Lessons from the Training and Support of Teachers in the Development of Digital Skills - A case study of @prende 2.0

Oct 15, 2026

Since 1997, Mexico has invested in bringing information technology into classrooms, yet many initiatives have delivered negligible impact. A frequent criticism is inadequate teacher training and support before deploying technology in schools. This article examines @prende 2.0, a Mexican federal program that mobilized 2,700 digital trainers to train over 63,000 teachers on equipment slated for classroom use. By analyzing administrative and outcome data, it identifies successes and challenges and derives recommendations for future efforts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Keywords

I. Introduction

Background – Previous Programs

Lessons from the Training and Support of Teachers in the Development of Digital Skills: A case study of @prende 2.0 Lessons from the Training and Support of Teachers in the Development of Digital Skills: A case study of @prende 2.0 Ana Lidia Franzoni Velázquez [analidia@itam.com](analidia@itam.com) Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, México María Cristina Cardenas Peralta [ccardenas.peralta@gmail.com](ccardenas.peralta@gmail.com) Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, México José Ángel Mandujano Canto [jmandujano@gmail.com](jmandujano@gmail.com) Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, México Abstract Since 1997, Mexico - like many Latin American countries - has seen significant public and private investment aimed at incorporating information technology in the classroom . Inclass information technology holds the great promise of revolutionizing the teachinglearning process . The reality is different, often showing negligible impact from such efforts . One common criticism has been the failure to properly train and support teachers before rolling out technology for use in their classrooms . This article looks at a recent effort of the Mexican government to address the issue of teacher training and support. @prende 2.0 was a program of the Mexican federal government that involved 2,700 digital trainers who trained more than 63,000 teachers in the use of technological equipment that they would be provided. Analyzing administration information and hard data from @prende, this article analyzes the program’s successes and challenges to fashion a series of recommendations regarding similar training and support efforts . Keywords Teacher training; Digital Skills; evidence of learning A.L.Franzoni, A.C.Cardenas & J.A.Manudajo Digital Education Review-Number 37, June 2020-[http://greav.ub.edu/der/](http://greav.ub.edu/der/ 154)[ 154](http://greav.ub.edu/der/ 154) I. Introduction Studies published by international institutions show that the effectiveness of information technology in the learning environment hinges, in large part, on the digital skills of the teachers utilizing that technology and the support provided to them . It is unsurprising, therefore, that there has been sustained interest in evaluating efforts to develop and strengthen teachers’ digital skills and establishing a methodology for assessment. Evaluators have faced difficulties, however, given the paucity of innovative systems to form better educators and the difficulty in preserving training efforts over time (Murillo, 2005, p. 11-12) . In Latin America, countries have attempted various training programs for teachers . Despite considerable expense, the results achieved so far have been distant from desirable. Exploring the lack of results, Cardelli and Duhalde (2001) have observed that regional educational assumptions emphasize teaching as the transmission of information ; and learning as passive assimilation of that information, which is in considerable tension with the use of information for the production of content. Mexico has a history of incorporating Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into the teaching and learning process . These efforts centered on the technology being implemented, relegating teacher training to a lesser position . The @prende 2.0 program represented a break from this pattern, in that it was not focused on the technological equipment per se. Rather, it sought to promote teacher training as the key element for the successful incorporation of ICTs . Todo so it promoted collaboration with the Mexican states, which had the best insights into the educational realities and needs . a. Background – Previous Programs The incorporation of ICTs in the Mexican education system started in 1997, with the School Network Program (Programa Red Escolar, 1997-2004) . This program allowed students, teachers, principals and parents to communicate through networks on the internet. Its approach wa

FAQs

Why does the article argue that technology investments often fail to improve learning outcomes?

It links limited impact to the lack of proper teacher training and support prior to rolling out technology, despite the promise of information technology in classrooms.

What is @prende 2.0 and how was it implemented?

@prende 2.0 is described as a Mexican federal program using 2,700 digital trainers to train more than 63,000 teachers in the use of technological equipment provided for classrooms.

Which earlier Mexican ICT initiatives are discussed as background?

The text reviews programs including the School Network Program (1997-2004), Enciclomedia (2003-2011), Digital Skills for All (2009-2012), “Mi Compu.mx” (2013-2014), and the Inclusion and Digital Literacy Program (2014-2015).

Oct 15, 2026

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