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Australia
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Australia
Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018)
  • Teaching was the first-choice career for 58% of teachers in Australia and for 67% in OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS. In terms of why they joined the profession, at least 93% of teachers in Australia cite the opportunity to influence children's development or contribute to society as a major motivation.
  • Three out of ten of teachers (30%) in Australia are aged 50 and above (OECD average 34%). This means that Australia will have to renew three out of ten members of its teaching workforce over the next decade or so.
  • In terms of classroom environments, relations between students and teachers are positive overall, with 97% of teachers in Australia agreeing that students and teachers usually get on well with each other.
  • In Australia, 45% of teachers "agree" or "strongly agree" with the statement that their profession is valued in society, which is higher than the average across OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS. (26%). In Australia, between 2013 and 2018, the percentage of teachers reporting that the teaching profession is valued in society has increased by six percentage points.
  • In Australia, 24% of teachers report experiencing stress in their work "a lot", which is higher than the OECD average (18%).
  • 39% of teachers report participating in collaborative professional learning at least once a month (OECD average 21%) and 23% engage in team teaching with the same frequency (OECD average 28%).
  • In Australia, 3% of teachers report that they had never received feedback in their schools (OECD average 10%). The forms of feedback most commonly used in Australia are based on observation of the teacher's classroom teaching, school-based and classroom-based results and external results of students the teacher teaches.
    • | Country Note Vol.1 | Country Note Vol.2 | TALIS 2018 (Volume I): Teachers and School Leaders as Lifelong Learners | TALIS 2018 Results (Volume II): Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals | TALIS 2018 Conceptual Framework | Education policies: Teachers  |
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    Who the teachers are

    Australia shows one of the strongest decreases in the share of teachers aged 50 and above between 2013 and 2018, compared to other countries participating in the TALIS survey. (-7.2 % points, rank 32/32 , 2018) Download Indicator

    Initial and induction training of teachers

    A lower proportion of teachers did not take part in formal or informal induction activities at the current school. (28.3 %, rank 47/50 , 2018) Download Indicator

    Professional development of teachers

    Relative to most TALIS countries, a larger proportion of teachers report having undertaken professional development in the 12 months prior to the survey. (99.3 %, rank 2/50 , 2018) Download Indicator

    A large percentage of teachers attended courses/seminars in person in the 12 months prior to the survey. (92.8 %, rank 4/50 , 2018) Download Indicator

    A large percentage of teachers feel professional development activities in the 12 months prior to the survey had a positive impact on their teaching practices. (91.7 %, rank 2/49 , 2018) Download Indicator

    Teachers' practices

    A large proportion of teachers report to 'frequently' or 'always' provide written feedback on student work in addition to a mark. (82.7 %, rank 3/50 , 2018) Download Indicator

    ICT for teaching

    Australia has a larger share of teachers "frequently" or "always" letting students use ICT for projects or class work. (78.2 %, rank 3/49 , 2018) Download Indicator

    Teaching students with special needs

    A smaller proportion of teachers report a high level of need to develop their skills to teach students with special needs. (11.5 %, rank 47/50 , 2018) Download Indicator

    "Teaching in a mixed-ability setting" was included in a higher proportion of teachers' professional development activities. (57.6 %, rank 4/50 , 2018) Download Indicator

    Classroom management

    In Australia, less teachers report a high level of need for professional development in student behaviour and classroom management. (5.4 %, rank 46/50 , 2018) Download Indicator

    Teachers' engagement, motivation and drive

    For a small share of teachers, teaching was their fisrt choice as a career. (58.1 %, rank 46/50 , 2018) Download Indicator


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    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    •  Across OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS, teachers are 44 years old and principals are 52 years old, on average. Furthermore, 20% of principals across the OECD are aged 60 and above.
    •  In the OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS, 47% of principals are women, compared to 68% of teachers.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: School leadership | 
    
                            
    
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    • In OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS, 65% of teachers report frequently calming students who are disruptive and 84% report frequently explaining how new and old topics are related.
    • During a typical lesson, teachers spend 78% of classroom time on actual teaching and learning, on average in the OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS.
    • In the past five to ten years, classroom time spent on actual teaching and learning has decreased in about half of the countries and economies participating in TALIS.
    • 84% of teachers report having control over determining course content in their class, on average across in OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS. 
    • 81% of teachers say that they work in a collaborative school culture characterised by mutual support, on average in OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS. Furthermore, 59% of principals took actions on a regular basis to support co-operation among teachers to develop new teaching practices in the 12 months prior to the survey.
    • On average in OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS, only 21% of teachers report participating in collaborative professional learning at least once a month and 28% engage in team-teaching with the same frequency.
    • About half of teachers in the OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS  "frequently" or "always" let students use ICT for projects or class work, but 25% of school principals report that delivery of quality instruction in their school is hindered by a shortage or inadequacy of digital technology for instruction.
    • In the OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS, 27% of teachers work in classes with at least 10% of students with special needs (i.e. those for whom a special learning need has been formally identified because they are mentally, physically, or emotionally disadvantaged). But, 32% of school principals report that delivery of quality instruction in their school is hindered by a shortage of teachers with competence in teaching students with special needs.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teacher practices | Education policies: Learning time and Disciplinary climate | Education policies: Special needs | Education policies: Migrant background | Education policies: Digital divide | 
    
                            
    
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    • During their initial education and training, 79% of teachers in the OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS were instructed on subject content, pedagogy and classroom. Only 42% of teachers report having participated in some kind of formal or informal induction when they joined their current school.
    • In the OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS, taking part in some kind of in-service training is commonplace among teachers and principals, with 94% of teachers and 99% of principals attending at least one professional development activity in the year prior to the survey.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teacher initial education | Education policies: Teacher professional development | Education policies: School leader preparation and development | 
    
                            
    
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    • Across OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS, 26% of teachers "agree" or "strongly agree" with the statement that their profession is valued in society. Between 2013 and 2018, the percentage of teachers reporting that the profession is valued in society has increased in almost half of the countries and economies with available data.
    • Nine out of ten teachers and 95% of school leaders report that, all in all, they are satisfied with their job, on average in OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS.
    • 39% of teachers and 47% of school leaders report being satisfied with their salaries, on average in OECD countries and economies.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teacher working conditions | Education policies: School leader working conditions | 
    
                            
    
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    • Across OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS, 82% of teachers have a permanent contract while 12% of teacher are employed on contracts of one year or less.
    • 18% of teachers report experiencing stress in their work "a lot", on average in OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS. 49% of teachers report that having too much administrative work is a source of stress they experience at work "quite a bit" or "a lot".
    • A quarter of teachers report that they would like to leave teaching within the next five years, on average across the OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS. Furthermore, 14% of teachers age 50 or would like to leave teaching in the next five years.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teacher working conditions | Education policies: School leader working conditions | Education policies: Class size & Student-teacher ratio | 
    
                            
    
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    • Only 10% of teachers report that they have never received feedback in their schools. On average across the OECD, the forms of feedback most commonly used are based on classroom observations and students' school-based and classroom-based results.
    • 71% of teachers who received feedback in the 12 months prior to the survey report that it had a positive impact on their teaching practice. In all countries and economies participating in TALIS, teachers who report receiving feedback based on multiple methods are more likely to find that the feedback they received had a positive impact on their teaching.
    • The proportion of teachers who work in schools where appraisal can result in a salary increase or financial bonus is 55% in schools where school management has responsibility over salaries. In schools where school management does not have responsibility over salaries, the proportion is only 30%.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teacher appraisal | Education policies: School leader appraisal | 
    
                            
    
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    • The proportion of female teachers represents over three quarters of the primary teaching force (TALIS average 78%), which is higher than the proportion in lower secondary education of 63%. 
    • Less than half of teachers (46% on average) cited receiving formal training in facilitating transitions from early childhood education to primary education. However, a slightly smaller share of teachers (38%) said they felt well or very well prepared in this area. 
    • Thirty-seven percent (37%) of teachers report  modifying lessons for students with special needs is a source of stress "quite a bit" or "a lot" in primary in contrast to 29% in lower secondary.
    • Teachers in upper secondary education reported being involved in fewer collaborative activities than their peers in lower secondary education. Teaching jointly as a team in the same class shows significant decreases among teachers in upper secondary (5 percentage points difference). 
    • Almost a quarter of teachers (23%) in upper secondary education stated they would like to leave teaching in the next five years. Teachers satisfied with their salaries and terms of employment, and who consider the school provides opportunities to engage in discussion and has a collaborative culture are less likely to state they will leave teaching. 
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers, primary education | Education policies: School leaders, primary education | Education policies: Teachers, upper secondary education | Education policies: School leaders, upper secondary education | 
    
                            
    
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				Key
            
    
            Diagram of funding flows - Australia
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
			Click on the coverpage to see the full OECD iLibrary version
			
    
				Key
            
    
            Country Reviews for Australia
            
    
            
    
			
    
        
    
		
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
    
            Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced
            by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple
            most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in
            education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, 
			such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey
            more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important
            areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please
            take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website
            for each publication.
    
            All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. 
            The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: http://www.oecd.org/about/membersandpartners/
            

    
			Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some 
			countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2018 for school year 2017/2018.  
			

    
	    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. 
		This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages.
		Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and 
		Annex 3 
		of EAG 2021 for more details about the data collections.
            

    
			B-S-J-Z (China) refers to the four PISA-participating provinces/municipalities of the People's Republic of China:
Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
			

    
            For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.