EVALUATION OF TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR FUTURE TRAINEE TEACHERS OF LIFE AND EARTH SCIENCES AT CRMEF (MOROCCO)

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of the initial training program for pre-service Life and Earth Sciences (SVT) teachers in Morocco’s Regional Centers for Education and Training Professions (CRMEF). Data collected through a standardized questionnaire administered to 344 trainees and validated by exploratory factor analysis (KMO = 0.89; Bartlett’s test, p < 0.001) indicate predominantly negative perceptions of the program. In particular, 71.6% of respondents judged the training to be insufficient or poorly aligned with their professional needs, while 68.2% reported that the practicum duration was inadequate. These findings are corroborated by qualitative interviews with 37 trainers and 32 mentors, which identified five major constraints: an excessively dense theoretical curriculum; weak alignment between official syllabi and actual classroom practices in application schools; limited and poorly structured pedagogical support during the practicum; insufficient proficiency in French, hindering access to didactic and scientific content; and structural shortcomings in the design of the newly implemented syllabi. Overall, the results reveal a systemic misalignment between the requirements of professionalization and the current training model, highlighting the need to extend the practicum, strengthen coordination between CRMEF and application schools, reinforce linguistic and disciplinary preparation, and formalize the mentoring framework