Early Childhood Education
In the first cycle of pre-primary education (0-3 years old) those holding the Degree in Advanced Technician in Pre-Primary Education can teach at these education stages.
This cycle is organised into modules based on the minimum teaching standards established at state level according to ANNEX I of Order ESD/4066/2008, which establishes the curriculum of the Advanced Training Cycle corresponding to the qualification of Advanced Technician in Early Childhood Education. These modules must include, as a minimum, the following areas:
- Didactics of pre-primary education: 125 hours (14 ECTS)
- Personal autonomy and child health: 105 hours (12 ECTS)
- Child game and methodology: 105 hours (12 ECTS)
- Expression and communication: 100 hours (11 ECTS)
- Cognitive and motor development: 105 hours (12 ECTS)
- Social and emotional development: 75 hours (8 ECTS)
- Social abilities: 60 hours (6 ECTS)
- Intervention with families and attention to minors at social risk: 60 hours (6 ECTS)
- Project for attention to childhood: 25 hours (5 ECTS)
- First aid: 35 hours (3 ECTS)
- Work training and guidance: 50 hours (5 ECTS)
- Enterprise and entrepreneurial initiative: 35 hours (4 ECTS)
- Workplace training: 220 hours (22 ECTS)
These Advanced Training Cycles are provided fully or partially, and some vocational modules are carried out in different modalities: face-to-face, distance or blended.
Bachelor's degree in School Teacher of Pre-Primary Education and Bachelor's degree in School Teacher of Primary Education
They include the following modules and contents established for the whole State, without prejudice of the autonomy of each university:
BASIC EDUCATION | |||
Bachelor's degree in School Teacher of PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION |
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Bachelor's degree in School Teacher of PRIMARY EDUCATION |
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DIDACTIC AND DISCIPLINARY EDUCATION | |||
Bachelor's degree in School Teacher of PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION |
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Bachelor's degree in School Teacher of PRIMARY EDUCATION |
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PRACTICUM | |||
Bachelor's degree in School Teacher of PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION |
Internships in public, private or publicly-funded private schools |
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Bachelor's degree in School Teacher of PRIMARY EDUCATION |
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QUALIFYING MENTION | |||
Bachelor's degree in School Teacher of PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION |
Training itinerary proposed by the university that students can choose to specialise In the case of the Bachelor' degree in School Teacher of Primary Education, in addition to the qualifying mentions referred to in the first table, universities can propose others that will quailify students for activities such as the school library, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and adult education. |
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Bachelor's degree in School Teacher of PRIMARY EDUCATION |
Source: Drawn up by Eurydice Spain-Spanish Network for Information on Education (INEE, MEFD) on the basis of State current regulations. (ANNEX, Order ECI/3854/2007, which establishes the requirements for the verification of official university degrees that enable the exercise of the professional activity as Early Childhood Education Teacher and ANNEX, Order ECI/3854/2007, which establishes the requirements for the verification of official university degrees that enable the exercise of the professional activity as Primary Education Teacher).
Secondary education
The Master's degree in its different specialities, or the equivalent pedagogical and didactic training, must include at least the following modules and content established for the entire State, respecting the autonomy of each university:
Master's degree in Teacher Training for Compulsory Secondary Education and Baccalaureate, Vocational Training (FP) and Language Teaching | Pedagogical and didactic training equivalent to the Master’s degree for teaching purposes | |||
All specialisations | Educational Guidance specialisation (*) | |||
GENERAL MODULE |
Learning and personality development Education processes and contexts Society, family and education |
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SPECIFIC MODULE |
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PRACTICUM |
It includes stages in the corresponding specialisation:
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CREDITS LEFT UP TO THE FREE DISCRETION OF UNIVERSITIES | Internships in the corresponding specialisation: • in schools: all specialities of the master's degree or equivalent pedagogical and didactic training; • in sector teams external to schools, or in instances of educational guidance and psycho-pedagogical advice in schools: specialty of Educational Guidance; • ‘End of the Master Project' or 'Final Study Project': equivalent pedagogical and didactic training. |
(*) to be studied mainly by those teachers who will work as guidance staff at schools or in sector teams external to the educational institutions.
Source: Drawn up by Eurydice Spain-Spanish Network for Information on Education (INEE, MEFD) on the basis of State current regulations. (ANNEX, Order ECI/3858/2007, which establishes the requirements for verification of official university qualifications entitling the holder to work as a teacher in Compulsory Secondary Education and Bachillerato, Vocational Training and Language Studies).
Level of specialisation
The specialisation obtained on completion of the university studies that enable teaching depends on the specific studies taken:
- General: it provides teaching competences in every knowledge area of the educational level. The degrees that provide this level of specialisation are:
- Advanced Vocational Training Cycle in Early Childhood Education;
- Bachelor's degree in Pre-Primary Education School Teacher;
- Bachelor's degree in Primary Education School Teacher.
- Specialised: it provides teaching competences in curricular aspects related to the teaching speciality studied. The degrees that provide this level of specialisation are:
- Bachelor's degree in Primary Education Teaching (specialisation in music, foreign language, physical education, therapeutic pedagogy and hearing and language);
- University Master's Degree in Teacher Training in Compulsory Secondary Education and Bachillerato, Vocational Training and Language Teaching (in all its specialities, including Educational Guidance);
- Pedagogical and didactic training equivalent to the Master’s degree for teaching purposes.
Learning outcomes
On completion of the different degrees required to teach, the following competences will have been acquired:
Advanced Vocational Training Cycle in Early Childhood Education
According to article 5 of Royal Decree 1394/2007 about the curriculum of the Advanced Vocational Training Cycle in Early Childhood Education, the acquired competences are the following:
- Programme the educational and social care intervention for children based on the guidelines of the institution's programme and the individual, group and context characteristics.
- Organise the resources for developing the activity satisfying children's needs and characteristics.
- Develop the programmed activities, employing the appropriate resources and methodological strategies and creating a climate of confidence.
- Design and apply action strategies with the families, within the framework of the purposes and procedures of the institution, in order to improve the intervention process.
- Satisfy the children's needs, as well as the families' needs requiring the participation of other professionals or services, using the appropriate resources and procedures.
- Cope with uncertainties regarding people, resources or the environment, transmitting security and confidence and applying, if appropriate, the established protocols.
- Evaluate the intervention process and the results achieved, preparing and managing the documentation associated with the process and informing with the goal of improving the quality of the service.
- Keep the scientific and technical knowledge regarding their professional activity updated, using the existing resources for lifelong learning.
- Act autonomously and with initiative for designing and carrying out activities, respecting the pedagogic and acting guidelines of the institution where they work.
- Keep fluent relations with the children and their families, members of the group they are a part of and other professionals, showing social abilities, ability to manage cultural diversity and providing solutions to the conflicts that may occur.
- Create safe environments, respecting the regulations and security protocols in the planning and development of activities.
- Exercise their rights and comply with their obligations under the labour relations, according to the provisions of the regulations in force.
- Manage their professional career, analysing work opportunities, self-employment and learning.
- Create and manage a small enterprise, carrying out a product's feasibility study, planning the production and marketing.
- Actively participate in the economic, social and cultural life, with a critical and responsible attitude.
Bachelor's degree in Pre-Primary Education School Teacher
ANNEX in Order ECI/3854/2007, defines the following competences for the university Master's degree in Early Childhood Teaching:
- Know the goals, curricular contents and evaluation criteria of pre-primary education.
- Promote and facilitate the learning process in early childhood from a globalised and inclusive approach that integrates the different dimensions: cognitive, emotional, psychomotor and volitional.
- Design and regulate learning rooms in diversity contexts attending the specific educational needs of students, gender equality, equity and respect to human rights.
- Promote coexistence in and out of the classroom and deal with the peaceful resolution of conflicts. Be able to systematically observe learning and coexistence contexts and reflect on them.
- Reflect in group on the acceptance of rules and respect to others. Promote student's autonomy and singularity as factors for educating emotions, feelings and values in early childhood.
- Be aware of the development of language during early childhood, be able to identify possible dysfunction and ensure the right evolution. To efficiently deal with learning languages in multicultural and multilingual contexts. Express oneself orally and written form and master the use of different expression techniques.
- Be aware of the educational implications of Communication and Information Technologies and, mainly, of television in early childhood
- Know the foundations of child nutrition and hygiene. Know the foundations of early attention and the basis and developments that allow a better knowledge of the psychological, learning and personality-building processes during early childhood.
- Know the organisation of pre-primary schools and the diversity of actions involved in their functioning. Assume that the exercise of the teaching function must be perfected and adapted to lifelong scientific, pedagogical and social changes.
- Act as a counsellor for parents regarding family education for the 0-6 years old period and master social abilities in the treatment and relationship with the family of each student and with all the families.
- Reflect on class practices for innovating and improving the teaching work. Acquire habits and skills for autonomous and cooperative learning and promote it among students
- Understand the function, possibilities and limits of education in the current society and the key competences that affect pre-primary education schools and their professionals. Know models for improving quality to be applied to educational institutions.
- Knowledge of Spanish language equivalent to level C1 (in those autonomous communities with a co-official language, the co-official language equivalent to the level C1) apart from a foreign language equivalent to level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Bachelor's degree in Primary Education School Teacher
The ANNEX in Order ECI/3857/2007, defines the following competences for the Bachelor’s degree in Primary Education Teaching:
- Know the curricular areas of primary education, the transversal relation between them, the evaluation criteria and the didactic knowledge regarding the respective teaching and learning procedures.
- Design, plan and evaluate teaching and learning processes, both individually and in collaboration with other teachers and professionals of the school.
- Efficiently deal with the process of learning languages in multicultural and multilingual contexts. Promote reading and the critical textual analysis on the different scientific and cultural topics of the school curriculum.
- Design and regulate learning spaces in diversity contexts attending to gender equality, equity and respect to human rights which conform the values of citizenship education
- Promote coexistence in and out of the classroom and deal with discipline problems and contribute to the peaceful resolution of conflicts. Stimulate and value effort, perseverance and personal discipline among students
- Know the organisation of primary schools and the diversity of actions involved in their functioning. Carry out tutorship and guidance functions with students and their families, attending to the specific education needs of students. Assume that the exercise of the teaching function must be perfected and adapted to lifelong scientific, pedagogical and social changes
- Collaborate with the different sectors of the education community and of the social environment. Assume the educational dimension of the teaching function and promote a democratic education for the exercise of active citizenship
- Keep a critical and autonomous relationship towards knowledge, values and social public and private institutions.
- Value the individual and group responsibility for attaining a sustainable future.
- Reflect on class practices for innovating and improving the teaching work. Acquire habits and skills for autonomous and cooperative learning and promote it among students.
- Know and apply the Information and Communication Technologies in the class. Selectively discern the audiovisual information that contributes to learning, citizenship education and cultural richness
- Understand the function, possibilities and limits of education in the current society and the key competences that affect primary education schools and their professionals. Know models for improving quality to be applied to educational institutions.
- Knowledge of Spanish language equivalent to level C1 (in those autonomous communities with a co-official language, the co-official language equivalent to the level C1) apart from a foreign language equivalent to level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Master's degree on Compulsory Secondary Education and Bachillerato, Vocational Training and Language Education Teacher Training
All specialisations
The ANNEX in Order ECI/3858/2007 defines the following competences for the university Master's degree in Teacher training:
- Know the curricular contents of the subjects concerning the corresponding teaching specialisation, as well as the set of didactic knowledge regarding the respective teaching and learning processes. The knowledge of the respective professions will be included in the vocational training.
- Plan, develop and evaluate the process of teaching and learning, enhancing the education processes which facilitate the acquisition of competences of the respective studies, taking into account the level and the previous education of the students, as well as their guidance, both individually and in collaboration with other teachers and professionals of the school.
- Search, obtain, process and communicate information (oral, printed, audiovisual, digital or multimedia), convert it into knowledge and apply it in the teaching and learning processes of the subjects of the specialisation studied.
- Specify the curriculum to be implemented in an educational institution, taking part in the group planning of it; develop and apply teaching methodologies both group and personalised, adapted to students' diversity.
- Design and develop learning rooms, paying special attention to equity, emotion and values-based education, equal rights and opportunities for men and women, citizenship education and the respect of human rights, which will make social life easier and contribute to the decision-making and the construction of a sustainable future.
- Acquire strategies for encouraging the students' effort and promote their ability to learn on their own and with others, as well as develop thinking and decision abilities which facilitate their personal autonomy, confidence and initiative.
- Be aware of the interaction and communication processes in the class, master social skills and the abilities necessary for enhancing learning and coexistence in the class, as well as to deal with discipline problems and conflict resolution.
- Design and carry out formal and not-formal activities to create an environment of culture and participation at school; develop the students' tutorship and guidance tasks in a collaborative and coordinated way; participate in the evaluation, research and innovation of teaching and learning processes.
- Be acquainted with the rules and institutional organisation of the education system and the models for improving the quality that are applied to educational institutions.
- Know and analyse the historical features of the teaching profession, the current situation, perspectives and the interconnection with the social reality of each period of time.
- Report and advise families on the learning and teaching process as well as on the personal, academic and professional guidance of their children.
Educational Guidance specialisation
In the case of this specialisation, Order EDU/3498/2011 establishes the following additional competences to those to be achieved by the rest of the specialisations:
- Know the psychopedagogical characteristics of the students so as to be able to assess them and issue the reports required.
- Know the attention to diversity measures that can be adopted for the necessary counselling.
- Analyse the organisation and running of the educational institution in order to coordinate the personal, academic and professional guidance of the students in collaboration with the members of the school community.
- Develop the abilities and techniques required for properly advising families on their children's development and learning process.
- Identify the public services and community entities which the educational institution can collaborate with, and promote and plan, in collaboration with the leadership team, the necessary actions for a better attention to students.
Pedagogical and didactic training equivalent to the Master’s degree for teaching purposes
Upon completion of their education, students will have reached competences similar to those achieved by the students of the said Master's degree in any specialisation with the exception of Educational Guidance.
Teacher educators
Teachers providing the initial education of the future Pre-Primary Education Advanced Technicians
Teachers in the advanced level cycle of Advanced Technician in Early Childhood Education belong to the Body of Secondary Education Teachers or to the Body of Technical Teachers of Vocational Training, depending on the module they must teach.
According to article 12 of Royal Decree 1394/2007 specialist teachers, currently working in the labour field and who do not hold a degree can exceptionally teach at this level.
To be assigned this speciality, they must present prove of:
- recognised professional experience in the corresponding labour field, duly updated;
- at least two years of professional exercise in the four years immediately prior to being assigned the position.
Teachers providing the initial education of the future teachers of non-university education
The training of teachers who provide initial training of future non-university education teachers is governed by Organic Law 2/2023 of the University System, and requires the same initial training as the rest of teachers of other university education.
Qualifications, evaluation and certificates
Assessment in the initial education of future teachers of non-university education
The jurisdiction for the assessment of the initial training of future non-university education teachers depends on each university department and on the teaching staff of the degree in which they are studying. Obtaining the corresponding degree is subject to the positive evaluation of:
- all subjects and the Practicum in the Bachelor's degree of School Teacher of Pre-Primary and Primary Education, and of the university Master on Teachers Education of Lower Compulsory Secondary Education and Bachillerato, Vocational Training and Language Education;
- the pedagogic and didactic training equivalent to the said university Master;
- the Bachelor's degree final project, Master's thesis or studies project at the end of their education.
Assessment in the initial education of future Pre-Primary Education Advanced Technicians
The jurisdiction for the assessment of the initial training of future Advanced Technicians in Early Childhood Education depends on each didactic department and its teaching staff in the Secondary School where they study. Obtaining the corresponding degree is subject to the positive evaluation of:
- all the subjects;
- the training stages included in the study programme established by every autonomous community.
Alternative training pathways
It is not possible to teach in pre-primary, primary or secondary education without having completed the studies described in this article and without having obtained the relevant qualifications.