ABSTRACT: The training of teachers for the initial series in early childhood education, as well as the processes of continuity and improvement of this training throughout the professional life (continuous formation), is a subject of great importance for the development of society and citizenship. Although it has been discussed for decades in the country, the rates of evaluation of writing and reading in elementary education leave much to be desired. From the data of this evaluation of the students, new programs of encouragement and encouragement to the teachers were offered, mainly those elaborated by the Ministry of Education. To understand how these programs are perceived by educators, this research analyzed through a semistructured interview teachers from the school network of municipal schools of the Patos – Paraíba, between March and April 2018. The methodology is of a case study (YIN 2015), with research bibliographical, descriptive, exploratory and qualitative approach. The study sample totaled seven teachers from four schools. After it accepts him/it, the questionnaire was presented with nineteen subjects in the total, being this divided in two parts: nine subjects regarding characterization of the interviewees’ profile, and, ten subjects regarding the theme of the research. The answers were recorded and later transcribed. Among the most relevant questions in the identification of the target group, the experience in the teaching profession was surveyed, with the result that all of them present a long period of practicing their profession, on average 22 ± 4 years (19 – 28). The majority are female (86%). Significantly, more than half (n = 4; 56%) presented postgraduate studies in their field of education, while others (n = 2; 28%) reported having a high school education and only one (14% . All of them have already participated in continuing education courses, and have listed the points considered by them as positive and negative of these programs in their daily practices, constituting from this inquiry the second part of the research questionnaire (dissertative), which was evaluated by content analysis. The positive points are in general the acquisition of new capacities for its performance in the classroom and on the other hand the inability in many cases of not being feasible in face of the local reality to apply the learned one. This shows and corroborates other studies that demonstrate the need for continuing education programs to be more local-oriented and to allow teachers to participate in the elaboration phases, as well as to have mechanisms that are more efficient to evaluate the results of these programs. The PNAIC (SOMA in Paraíba), which is still in its early stages, is one of the best continuing education programs, but according to teachers there are many good points. As a general conclusion, it can be said that continuing education programs are important from the point of view of teachers and that they must continue to be improved and improved in order to achieve the desired levels of student development in Elementary School I.

Keywords: Continuing education. PNAIC. SOMA/PB. Pedagogical planning. Teacher training.