Informal education as an innovative format of continuing pedagogical education

The system of continuing teacher education is the integration of all types of education throughout life. In contrast to formal and informal, informal education as a definition was identified relatively recently and has been studied by the world scientific community only since the end of the 20th century. In Russia, informal education is an innovative format of lifelong education, but in various documents and scientific works this concept is interpreted very vaguely. The incompleteness of the study of this form of lifelong education necessitates a more thorough study. In order to identify the essential characteristics, role and place of informal education in the continuing education of teachers, the authors conducted an anonymous survey of 137 teachers from general education orga- nizations in the Northwestern Federal District. When interpreting the data obtained, teachers are divided into 2 samples: a passive approach to self-education and an active approach to self-education. The reliability of the findings is confirmed by the use of statistical criteria. The results of the study can be used in educational development centers/institutes when modernizing the system of advanced training and certification of teachers, in general education organizations when building a system of methodological support for teachers. We see directions for further work in expanding the boundaries of research into the content of informal education of teachers and studying the motivation of teachers for informal education, as well as in developing recommendations for educational authorities, regional institutes and centers for advanced training of teachers, which consist in creating procedures for recognizing the results of informal education of teachers.