Evaluation of teachers’ continuing training in the early childhood education sector in Spain

Abstract

Good preschool education requires professionals whose training is both solid and updated. This article presents the results of an evaluation of the continuing training received by teachers in the preschool educational sector in Spain, and discusses the level of implementation. The authors examine factors such as culture and motivation, and look into the initiatives taken with respect to training. They evaluate the results of training, focussing on satisfaction, learning, pedagogical suitability and the transfer of training. The methodological approaches are both quantitative – a questionnaire administered to 1500 teachers and managers – and qualitative – 50 interviews and 10 discussion groups were carried out with 70 teachers. The results of preschool teachers’ training are quite positive overall, in terms of levels of satisfaction, learning, pedagogical suitability and the transfer of continuing training. However, there is little evidence of the skills being used at work, which suggests that training is not as effective as it could be.

Keywords:

• preschool education
• teachers’ continuing training
• training results
• evaluation of training
• preschool teachers in Spain