Just days before TECH.EDU, the Futurália side event dedicated to educational innovation, Margarida Rebocho, managing director of the Semapa–Pedro Queiroz Pereira Foundation, reflects on how technology can support — not overshadow — teaching in Portugal.
Technology must serve pedagogy, not the other way around
According to Margarida Rebocho, digital transformation in education only makes sense if it is strategic, people-centered, and pedagogically grounded. The Foundation’s 2025 study, “The Voice of Teachers” — conducted with Nova SBE and the University of Minho — reveals that teachers feel overwhelmed by administrative and bureaucratic tasks, leaving little time for lesson preparation, student support, and innovation.
If AI is used to automate repetitive processes, she argues, it can “return time to the pedagogical relationship,” making teaching more human, not less.
Progress exists — but unevenly
Portugal has invested significantly in equipment and digital platforms. However, cultural transformation is still underway. Teachers recognize the importance of innovation but report a lack of time, practical training, and technical support.
“The challenge is not just adopting technology,” she stresses, “but integrating it with pedagogical intent.”
AI as support, not substitution
Rebocho is clear: technology will not replace teachers. Instead, it can reinforce their role as mediators, mentors, and facilitators.
AI tools can:
- Automate administrative work
- Support lesson planning
- Enable personalized learning
- Help manage increasingly diverse classrooms
- Identify learning gaps early
This allows teachers to remain at the center of decision-making — but with better diagnostic tools.
Digital literacy requires critical thinking
Technological literacy, she emphasizes, goes beyond tool usage. It includes understanding ethical risks, data protection, algorithmic bias, and cognitive impact. While progress has been made, gaps remain, particularly in practical, up-to-date training.
Investing in both technical skills and critical digital thinking is essential — for teachers and students alike.
The digital transition requires coordination between the public sector, businesses, startups, schools, and foundations. The public sector ensures equity and scale; companies bring innovation; schools provide real-world context. Without alignment, solutions risk becoming fragmented and disconnected from classroom realities.
The Semapa–Pedro Queiroz Pereira Foundation aims to contribute through research, teacher empowerment programs, and dialogue between stakeholders — ensuring that modernization aligns with a clear vision for Portuguese education.
Digitalization in Portugal is moving in the right direction, but structural challenges remain: unequal access to connectivity, administrative overload, limited training time, and insufficient curriculum integration.
Technology can be transformative — but only if it reinforces the human dimension of school. The future of education, Rebocho concludes, depends less on the tools themselves and more on how wisely and responsibly they are used.
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