Between the formal and the non-formal: An analysis from the perspective of continuing teacher training

Abstract

One of the most relevant characteristics of today’s society is that learning does not take place in a linear way or in specific spaces, so it cannot be limited to the parameters of the formal modality. Thus, the aim of this study is to analyse the continuous training of primary education teachers in Galicia, Spain. Specifically, it intends to determine where teachers are trained, when they carry out training activities, what training modalities they use the most and why they decide to do training. For this purpose, a quantitative research study has been carried out with a sample of 73 primary education. The instrument for collecting information has been a self-created questionnaire, validated through expert judgment. The data were analysed using the IBM SPSS Statistics software package (version 25). The results show that teachers engage in a greater number of formal activities than non-formal ones. In both cases, they choose to train outside of school hours but during the academic year, and they select the face-to-face modality. Finally, the reasons that lead teachers to become involved in both types of training activities are related with intrinsic motivation.