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Curricula continue to be a matter of research and problematization in higher education programs, particularly those that train teachers. Although the tendency is to consider them from an instrumental and technical perspective, this paper adopts critical and comprehensive perspectives. Then, this qualitative case study carried out in a School of Education at a public university intends to inquire into the curriculum conceptions present in teacher training programs and their characteristics. The research focuses on the different ways of conceiving the curriculum in the programs, even when they are part of the same academic unit; on flexibility and curricular integration as central concerns; and on the shaping/structuring of programs, which is not homogeneous but determines some paths in the training of those participating in the proposals. From the discussion, it is concluded that a key implication is the need to reach agreements both on curriculum conceptions that guide teaching action and practice and on the particular ways in which proposals are structured/shaped, following those "common minimums" that enable dialogue and collective construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new European Higher Education Area imposes a number of requirements on the traditional teaching-learning process that should trigger certain important considerations in university teachers concerning their means and ways, in particular those related to their tutoring functions, as a result of the very spirit on which the new educational framework is based. Under this view, the teacher is no longer the one and only source of information for the student, and becomes a collaborator, a guide, and a facilitator of learning strategies. In this paper we intend to highlight the relevance of tutoring, a lifelong activity for teachers which, if carried out in a coherent manner, is undoubtedly an efficient educational means that enables students to cope with intellectual work involving new techniques and information resources, as well as to produce and manage their own learning plans. We provide both general and specific attitudes and qualities that define the ideal tutor, along with those models and techniques that we consider more appropriate for achieving effective, successful tutoring, focusing on the interests of students in terms of personal and professional learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]