A Longitudinal Evaluation of a Teacher Education Project: CLAC 20 Years Later

Abstract

Today, engaging in university extension programs is mandatory for undergraduate students in Humanities. However, before 2015, efforts in this area were rather scant and tended to concentrate on services and consultancy. Few were the projects, like CLAC (Language Courses for the Community), that aimed at preparing teachers for the realities of the classroom by means of a hands-on experience. To examine the influence this pioneer project may have on the academic, professional, and personal life of the participants, this paper reports a longitudinal study with 60 participants. Their answers to an online questionnaire indicate that the project reached its objectives in terms of promoting critical thinking and autonomy, and preparing well-qualified professionals. This assessment shows that this pioneering project is a model that should be replicated.