The directive role for the promotion of informal learning of teachers in educational centers

The type of learning that teachers acquire informally in the workplace should be seen as another form of professional learning. Recognising the value of this type of learning for professional and organizational growth is a key condition for its appreciation.

Both teachers and school principals must commit to generate and promote their informal learning in their respective schools, if we consider that this way of learning, according to authors (Callahan, Watkins & Marsick, 2000; Cross, 2007), makes up more than 60% of everything we learn. Beyond awareness of informal learning, teachers need to be aware of the possibilities for informal learning in the workplace, while school principals need to know what actions and strategies they can develop to facilitate and promote informal learning in their schools.

This thesis aims to analyse the role of school principals in promoting informal teacher learning in schools, with a focus on the Autonomous Community of Catalonia. At first, it is a question of knowing how teachers and school principals learn informally in their workplace, identifying the determining factors that encourage or hinder this type of learning. Secondly, this thesis aims to investigate how school principals act to facilitate and promote this type of learning in their schools.

In this regard, a study has been carried out in schools in Catalonia (primary, primary and secondary and compulsory secondary schools) under the interpretive paradigm and adopting a mixed methodological approach. Specifically, a sequential mixed method design was chosen, with a predominantly qualitative approach (quan-QUAL) and the connection approach has been adopted in integrating quantitative and qualitative data. While they cannot be generalised for all contexts, the results represent a first approximation to the object of study and allow us to extrapolate related trends. 

The literature review, the results drawn from the study and the corresponding conclusions have made it possible to propose a model management strategy that integrates informal teacher learning in schools.