Preschool and school

OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) TALIS 2008

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Who was surveyed?

The first cycle of TALIS – TALIS 2008 – surveyed teachers of lower secondary education and the principals of the schools in which they work.

Which countries participated?

24 countries took part in TALIS 2008:

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.

The survey response rate of the Netherlands fell short of the minimum requirement (75%) and the country was not featured in the international report.

What did TALIS do?

Separate questionnaires for teachers and principals were developed by an international expert group and 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 be completed on-line, or with pencil and paper.

The survey responses were entirely confidential and at no time were 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.

What was the focus?

TALIS 2008 focused on the following key aspects of the learning environment, which influence the quality of teaching and learning in schools:

The leadership and management of schools – the roles adopted by school leaders, given increasing accountability and devolution of educational authority.
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.
The professional development that teachers undertake and its connection to appraisal systems, support from school leaders and impact on classroom practices.
The profiles of countries with regard to teaching practices, activities, beliefs and attitudes, and how these vary according to teacher background characteristics.

What did TALIS 2008 tell us?

Teachers who receive more professional development feel more effective
Teachers who hold stronger beliefs about teaching methods, report more collaborative behavior with colleagues, more positive teacher-student relations, and feel more effective
Teachers who receive recognition for good performance from the principal or colleagues feel more effective
The impact of school leadership on learning is indirect and mitigated through the actions of teachers.

School leadership

The leadership of schools can have positive outcome on the educational outcomes of students. TALIS 2008 described how schools are led and managed. It provided a profile of school leadership within countries and illustrated how this profile varied between schools within countries and within different contexts. TALIS 2008 also examined the school environment, created by professional co-operation and collaboration between teachers, the level of teacher morale and job satisfaction, and the nature of student and teacher relations.

TALIS 2008 showed that

In more than half of the TALIS countries, schools with more pronounced instructional leadership tend to link teacher appraisals with teachers’ participation in professional development.
In many TALIS countries, schools whose principals were instructional leaders are more likely to take account of innovative teaching practices in the appraisal of teachers.
In almost three-quarters of TALIS countries, principals with instructional leadership style tend to develop professional development programmes for instructionally weak teachers.
In more than one quarter of TALIS countries, teachers whose school principal have a more pronounced instructional leadership style are more likely to engage in collaborative activities with their colleagues.

Recognising and rewarding teaching

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 2008 examined how teachers’ work is appraised and how they receive feedback on their work, how frequently this occurred, who was involved in the process and what the outcomes were.

TALIS 2008 showed that

Appraisal and feedback have a strong positive influence on teachers and their work. It increases job satisfaction, job security and development as teachers.
Across TALIS countries, 13% of teachers do not receive any appraisal or feedback in their school.
Most teachers work in schools that offer no rewards or recognition for their efforts.
Three-quarters reported that they would receive no recognition for improving the quality of their work.
A similar proportion reported they would receive no recognition for being more innovative in their teaching.

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 2008 showed that

An average of 89% of teachers in lower secondary education engages in professional development. The remaining 11% are a source of concern.
On average in TALIS countries, teachers participate in professional development for just under one day per month.
A significant proportion of teachers think that professional development does not meet their needs: over half reported wanting more than they received during the previous 18 months.
Teachers require professional development particularly in “Teaching special learning needs students”, “ICT teaching skills” and “Student discipline and behaviour”.
Teachers reported that the main reason for unfulfilled demand is the conflict with their work schedule.

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 2008 provided profiles of teaching practices, attitudes and beliefs among the participating countries. It also provided a comparative picture of teachers’ beliefs about teaching, including traditional (such as direct transmission) and non-traditional views.

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OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) TALIS 2008

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