What do trade unions think about continuing education for teachers in Galicia?

Abstract

The common ups and downs of school agendas coupled with the existence of new educational challenges have created a complicated scenario that places the issue of continuing education for teaching staff directly under the spotlight. As a consequence, the role of teachers' trade unions as with other requirements of continuing education is now put centre stage. Within these considerations, we have carried out an unprecedented and ongoing survey in Galicia with the intention of taking a closer look at continuing education for non-university teachers promoted by trade union organisations. For this purpose we put forth a qualitative and quantitative methodological approach while using documentary analysis as a tool for gathering data as well as discussion groups and Likert type assessment scale questionnaires. In this essay we provide the data obtained during the intensive-qualitative stage of the investigation. The resulting findings although provisional and partial reveal that an improvement in students' education should go hand in hand with the continuing education of teaching staff. It also becomes apparent that training activities are being substantially conditioned by the legislative jungle that is shrouding continuing education, by the lack of resources and by the pragmatic lines followed by the Education Administration. Furthermore, certain pending issues are cropping up such as the need to channel learned contents into our classrooms, to satisfy the emerging concerns of training recipients regarding their training, to perform follow-up and evaluation tasks regarding the training actions that are being undertaken and to strive for an improved coordination between management staff, users and knowledge workers.

Keywords: Non-university personnel, continuing education, professional development, union organisations, education needs or requirements