The Solo Struggle: How Teachers’ In-Service Training Relies on Social Networks Instead of National Education

The loneliness of teachers. The teachers train 80% by themselves, mainly on social networks, in their free time, and only 20% by training offered by the National Education, according to

a survey by the Ecolhuma Observatoryan association that supports teachers and headteachers.

Internet and social networks rather than National Education

Among European countries, France is the worst student in terms of in-service teacher training. With fewer training days and too long deadlines. “It can sometimes take up to a year because we need to have a certain number of candidates for our training request to be validated.“, specifies Francine, teacher in a professional high school. “Sometimes there has to be a grouping between two establishments, so the delays can be long.”

Like Francine, teachers often manage on their own and train mainly on social networks and the internet. “I do it for reasons of efficiency and speed”she says. “We are in a profession that requires us to be reactive and sometimes we need immediate answers, so it is through these media that I find the answers to best support my students.”

This teacher even took a MOOC, an online course, from the University of Laval, in Quebec. “For example, in relation to dropping out of school, I needed to look for information, in order to be able to best respond to the problem of my establishment.“, she details. “I also trained when we welcomed a pupil who had a very particular syndrome to be able to help him avoid stressful situations and not aggravate his daily discomfort, that is to say allow him to evolve in our establishment in the best possible conditions.”

Half of teachers train in the evening or on weekends

Francine learns this way during her holidays, at the weekend or in the evening. Like the majority of his colleagues, according to this survey by the Ecolhuma Observatory. “We conducted this survey with a little over a thousand teachers and the first thing we observe is that the teachers are really experts in getting by. More than 80% tell us that they train themselves and 20% by institutional voice“, underlines the founder of the Observatory, Florence Rizzo. “The second element is the fact that teachers train in their free time: 45% train in the evening and 55% train often during the weekend. So we are really on a time that is a little invisible, not necessarily recognized and therefore not valued.

Ecolhuma also observed that “teachers really need to have quick answers to immediate needs since 60% of them turn mainly to the Internet and social networks to find concrete solutions”.

Among the most popular topics, “we can see that teachers need it to be very practical, directly usable in class and that it helps them in their daily practice of the profession”completes Florence Rizzo. “So we are on fairly specific needs related to motivation, student engagement and related in particular to children with special needs. When you have a dyslexic child, an autistic child, you need to find an answer to know how to support that child, that year.”

Lack of flexibility in National Education training

“You have to keep in mind that we need to be trained on the length. I’ve been teaching for 20 years, so I’ve been training for 20 years. It’s something that’s close to my heart. heart, to continue to evolve in my profession and to develop my practices”emphasizes Francine.

But the continuing education offered by the National Education does not always meet the needs and lacks flexibility. “There are training courses but they could be a little more varied, a little easier to access because sometimes I don’t know where I’m going for training when I sign up, how long it will take me, will it be on my personal time or will it be on my time in front of the students?” judge Francine. “It’s a constraint in relation to my students, especially for exam classes. I have to rearrange my schedule. Conversely, most of my personal training is in my free time.”

Essential training for student success

The stakes are high because all international studies show it: the training of teachers is decisive for the success of students. “The concrete effects of continuing education is of course to feel good about your job, but it is also the improvement of teaching practices in the service of student progress”explains Florence Rizzo. “To ensure student success, you really have to make teachers want to train.”

For the founder of the Ecolhuma Observatory, “it is urgent to break this loneliness of teachers and better support them in professional development throughout life”. Reforms of recent years “have not stopped either the drop in the level of the pupils, nor the malaise of the teachers”according to her. “There is a whole debate today on salary increases which are absolutely essential and necessary but which will not be enough to solve the problem and therefore teachers must be supported throughout their lives to make them want to remain teachers. “