The pedagogical professionalization of Higher Education teachers: Trends in postgraduate professional development to improve educational quality in Latin America
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Abstract
The pedagogical professionalization of higher education faculty in Latin America faces the challenge of moving beyond approaches focused solely on disciplinary or technological updating, toward integrating didactic, reflective, and research-oriented training that meaningfully impacts educational quality. This study analyzes recent trends in postgraduate professional development aimed at the pedagogical professionalization of higher education faculty and their contributions to improving educational quality in Latin America. A qualitative literature review of publications from 2020 to 2025 was conducted using Google Scholar, and a thematic analysis was performed on 14 selected sources in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Results indicate trends including a shift from instrumental training to comprehensive professional training; recognition of postgraduate development as a sustained process; construction of pedagogical identity through reflection and research on practice; and alignment of pedagogical training with student ‑ centered teaching. Pedagogical professionalization therefore requires continuous, institutionally supported training processes that integrate didactic knowledge, critical reflection, and practice - based research to make a genuine contribution to the quality of university education.
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