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New data on conditions affecting teaching in schools
An OECD report published on 16 June 2009 provided the first internationally comparable data on conditions affecting teachers in schools based on the findings of the OECD’s survey in 23 participating countries,
The findings of the survey were made public at press conferences in Mexico, with OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría, and Brussels, with OECD Deputy Secretary-General Aart De Geus, on Tuesday 16 June.
Further dissemination events will follow later in the year.
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The development of the new OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey programme (TALIS) is a significant contribution to the OECD evidence base on education. Never before have we had the opportunity to gain such an understanding of the teaching and learning environment inside schools and how these contrast between and within countries. In providing this, TALIS will help countries to review and develop policies that create the conditions for effective schooling.
Barbara Ischinger
OECD Director of Education
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Permanent URL for this page: www.oecd.org/edu/talis
What TALIS is about
TALIS is the new OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey. It is the first international survey to focus on the learning environment and the working conditions of teachers in schools and it aims to fill important information gaps in the international comparisons of education systems. TALIS offers an opportunity for teachers and school principals to give their input into education analysis and policy development in some key policy areas. Cross-country analysis from TALIS allows countries to identify other countries facing similar challenges and to learn from other policy approaches. The first TALIS survey has been conducted in 24 countries across four continents, and future rounds of TALIS are planned.
Who is surveyed in TALIS
The first round of TALIS surveyed teachers of lower secondary education and the principals of the schools in which they work. Separate questionnaires for teachers and principals were developed by an international expert group and were discussed throughout their development with teacher representative bodies, in particular the Trades Union Advisory Council (TUAC) at the OECD. Each questionnaire took about 45 minutes to complete. The TALIS survey could also be completed on line and the structure of the questionnaires was adapted for computer use.
The survey responses are entirely confidential and at no time are the names of individual teachers, principals or schools identified.
Within participating countries, schools as well as teachers within schools, were randomly selected to take part in TALIS. For each country – except for smaller countries – some 200 schools and 20 teachers within each of these schools were sampled.
Issues examined in TALIS
Countries participating in the first round of TALIS chose to focus the survey on the following key aspects of the learning environment, which can influence the quality of teaching and learning in schools:
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The leadership and management of schools- the roles adopted by school leaders, given increasing accountability and devolution of educational authority and the impact this has on the learning environment in schools and the work of teachers (complementing the current OECD thematic review on school leadership).
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The appraisal of teachers’ work in schools and the form and nature of the feedback they receive, as well as the use of outcomes from these processes to reward and develop teachers. Linked to this, the professional development that teachers undertake and how this is connected to appraisal systems, how it is supported by school leaders and how it impacts on classroom practices.
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The profiles of countries with regard to teaching practices, activities, beliefs and attitudes, and how these vary according to teacher background characteristics.
Countries participating in TALIS
Twenty four countries took part in the first TALIS: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Republic of Korea, Lithuania, Malta, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Turkey.
What TALIS tells us about school leadership
Research has shown the important influence that the leadership of schools can have on the educational outcomes of students. TALIS provides a profile of school leadership within countries and illustrates how this profile varies between schools within countries and within different contexts.
School principals’ approach to leadership and management is summarised in terms of the extent to which various activities are performed. These profiles for instance, indicate the different roles that school leaders adopt, including how much of an instructional leadership role is taken.
Not only does TALIS describe how schools are led and managed, but it allows an examination of the school environment that is created by different approaches. The school environment is characterised by, for instance, the degree of professional co-operation and collaboration between teachers, the level of teacher morale and job satisfaction, and the nature of student and teacher relations.
It is also important when examining these relationships to understand the context and conditions in which the school operates. In particular, TALIS examines how school leadership interacts with the learning environment given the degree of autonomy that the school and its leadership have and the accountability frameworks to which the school is subject.
What TALIS tells us about how good teaching is recognised and rewarded in schools
The systems and practices for reviewing the work of teachers, recognising and rewarding good teaching, and meeting teachers’ development needs can be vital in developing and retaining effective teachers. TALIS examines how teachers’ work is appraised and how they receive feedback on their work, how frequently this occurs, who is involved in the process and what the outcomes are.
Together with information about the extent and type of school evaluation, analysis of the survey responses reveals the degree to which these processes are motivated by administrative, accountability or developmental aims, and how different models shape the school environment. Analysis of these responses throws light on the following questions:
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How do different appraisal/feedback systems reward good teachers and support their development needs?
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How are different systems associated with the extent of cooperation between teachers, their job satisfaction and job security?
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How do different systems influence teachers’ teaching practices?
What TALIS tells us about teachers’ professional development
There are strong demands for teachers to continuously update their knowledge and skills, so access to good quality, professional development is vital. TALIS reveals how well the development needs of teachers are being met, by looking at:
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The amount and type of professional development undertaken
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The support provided for undertaking professional development and the barriers encountered
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The impact that different forms of professional development has had on teachers’ work
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The types of development needs that teachers feel they have
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Systems of induction and mentoring for new teachers.
What TALIS tells us about teaching practices and beliefs
The quality of the learning environment at the classroom level is, influenced by the teaching methods and classroom practices used by teachers. TALIS does not measure the effectiveness of teachers or of different teaching practices. Rather, it contrasts profiles of teaching practices, attitudes and beliefs among the participating countries. In terms of teaching practices, survey responses from teachers in TALIS are summarised to examine whether different teaching practices can be identified, such as practices that tend to focus on direction from the teacher and others that are more open-ended in their approach.
Complementing this, TALIS also provides a comparative picture of teachers’ beliefs about teaching. This picture, for example, contrasts traditional views on teaching (such as direct transmission) with non-traditional views.
Together, analysis of the survey responses allows investigation of how teaching practices and beliefs vary according to various school, teacher and classroom characteristics (including the climate of the school) and how they correlate with teachers’ professional activities (such as professional development activities or collaboration with other teachers).
TALIS Timelines
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Pilot study conducted
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September/October 2006
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Field trial conducted
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March/April 2007
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Main Study conducted
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Southern hemisphere countries
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Oct/Nov 2007
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Northern hemisphere countries
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Feb/Mar 2008
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Analysis phase conducted
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May 2008 to March 2009
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Drafting of the initial report
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Feb/May 2009
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Release of initial report
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16 June 2009
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Publication
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"Creating effective teaching and learning environments: First results from the OECD Teaching and Learning Survey"
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Further information
Further to the initial international report from TALIS, a thematic report on teachers' professional development is being produced jointly with the European Commission and is scheduled for publication towards the end of 2009. The technical report from the first round of TALIS will also be released by the end of 2009, together with the international database. For more information on TALIS, please contact:
Postal address: 2 rue de André Pascal, Paris 75016, France
Relevant links
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