Teaching the National Curriculum: Autonomy, Flexibility and the Student Profile (Decreto-Lei 55/2018)

Rationale

Decreto-Lei 55/2018 is the foundational curriculum statute for basic and secondary education in Portugal, and Despacho 779/2019 names it as a priority area for continuing training. The law introduced curriculum autonomy and flexibility, the Perfil dos Alunos as the exit profile, and the Aprendizagens Essenciais as the non-negotiable core of each subject. Teachers must understand how to plan, assess and document curriculum work within this framework to meet career-progression requirements under Decreto-Lei 22/2014. This course provides the legal, pedagogical and practical knowledge needed to implement the curriculum lawfully and effectively, including the integration of Cidadania e Desenvolvimento and the reconciliation of flexibility with the inclusive-education regime of Decreto-Lei 54/2018. Each lesson builds toward a CCPFC-creditable artefact that demonstrates curriculum innovation.

Part I: Foundations (Lessons 1-4)

Lesson 1. The architecture of the national curriculum after 2018

This lesson examines how Decreto-Lei 55/2018 restructured basic and secondary education in Portugal, replacing the previous prescriptive curriculum model with a framework built on the Perfil dos Alunos, the Aprendizagens Essenciais, and school-level autonomy. Participants analyse the law's object and scope, the three curriculum levels (national, school, classroom), and the relationship between the Perfil dos Alunos and the Aprendizagens Essenciais. The lesson includes a guided reading of the law's preamble and key articles, a mapping exercise that traces how a subject's Aprendizagens Essenciais derive from the Perfil dos Alunos, and a discussion of the implications for teacher planning. After this lesson, participants can describe the curriculum architecture, identify the legal status of each curriculum component, and explain how the 2018 reform changed the teacher's role from curriculum receiver to curriculum manager.

Lesson 2. The Perfil dos Alunos a Saida da Escolaridade Obrigatoria

This lesson focuses on the ten competence areas of the Student Profile: linguagens e textos, informacao e comunicacao, raciocinio e resolucao de problemas, pensamento critico e pensamento criativo, relacionamento interpessoal, desenvolvimento pessoal e autonomia, bem-estar, saude e ambiente, sensibilidade estetica e artistica, saber cientifico, tecnico e tecnologico, and consciencia e dominio do corpo. Participants examine how each competence area is defined, how it translates into observable learning outcomes, and how it orients all teaching across every subject and cycle. The lesson includes a self-audit activity in which teachers map their current practice to the profile areas, identifying gaps and strengths. After this lesson, participants can articulate the ten competence areas, explain why the profile is the binding reference for curriculum design, and begin to plan lessons that deliberately develop profile competences rather than only content knowledge.

Lesson 3. Reading the Aprendizagens Essenciais

This lesson teaches participants how to read, interpret and use the Aprendizagens Essenciais (AE) as the common, non-negotiable core of each subject. The AE documents specify the knowledge, capacities and attitudes that all students must develop in each subject and year, and they are the basis for planning, teaching and assessment. Participants practise extracting the AE for a given subject and year, identifying the three components (conhecimentos, capacidades, atitudes), and distinguishing the AE from the broader Perfil dos Alunos. The lesson includes a comparative exercise in which teachers examine AE documents from two different cycles to understand progression. After this lesson, participants can locate and read the AE for their subject, identify the essential learnings that must be taught, and use the AE as the starting point for unit planning rather than as a checklist to be covered.

Lesson 4. Curriculum autonomy and flexibility in law

This lesson examines the legal provisions that grant schools the authority to manage up to 25% of the curriculum flexibly, including the conditions under which this flexibility may be exercised. Participants study the relevant articles of Decreto-Lei 55/2018 that define autonomy and flexibility, the requirement that the Aprendizagens Essenciais remain the non-negotiable core, and the school-level instruments (Projeto Educativo, Plano de Estudos) that operationalize flexibility. The lesson includes a case-study analysis of a school that has exercised its 25% flexibility to create interdisciplinary modules, and a guided discussion of the legal limits and accountability mechanisms. After this lesson, participants can explain the legal basis for curriculum flexibility, identify what may and may not be modified, and describe the process by which a school proposes flexible management to the pedagogical council.

Part II: Core Practice (Lessons 5-10)

Lesson 5. Dominios de Autonomia Curricular

This lesson focuses on the Dominios de Autonomia Curricular (DAC), the interdisciplinary curriculum domains that schools may create to integrate learning across subjects while still delivering the Aprendizagens Essenciais. Participants study the legal framework for DAC in Decreto-Lei 55/2018, the requirement that DAC must be approved by the pedagogical council, and the relationship between DAC and the school's Projeto Educativo. The lesson includes a workshop in which participants design a DAC proposal for a specific theme (for example, sustainability or local heritage), identifying which AE from which subjects are addressed and how the interdisciplinary work will be assessed. After this lesson, participants can define DAC, explain its legal basis, and design a DAC proposal that respects the integrity of each subject's essential learnings.

Lesson 6. From essential learnings to planning

This lesson teaches participants how to sequence and articulate the Aprendizagens Essenciais vertically (across years) and horizontally (across subjects within a year) to create coherent learning progressions. Participants examine the AE documents for a given subject across three consecutive years to identify how knowledge and capacities build, and they practise creating a year-level plan that distributes the AE across terms. The lesson includes a collaborative exercise in which teachers from different subjects map their AE to identify natural points for interdisciplinary articulation. After this lesson, participants can sequence AE vertically to ensure progression, identify horizontal connections between subjects, and produce a term-level plan that covers all essential learnings without overloading the timetable.

Lesson 7. Competence-based teaching aligned to the Student Profile

This lesson shifts from content coverage to competence development, teaching participants how to design learning tasks that deliberately develop the competences described in the Perfil dos Alunos. Participants analyse sample lesson plans to identify which profile competences are being developed and which are absent, then redesign a content-focused lesson into a competence-based one. The lesson introduces a planning template that maps each task to both the relevant AE and the profile competences it develops. After this lesson, participants can design lessons that develop profile competences alongside content knowledge, evaluate existing plans for competence coverage, and articulate to colleagues how a given task develops, for example, pensamento critico or relacionamento interpessoal.

Lesson 8. Cross-curricular integration of Cidadania e Desenvolvimento

This lesson addresses the mandatory curriculum component Cidadania e Desenvolvimento, which must be integrated across all subjects under Decreto-Lei 55/2018 and the Estrategia Nacional de Educacao para a Cidadania (ENEC), revised by Resolucao do Conselho de Ministros n.o 127/2025. Participants study the eight dimensions of the 2025 ENEC, the two obligation groups (mandatory in all years and optional), and the requirement that each school produce a citizenship-education plan. The lesson includes a workshop in which teachers identify which ENEC dimensions naturally connect to their subject's AE and design a cross-curricular citizenship activity. After this lesson, participants can explain the legal basis for Cidadania e Desenvolvimento, identify the eight ENEC dimensions, and integrate citizenship learning into their subject teaching without adding separate content.

Lesson 9. Curriculum contextualization to the school and community

This lesson teaches participants how to adapt the national curriculum to the local context through the Projeto Educativo, the school's strategic document that defines its identity, values and educational priorities. Participants study how the Projeto Educativo can guide curriculum contextualization, including the selection of local themes, community partnerships and culturally relevant pedagogy. The lesson includes a case study of a school that has contextualized its curriculum around local heritage or economic activity, and a planning exercise in which teachers identify opportunities for contextualization in their own subject. After this lesson, participants can explain the legal role of the Projeto Educativo in curriculum management, identify legitimate ways to contextualize the AE, and propose contextualization activities that respect the non-negotiable core.

Lesson 10. Managing the 1.o ciclo integrated curriculum

This lesson addresses the specific organization of the first cycle (1.o ciclo do ensino basico), where a single teacher (monodocencia) is responsible for most subjects and where coadjuvation (shared teaching) may be used for specialized areas. Participants study the legal provisions in Decreto-Lei 55/2018 for the first cycle, including the integrated curriculum model, the role of the teacher as generalist, and the conditions under which coadjuvation is permitted. The lesson includes a practical exercise in which participants plan a week of integrated teaching that covers AE from Portuguese, mathematics, estudo do meio and expressoes, using a single theme. After this lesson, participants can describe the first-cycle curriculum organization, plan integrated teaching that covers multiple subjects, and identify when coadjuvation is appropriate.

Part III: Application and Mastery (Lessons 11-15)

Lesson 11. Secondary pathways and dual-certification offerings

This lesson examines the organization of secondary education (ensino secundario) under Decreto-Lei 55/2018, including the cientifico-humanisticos courses, the professional courses (cursos profissionais), and dual-certification pathways that combine academic and vocational qualifications. Participants study the legal framework for each pathway, the Aprendizagens Essenciais for secondary subjects, and the articulation between general and vocational components. The lesson includes a comparative analysis of two secondary pathways, identifying the common AE and the specific requirements of each. After this lesson, participants can describe the secondary pathway structure, explain the legal basis for dual-certification offerings, and advise students on pathway choices based on the curriculum requirements.

Lesson 12. Assessment principles inside the curriculum

This lesson examines how Decreto-Lei 55/2018 frames assessment as an integral part of the curriculum, with formative assessment as the primary modality and summative assessment serving a regulatory function. Participants study the assessment principles in the law, the requirement for diversified assessment instruments, and the relationship between assessment and the Aprendizagens Essenciais. The lesson includes a guided analysis of a school's assessment criteria to determine whether they are aligned to the AE and the Perfil dos Alunos. After this lesson, participants can explain the legal status of formative assessment, identify the requirements for assessment criteria, and evaluate whether their own assessment practices are aligned to the curriculum framework.

Lesson 13. Curriculum monitoring and self-evaluation

This lesson teaches participants how schools monitor curriculum implementation and self-evaluate to ensure that all students progress toward the Perfil dos Alunos. Participants study the monitoring duties in Decreto-Lei 55/2018, the role of the pedagogical council in curriculum oversight, and the instruments schools use to track curriculum coverage and student progress. The lesson includes a workshop in which participants design a simple monitoring tool for their subject or cycle, identifying indicators that show whether the AE are being taught and learned. After this lesson, participants can describe the legal requirements for curriculum monitoring, design a monitoring tool aligned to the AE, and contribute to the school's self-evaluation process.

Lesson 14. Differentiation within the common curriculum

This lesson reconciles the common curriculum of Decreto-Lei 55/2018 with the inclusive-education regime of Decreto-Lei 54/2018, teaching participants how to differentiate instruction within the Aprendizagens Essenciais framework. Participants study the multi-level model of curriculum access (universal, selective and additional measures) and how differentiation can be planned without lowering expectations. The lesson includes a case study of a classroom where students have different levels of access to the AE, and a planning exercise in which participants design differentiated tasks that all address the same essential learning. After this lesson, participants can explain the legal relationship between the two decrees, differentiate instruction within the AE, and document differentiation for the Relatorio Tecnico-Pedagogico.

Lesson 15. Documenting curriculum innovation for accreditation

This final lesson teaches participants how to turn their curriculum work into CCPFC-creditable evidence for career progression under Decreto-Lei 22/2014. Participants study the CCPFC accreditation regime, the requirement that training actions be documented and evaluated, and the types of artefacts that demonstrate curriculum innovation (DAC proposals, contextualized plans, monitoring tools). The lesson includes a workshop in which participants compile a portfolio of their work from the course, including a DAC proposal, a competence-based lesson plan, and a curriculum monitoring tool, and map each artefact to the CCPFC seven training areas. After this lesson, participants can produce a CCPFC-creditable portfolio, describe the accreditation process for training actions, and use their curriculum innovation as evidence for career progression.

This syllabus was designed from primary-source research of this nation's official teacher requirements and passed independent verification. The full course, its lessons, assistant, and materials are live for enrolled educators.