TALIS 2024 in the Western Balkans

Teacher shortages are generally limited in North Macedonia, which may be due to changing demand with a steep decline in student numbers over the last decade. Nevertheless, nearly one-third of teachers work in schools where principals report shortages of teachers with competence in supporting students with special education needs.

Younger teachers in North Macedonia report higher motivation and job satisfaction than their older colleagues and are more likely to agree that the teaching profession is valued in society. This may signal that positive attitudes decline with experience: over half of teachers aged 50 and over report intending to leave the profession in the next five years. 

In North Macedonia, linguistic and cultural diversity are a feature of everyday practice for many teachers: 27% work in schools where more than 10% of students are from minority backgrounds, and around one-in-five report teaching students who have trouble understanding the language of instruction. Just over 10% of teachers work in schools whose principal reports that more than 30% of students have special education needs, the highest in the region. 

Teachers report frequently implementing various assessment practices and a high level of confidence in adapting instruction to the needs of their students. However, confidence is lower when it comes to teaching students with specific needs and reducing achievement gaps, suggesting they may benefit from more support on inclusive practices and connecting assessment with instructional practice.

Induction programmes are widespread in North Macedonia, with 80% of teachers reporting participating in their current school. Mentoring is almost universally available, yet less than one-in-ten report having participated either as a mentor or a mentee. This is despite principals’ reports that it is a widespread follow-up to teacher appraisal. 

Participation in professional development is nearly universal and teachers report spending 3.2 hours a week on related activities, the highest in the region. However, only around half of teachers report that their recent professional development had an impact on their teaching. Teacher collaboration on instructional practices appears limited: 45% of teachers report never having observed other teachers’ classes or provided feedback and very few report participating in co-teaching or joint activities across classes.