Formal, non-formal and informal learning in the digital age: Contributions to teacher professional development

Abstract

We are in a Digital Age, which is characterized by the rapid obsolescence of knowledge. This contributes to the fact that teachers must be permanently trained and must understand learning as a process where formal, non-formal and informal training is combined. This paper aims to determine how formal, non-formal and informal learning contributes to the professional development of teachers who teach in Primary Education. This qualitative research focuses on the study of five cases of teachers from this educational stage in A Coruña (Galicia, Spain). The data collection technique was the in-depth or qualitative interview. Regarding the procedure, the interviews were recorded, transcribed and subsequently a content analysis was performed. The results show that teachers carry out training activities in all contexts; however, they value non-formal and informal learning to a greater extent. This study highlights the importance of integrating all the training opportunities that arise in the contexts through which we move since all of them contribute to the professional development of teachers.