Effects of compulsory schooling up to age 18 in Portugal: An analysis from the teachers’ perspective

Abstract

[EN]Compulsory schooling has been a topic of debate among countries, seeking to better prepare their citizens for work and personal life, while also addressing early school dropout rates. In this case, the Portuguese educational model is examined. In 2012, compulsory education was extended from six to 18 years of age, making Portugal the first country on the Iberian Peninsula to implement this reform. After 13 years, it is now appropriate to conduct a study that analyzes the current situation and evaluates the impact of this change. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyse and understand the influence of this extension of compulsory schooling on Portuguese pupils through the teachers' perception. For this purpose, a quantitative methodology was carried out by designing a digital questionnaire adapted to a Likert scale so that Secondary Education teachers could give their views according to their teaching experience over time, with a total of 200 responses with teachers ranging from 20 to 69 years of age. For the analysis of the results, reliability, validity, descriptive, and differential studies were conducted. The results show a highly reliable and valid instrument, yielding two factors: Educational and social benefits of extending compulsory schooling; and Challenges and professional implications of extending compulsory schooling. In accordance with the study's objective, a set of various items were analysed. It is concluded that the initiative to extend compulsory education is generally positive; however, this would benefit from being accompanied by greater material and non-material resources, continuous teacher training, and lower student–teacher ratios to support more individualized attention and improve educational quality.