Nowadays, several aspects regarding the teaching profession and teacher education need to be considered: decreasing numbers of people applying to teacher education courses related to the loss of attractiveness of the teaching profession, which puts the renewal and general quality of the teaching staff at risk [1]; increased responsibility and workload and less control over their work [2; 3; 4]; ageing of the teaching population, with education systems in several countries, such as Portugal, with a significant proportion of teachers with at least 50 years old [1]; increasingly heterogeneous groups of students and families with schools becoming more culturally diverse [2]; technology developments, with learning environments being challenged to engage pedagogy and technology together [5].

Intertwined with the teaching professions is Initial Teacher Education (ITE), which, although integrated into a process that is expected to be continuous, is a crucial milestone for teachers' professional development and identity and socialization with the profession [6]. The experience of these socialization processes favours the (re)construction of a professional teaching identity and ethos built by student teachers when interacting with real professional situations, which, when properly supervised, promotes confidence and preparation for the profession [7; 8; 9]. The contact of student teachers with professional situations supported by school teachers deepens the theory-practice relationship, diminishes the disconnection between academic and professional contexts, and favours opportunities for reflection on professional practice [6; 7; 8; 10]. However, the absence of an induction period is widely common, with less than 50% of European teachers having early career support [9;11]. Research consistently shows that teachers who receive adequate induction support are more likely to stay in the profession [12]. In this sense, developing opportunities that promote models of meaningful engagement between teachers in different career stages, for instance, mentoring programmes or communities of practice [8; 10; 13; 14] are crucial and can have a substantial impact on the construction of teachers’ professional identities and professional development [8;13].

The rapid changes in today’s society and the challenges related to ITE and the teaching profession imply, probably more than ever, a continuing professional development process for teachers. Professional development sits at the heart of improving teachers’ skills, knowledge, and practice. Although there are several studies related to teachers’ professional development, a few aspects tend to be overlooked. Several professional development models consider intergenerational learning as a key value, such as induction programmes and mentoring which highlights the potential of intergenerational learning for the professional development of teachers. However, most studies are focused on one specific career phase - often early-career teachers – which disregards the diversity of teachers’ professional development needs in different career stages [1]. In this sense, it is important to have a whole career perspective and overcome the lack of cross-career-phase perspectives. Also, there is a lack of studies considering the potential of intergenerational learning for the professional development of student teachers.

This research gap has motivated the BRIDGE project, a national-funded project that aims to explore the influence of intergenerational learning on teachers and student teachers in Portugal, with a focus on its effects on professional development, knowledge transfer, and the overall attractiveness of the teaching profession. In this communication, we will focus on data resulting from biographical interviews with teachers to explore aspects related to the role of intergeneration learning opportunities in the context of professional development. 

By conducting a study that considers teachers in different career stages, it is possible to identify the continuities/discontinuities throughout teachers' whole careers regarding their professional development, as well as understand the impact of intergenerational dialogues in this process. The BRIDGE project aims to understand how intergenerational opportunities - where teachers from different generations and career stages dialogue - can facilitate knowledge transfer, promote mutual learning, prevent knowledge loss within schools, and contribute to teachers’ professional development. In Portugal, as in several countries worldwide, initial teacher education and the teaching profession have been dealing with several challenges. Considering this project's purposes, we highlight the ageing of the teaching population, which can lead to significant intergenerational gaps between teachers and pupils, the absence of teachers and the loss of shared knowledge in schools. Establishing opportunities that promote intergenerational learning through dialogues between teachers of different generations and in different career stages can be crucial in enhancing teachers’ professional development and can lead to tangible improvements in the quality of teaching and students’ success. Considering this, the project development is grounded in three interlinked objectives: understand the role that intergenerational learning opportunities may have on student teachers’ socialization with the profession; comprehend the perceptions about and the effects of intergenerational learning opportunities in promoting mutual learning and professional development of teachers in different career stages; and identify how intergenerational learning opportunities can contribute to the valorization and attractiveness of the teaching profession. To accomplish this, biographical interviews with school teachers (in different career stages) and student teachers will be conducted. The basis for this approach is to work with how teachers and student teachers shape narratives of their professional/academic lives so that historical and social conditions of the experiences can help contextualize incidences and understand the meanings participants made of their professional/academic lives. For this project we will consider secondary education, namely secondary teachers and student teachers enrolled in master courses for secondary education.

This study is expected to yield valuable insights regarding the role of intergenerational dialogues in teachers’ professional development and its broader implications for the teaching profession. By examining the perspectives of student teachers and teachers at different career stages, the study will shed light on how intergenerational opportunities can contribute to facilitate knowledge transfer, mutual learning, and professional growth. Preliminary results demonstrate that intergenerational dialogues can strengthen the professional socialization of student teachers by bridging the gap between academic theory and practical teaching experiences. These interactions are expected to enhance student teachers’ confidence, preparation, and connection to the profession, contributing to their successful transition into teaching roles. Additionally, the findings may highlight the positive impact of such opportunities on experienced teachers, including renewed motivation, adaptability, and opportunities for reflective practice. These insights may underline the value of mentoring programs, induction support, and communities of practice in fostering meaningful engagement between generations of educators. The results may inform educational policy and inspire the implementation of sustainable models for professional learning in Portugal and other European contexts. Overall, the BRIDGE project is expected to advance theoretical and practical knowledge on professional development, offering innovative solutions to contemporary challenges in teacher education and the teaching profession.

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