Characteristics and effectiveness of formal and informal teacher professional development for remote teaching of educators in different career stages

Abstract

This mixed-method study examined formal and informal teacher professional development (TPD) processes in Remote Teaching (RT) context. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 60 elementary homeroom teachers in early, middle, and senior career stages. The bottom-up analysis (N=2,537 statements) revealed two types of TPD: informal-spontaneous and formal-institutional. The findings highlight the need to strengthen technology-enhanced pedagogy in both formal and informal TPD, in order to optimize RT and technology-enhanced classroom learning. Informal training occurred through network and/or with colleagues. Teachers emphasized the contribution of online communication tools to their techno-pedagogical knowledge. They widely used digital tools for teacher-centered illustration and demonstration, while assessment and creation tools were less prevalent. Familiarity with collaborative, pedagogical, class-management tools and digital games occurred mainly in formal-institutional training.