Motivation and Preferences of Primary School Teachers in the Field of Continuing Education

Abstract

The article focuses on the opinions of primary school teachers teaching the subject of Practical Education: on the offer, motivation, and preferences in the field of further education. The main objective was to find out in which topics and forms teachers would need to innovate their knowledge. The data were obtained using an electronic questionnaire, which was sent to 1,186 primary schools and completed by 196 teachers from all over Slovakia. The results showed that while teachers perceive the courses offered by state institutions as partially sufficient, they consider the courses offered by other educational institutions to be more attractive and suitable. Their main motivation for education is an internal need and desire for self-development, followed by the possibility of salary advancement. Teachers prefer innovative and refresher training, which is delivered remotely using online workshops. Conversely, they are least interested in traditional lectures and conferences. In terms of content, they are most interested in acquiring new knowledge, innovative methods, and practical skills.