Teaching Behind Bars: A Case Study on Teaching Work with Incarcerated Adults

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-73782026000100043

Keywords:

prison education, adult education, Curriculum adaptation, Collaborative work

Abstract

This article synthesises the findings associated with teaching in a school for adults in the context of imprisonment from the perspective of the team of professionals working in this establishment. Through a qualitative approach, the study analysed the case of 12 professionals who played a relevant role in the training of adults in a school in the context of incarceration. The participants identified as the main difficulties the overlapping of the institutions involved in the management of the school, as well as the tensions arising from the mismatch between the curricular design proposed by the education system and the reality of the students in this context. In order to address these limitations, the use of various strategies that they perceive as positive for the work of teachers, both inside and outside the classroom, is declared. The need to strengthen spaces for dialogue and collaborative work between education professionals in highly complex contexts is discussed.

Author Biographies

Maribel Calder´ón Soto, Universidad Católica Silva Henríquez

PhD in Psychology, Master’s degree in Psychology from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and Bachelor’s degrees in Education and Psychology. She conducts research in educational contexts, focusing on the development of thinking skills through the promotion of dialogue and collaboration. She has taught at several Chilean universities and has served as principal investigator of Fondecyt Initiation Project 11200371, as a postdoctoral researcher, and as a co-investigator in Fondef projects, among others.

María Paz Faúndez Bastías, Ministerio de Educación

Master’s degree in Education from the Universidad de Chile and qualified primary school teacher from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. She works as a professional in the Curriculum and Assessment Unit of the Chilean Ministry of Education. Her research interests focus on curriculum development and the teaching profession.

Catalina Alejandra Nuñez-Díaz, Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins

Psychologist from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile. She holds a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, and a Master 2 in Educational Sciences from Université Paris Cité, France. She is currently a doctoral student in Educational and Training Sciences at Université Paris Cité. She has worked as a lecturer and research assistant at several Chilean higher education institutions in psychology and teacher education programmes. Her research focuses on initial teacher education, particularly on the challenges facing the teaching profession.

César Maldonado-Díaz, Universidad Católica Silva Henríquez

PhD in Education from Universidad Alberto Hurtado and Universidad Diego Portales. He is an academic and researcher at the Faculty of Education of Universidad Católica Silva Henríquez. His research focuses on co-teaching practices in the Chilean school context.

Denis Makarena Díaz Díaz, Universidad Católica Silva Henríquez

Teacher of History, Geography, and Civic Education, specialising in the education of young people and adults deprived of liberty. Her work includes student entrepreneurship initiatives and the Liberando Palabras project, which developed an adult literacy manual for prison settings (UCSH1707). She coordinates the “Don Bosco” Prison Programme at Universidad Católica Silva Henríquez.

References

Aróstegui, L. y Miralles, A. (2021). El ejercicio de derechos fundamentales en la cárcel: El caso del derecho a la educación en las cárceles catalanas. Estudios de Deusto, 69(2), 15-41. https://doi.org/10.18543/ed-69(2)-2021pp15-41

Asimaki, A., Koustourakis, G. y Nikolakakos, N. (2019). A Foucauldian disciplinary theorisation of inmate education in the Second Chance Schools in Greek prisons: A case study. Studies in the Education of Adults, 52(1), 101-118. https://doi.org/10.1080/02660830.2019.1595341

Blazich, G. (2007). La educación en contextos de encierro. Revista Iberoamericana de Educación, 44, 53-60. https://doi.org/10.35362/rie440740

Carrasco Aguilar, C., Barrera Sagredo, W. y Ramos Concha, G. (2021). Convivencia escolar en contextos de encierro: significados en una escuela en Chile. Sinéctica, 57. https://doi.org/10.31391/s2007-7033(2021)0057-017

Chomel, J. (2014). Intervenir en dispositif de formation linguistique en milieu carcéral. Vie Sociale et Rraitements, 124, 62-68. https://doi.org/10.3917/vst.124.0062

De Maeyer, M. (2019). L’éducation en prison à la périphérie de l’éducation pour tous. International Revue of Education, 65, 811-832. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-019-09800-6

Foucault, M. (2009). Vigilar y castigar: nacimiento de la prisión. Editorial Siglo XXI.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogía del oprimido. Siglo XXI Editores.

Gaete, M., Acuña, V. y Ramírez, M. (2020). Liderazgo social, motor de las prácticas directivas en educación en contextos de encierro. Psicoperspectivas, 19(1), 19-30. https://doi.org/10.5027/psicoperspectivas-vol19-issue1-fulltext-1767

Gaete, M. (2018). Pedagogía en contextos de encierro en América Latina. Experiencias, posibilidades y resistencias. RIL Editores.

Gendarmería de Chile. (2022). Caracterización de las personas privadas de libertad. Gendarmería de Chile. https://www.gendarmeria.gob.cl/car_personas_pp.html

Gil Cantero, F., Añaños, F. y Soto Navarro, F. (2022). La educación reglada en prisión. El caso español y su incidencia en las mujeres presas. Estudios pedagógicos (Valdivia), 48(2), 199-212. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-07052022000200199

hooks, b. (1994). Enseñar a transgredir. La educación como práctica de libertad. Capitán Swing Libros.

Ibarra Aguirre, E., Armenta Beltrany, M. y Jacobo García, H. M. (2019). Self-concept, coping strategies and professional teaching performance. Comparative study with teachers who work in adverse contexts. Profesorado, Revista de Curriculum y Formación del Profesorado, 18(1), 223-239.

Instituto Nacional de Derechos Humanos (INDH). (2022). Informe anual. INDH. https://www.indh.cl/informeddhh2022/

Lukacova, S., Lukac, M., Lukac, E., Pirohova, I. y Hartmannova, L. (2018). Prison education in Slovakia from the teacher's perspective. Journal of Prison Education and Reentry, 5(1), 63-79.

Martínez Ravanal, V. M. (2022). La construcción de comunidad educativa en contexto de encierro el caso del Liceo Camino de Luz de Puente Alto. Revista Enfoques Educacionales, 19(2), 33-54. https://doi.org/10.5354/2735-7279.2022.67591

Milner, H. R. y Bennett, J. S. (2022). Lessons on pedagogy in the carceral system and teacher education. Teachers College Record, 124(3), 237-264. https://doi.org/10.1177/01614681221087001

Ministerio de Educación de Chile. (2014). Educación para la libertad. Ministerio de Educación de Chile. https://bibliotecadigital.mineduc.cl/handle/20.500.12365/2416

Ministerio de Justicia de Chile. (1942). Decreto 4855: Fija el Reglamento Orgánico de las Escuelas de las Prisiones. Diario Oficial de la República de Chile. https://bcn.cl/3ni16

Novek, E. (2019). Making meaning: reflections on the act of teaching in prison. Review of Communication, 19(1), 55-68. https://doi.org/10.1080/15358593.2018.1554824

Osuna, C. (2022). El estigma penitenciario y la escuela en la cárcel como estructura de mediación. Perfiles Educativos, 44(175), 95-111. https://doi.org/10.22201/iisue.24486167e.2022.175.60166

Panitsides, E. A. y Moussiou, E. (2019). What does it take to motivate inmates to participate in prison education? An exploratory study in a Greek prison. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education, 25(2), 157-177. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477971419840667

Papaioannou, V. y Anagnou, E. (2020). Evaluation of Greek Second Chance Schools in Prison by Detainees. Education Quarterly Reviews, 3(1), 10-22. https://doi.org/10.31014/aior.1993.03.01.114

Pérez, C. (2021). Lo que cuesta llegar al aula: estrategias y tensiones entre presos y penitenciarios en la gestión de un taller de alfabetización alojado en una cárcel bonaerense. Praxis Educativa, 25(2), 59-79.

Petiot, O., Dugény, S. y Kermarrec, G. (2023). Le travail émotionnel de l’enseignant en milieu fermé: le contexte d’exercice et les caractéristiques individuelles des enseignants font-ils la différence?. Revue Française de Pédagogie, 218, 117-133. https://doi.org/10.4000/rfp.12752

Rangel Torrijo, H. (2019). Cooperation and education in prison: A policy against the tide in the Latin American penitentiary crisis. International Review of Education, 65, 785-809. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-018-9747-5

Rangel Torrijo, H. y De Maeyer, M. (2019). Education in prison: A basic right and an essential tool. International Review of Education, 65, 671-685. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-019-09809-x

Routier, M., Manchado, M. y Alberdi, M. (2020). Educar y castigar. Demandas, accesibilidad y trayectorias socio-educativas en una prisión de máxima seguridad de la provincia de Santa Fe (Argentina). Espacios en blanco. Serie indagaciones, 30(2), 31-40.

Scarfó, F. J. (2006). Educación Pública de Adultos en las Cárceles: garantía de un derecho humano. Revista Decisio, México, Centro de Cooperación Regional para la Educación de Adultos en América Latina y el Caribe, 14, 21-25.

Scarfó, F., Cuéllar, M. y Mendoza, D. (2016). Debates: Sobre el rol de la escuela y de los educadores de adultos en las cárceles. Cadernos CEDES, 36(98), 99-107. https://doi.org/10.1590/CC0101-32622016162883

Stake, R. (1998). Investigación con estudio de casos. Morata.

Strauss, A. L. y Corbin, J. (2002). Bases de la investigación cualitativa: técnicas y procedimientos para desarrollar la teoría fundada. Editorial Universidad de Antioquia.

Zemelman, H. (2011). Configuraciones Críticas. Pensar epistémico sobre la realidad. Siglo XXI/Crefal.

Downloads

Published

2026-07-25

How to Cite

Calder´ón Soto, M., Faúndez Bastías, M. P., Nuñez-Díaz, C. A., Maldonado-Díaz, C., & Díaz Díaz, D. M. (2026). Teaching Behind Bars: A Case Study on Teaching Work with Incarcerated Adults. Revista Latinoamericana De Educación Inclusiva, 20(1), 43–59. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-73782026000100043

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Temática Libre

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Revista Latinoamericana de Educación Inclusiva

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons Attribution (by)

This licence permits the exploitation of the work, as well as the creation of derivative works, the distribution of which is also permitted on condition that express reference is made to the author, i.e. that his/her name appears in any use or act of exploitation of the work.