This chapter provides OECD analysis of the results of the study on the future of teaching in Austria, including a focus on the diversity of the current and future teacher workforce and lessons for transformation emerging from the set of preferred future scenarios. First, it summarises the input from stakeholders on the research questions for the study. Second, it provides an analysis on the key elements that feature across the set of five preferred future scenarios and suggests four interconnecting themes to help realise the future scenarios. Third, it considers the implications for strategic thinking and moving forward. The final section presents more specific ideas to support transformation of teaching in Austria.
Constructing Scenarios for the Future of Teaching in Austria
Abstract
This study set out to explore four research questions related to the future of teaching in Austria:
1. What will it mean to be a teacher in the future? What should be at the core of the teaching profession?
2. How to develop teacher professional identity and a more collaborative profession?
3. What are possible new ways for teachers to collaborate and co-operate as a team in knowledge management, but also on current topics about school or society? What steps can be taken towards a co-operative school?
4. What support services do teachers need to improve and maintain their physical and mental health?
These questions were developed by the Ministry’s team as part of a focus on developing a long-term strategy for the future of the teaching profession in Austria.
During the workshops, each working group was asked to document how their preferred scenario addressed the research questions. As a reminder, these scenarios were drafted using the ambition loops tool which was explicitly constructed using evidence-based statements as outlined in Chapter 2. Key input was distilled from the set of five scenarios that were constructed by the different groups and is presented in Boxes 5.1 to 5.4.
Teacher professional identity and a more collaborative profession are developed through…
Openness and curiosity that includes exploring new pedagogical approaches and innovation. This requires the need for teachers and schools to have room and freedom to experiment.
Stronger links with higher education.
Teacher training that encourages innovation and exchange with practitioners.
A shared understanding that collaboration should be integrated into teacher education. This will support changing the mindset and approaches to continuing professional development. New ways of professional development will be needed that are meaningful to teachers and their current work.
Well guided platforms for exchange, including virtual approaches, that facilitate a culture of cooperation and feedback.
Teachers’ mindsets moving from “me and my class” to “us and our school”, including our shared vision of pedagogy and our collective learning culture.
School and system approaches encouraging and supporting co-operation amongst teachers.
Training and support for teaching in more collaborative ways.
Emphasising collaboration as a leadership skill.
Schools working with partners in local community.
Source: OECD workshops on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
In the future, being a teacher means…
Nurturing attentive, curious, and open-minded companionship in student’s development.
Developing self-reflective learning, autonomy and exploration of new ways to create better conditions for student learning.
Strengthening opportunities to engage in coaching and working in multi-disciplinary ways.
Crafting student mindsets that move towards self-regulating rather than being controlled.
Sharing knowledge and teaching experiences among teachers and with other professionals as well as learners: teachers are knowledge brokers.
Preparing young people for a world of future challenges.
Fostering collaborative approaches and use of technology to support the teacher’s role as a learning moderator, including a focus on holistic student development.
Creating a culture of teaching that is driven by curiosity, openness and innovativeness.
Innovating teaching to support student needs.
Source: OECD workshops on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
Teacher professional identity and a more collaborative profession are developed through…
Openness and curiosity that includes exploring new pedagogical approaches and innovation. This requires the need for teachers and schools to have room and freedom to experiment.
Stronger links with higher education.
Teacher training that encourages innovation and exchange with practitioners.
A shared understanding that collaboration should be integrated into teacher education. This will support changing the mindset and approaches to continuing professional development. New ways of professional development will be needed that are meaningful to teachers and their current work.
Well guided platforms for exchange, including virtual approaches, that facilitate a culture of cooperation and feedback.
Teachers’ mindsets moving from “me and my class” to “us and our school”, including our shared vision of pedagogy and our collective learning culture.
School and system approaches encouraging and supporting co-operation amongst teachers.
Training and support for teaching in more collaborative ways.
Emphasising collaboration as a leadership skill.
Schools working with partners in local community.
Source: OECD workshops on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
Steps towards a more co-operative school and teacher workforce are…
Developing the professional role, including supporting a culture of shared feedback and support for teaching teams. There should be less pressure on individuals to be responsible for success and more focus on ways to harness collective professional identity.
Providing dedicated time and space, including physical spaces, for teachers to critically reflect as a core part of their work together.
Regular networking sessions and professional development opportunities. Strengthen building of networks and support for the role of networkers who connect others.
Well-structured strategies to foster innovation. Teachers collaborate via formal networks and bottom-up initiatives. As the diversity of teacher profiles grows there is value in considering how different experiences and skills can be utilised within a school.
Learning from successful schools through visits and partnerships. Learning from collaboration in other organisations, sectors and social movements. Seeking partnerships with external experts on specific topics of relevance to learning and teaching.
Source: OECD workshops on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
To improve and maintain their physical and mental health, teachers need…
A school leadership vision that ensures well-being supports for teachers and allows for targeted innovation. Systems support across all schools, including buddy, mentor and supervision practices.
Peer coaching and supervision practices that support ongoing development and growth and are driven by the teacher and their needs, passions and interests.
Access to professional intervision / supervision as a core part of teaching across all career phases.
Continuing Professional Learning strategies for managing stress that are part of a suite of training available.
Robust induction processes that emphasise working in teams, supported by teacher training focuses in this area, in close coordination with universities and universities of teacher education.
Collaboration with external professionals to create “mindful schools”.
Administrative support to organise sabbaticals (or scholarships) related to career development for teachers and school leaders.
Source: OECD workshops on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
This study on the future of teaching in Austria sought to create space to collectively consider opportunities that can inform longer-term transformation, shorter-term improvement and build on current strengths. As a basis, this section identifies key elements that feature across the set of scenarios, keeping in mind input from different stakeholders on the degree of change required to current policy and practice.
As a first step, there are ten key elements that feature across the set of five preferred future scenarios. These reflect the choice of specific ambitions and collegial discussion within the working groups. Arguably, all of these elements would be important to the future of teaching.
provides an overview of the extent that each element appears in each of the scenarios, using a 0-4 point scale to indicate to what extent an element is covered in a scenario. Overall, Figure 5.1 shows that many ideas are common to several of the scenarios for the future of teaching. In particular, ideas related to teacher career development and diversity, and teacher autonomy and professional identity were most frequently featured across all scenarios. Interdisciplinary working, collaborative school cultures, and an innovation culture also were strongly featured, followed by a focus on leadership and external collaborations with higher education and other sectors.
Across the scenarios, there is broad consensus that the core of teaching extends beyond knowledge transmission to fostering students’ holistic development, encouraging curiosity, and adapting to changing societal and technological demands. Stakeholders in the study envisioned teachers as lifelong learners who balance professionalism with flexibility, embracing innovation and collaboration to support student learning. There is agreement on the need for openness, creativity, autonomy, and a commitment to personal and professional growth. However, the scenarios differ in how this vision can be achieved: Scenario I focuses on well-being and a healthy working environment as a prerequisite for broader teacher development, including strategies for managing stress, professional intervention and supervision, as well as working towards “mindful schools”. Scenarios II and IV emphasise the value of providing teachers with collaboration skills, beginning with initial teacher education as well as robust induction processes and continuing through strong links with higher education and local partners in the local community. In these scenarios, working in teams, as well as peer coaching and supervision practices are seen as key tools towards a stronger, more collaborative professional identity. Scenarios III and V discuss how quality leadership can support and structure meaningful collaboration and targeted innovation. It is important to revisit and organise these different strategies to build momentum for positive, sustainable change over the medium term and reduce diffusion. There is value in their diversity – they can help create a more holistic picture of what needs to change and provide a toolbox of different points of departure for different contexts.
Note: This figure indicates the OECD analysis of key elements featured across the set of five preferred future scenarios. Key elements outlined by a black box are the core focus of the particular scenario. For example, in Scenario 1, a healthy school environment is the core focus.
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
As a second step, taking the input from stakeholders on the research questions and the key elements featured across the set of scenarios, four themes emerged that could support realising the ideas within the preferred future scenarios:
1. Innovation culture (regulation, support for experimentation, documentation versus communication)
2. Collaborative school cultures
3. Teacher autonomy and professional identity
4. Leadership (on various levels).
Innovation culture
Innovation relates to the conditions and supports in place to encourage exploring curiosity and experimentation in ways that respond to contemporary and future needs of students. Benefits for teachers include professional growth and deeper professional satisfaction from undertaking research and development. Benefits for schools and systems come from utilising the current experiences of teachers and other partners to create solutions to contemporary challenges and to apply their professional expertise to inform system approaches. The need for schools to respond to contemporary issues such as technology (OECD, 2021[1]), mis- or disinformation (Collins, 2020[2]) or climate (OECD, 2022[3]) provide opportunities to explore how schools could transform their approaches and how this can be supported at a system level.
Schools are already creative spaces that continuously adapt to challenges and opportunities. There is potential to harness these “micro-innovations” (EI, 2022[4]) in ways that can influence education systems. For example, approaches such as lighthouse projects can support scaling up and experimenting by putting innovative ideas into practice, with high levels of fidelity (Miller and Olson, 1998[5]). Lighthouse approaches provide a collaborative mechanism to develop ideas by providing (a) additional funding or support (Lange and Knieling, 2020[6]) while (b) seeking agreed approaches to be implemented (Lange and Knieling, 2020[6]; Baumgartner, 2019[7]) and (c) a willingness to share the learning with others who might be involved in other innovations or who are interested in the idea being developed (Lange and Knieling, 2020[6]).
Policy makers could identify opportunities to establish or extend interdisciplinary relationships in support of innovation. One approach is to consider different rates of innovation, based on different levels of confidence to innovate, between teachers and schools (Vincent-Lancrin et al., 2019[8]). Interdisciplinary relationships and collaboration do not need large, cumbersome structures to support action – rather innovation can be supported by lightweight, adaptable structures to bring people together (McGrath, 2023[9]). In Finland for instance, collaboration is a key principle of the national education system. However, collaboration between colleagues is rarely a “serious and structured” image of “teachers putting their heads together, looking exhausted, as they pore over unit plans” (Walker, 2017, p. 181[10]). Rather, collaboration can – and should – happen organically. This entails creating a welcoming school culture that encourages teachers to reach out to one another, come together and share insights about their classroom experiences (Kelly, Merry and Gonzalez, 2018[11]). At the same time, teacher roles need to be clearly (re)defined to allow fruitful collaboration with other professions. Structural support from policy makers and school leaders is crucial in facilitating intra- and inter-school collaboration among educators. Successful collaborations thrive on mutual trust, shared responsibilities, and effective communication (Glover et al., 2023[12]).
The study has revealed different ways to support the development of an innovation culture. Firstly, the process of innovation needs to be seen as meaningful to the core work of teachers (Nilsson Brodén, 2022[13]) and not an additional distraction. Secondly, a learning culture must be accepting of mistakes and have a desire to learn from feedback and reflection (Kucharska and Bedford, 2020[14]). The stakeholder groups identified a positive Fehlerkultur, a culture of learning from mistakes, as crucial in the Austrian context. Teachers need the space to try out new approaches, and not fear that this could be interpreted as stepping out of line. Thirdly, and following that concern, a clear set of pedagogical guiding principles in which innovation ideas may be developed can support coherence, build momentum for change, and ensure quality of implementation (Fletcher and Ní Chróinín, 2022[15]). Fourthly, system and school leaders will need to place adequate value on innovation and how it sits alongside a predominant focus on formal assessments, particularly in the later years of schooling when the stakes of academic success are perceived as becoming higher (Weninger, 2018[16]).
Thematic analysis
The workshop participants highlighted the importance of a functioning innovation culture in and across multiple levels. This type of culture can benefit the professional life of the teachers because it builds up a support system and improves possibilities for professional development. Innovation needs to develop from the base, not top-down. It also needs quality leadership and systems support to drive innovation.
A vision for the future would enable a culture of innovation on a wide level. This would include the possibility for leaders to exchange ideas and findings. Empowering people to take risks needs supports. At the same time, innovation and feasibility requires also certain guardrails, targets, and a common understanding. A current strength of the Austrian system that can be harnessed to build an innovation eco-system is the regulatory framework that can be focused to support meaningful transformation, including harnessing micro-innovations across schools.
A focus on clearly defining the need for an innovation culture in Austrian schools can support transformation. Leaders can play a role in initiating collaboration and schools can be supported to use the autonomy they already have more. This includes clear and regular communication with school leaders about the possibilities for innovation and clear communication channels for school leaders to be able to access support to guide an idea they are developing through the regulatory frameworks.
Actions for transformation and first steps suggested in developing the set of scenarios, include:
Shared vision
Developing a long-term shared vision for the education system, as well as other youth sectors, which does not change after every legislature (Scenario I, transformation).
Giving schools the mission to develop themselves based on their own ideas (Scenario IV, transformation).
Developing teacher mindsets to be innovators. Innovation should be the basis of collective planning. Teachers are resilient and resourceful professionals (Scenario V, transformation).
Innovative pedagogy is held in high regard and rewarded by society, including societal recognition, rewards, financial incentives (Scenario V, transformation).
Enablers of transformation
Developing a clear time allocation model and administrative support structures (Scenario IV, transformation).
Examine ways to reduce administrative tasks by considering teaching time, other professional duties as well as administrative tasks (Scenario V, transformation).
Exploring ways to foster eco-systems (human and physical) to sustain innovation (Scenario V, transformation).
Developing a positive, big picture public relations narrative that shows good practices in action. Innovative pedagogy is recognised (Scenario V, transformation).
Helping schools make the most of existing scope for school autonomy (Scenario II, first steps).
Building on strengths in some provinces as models for other provinces (Scenario II, first steps).
Continuing to create a digital platform to offer sharing of curated ideas and findings (Scenario III, first steps).
Improving awareness of existing tools that support innovation (Scenario III, first steps).
Exploring a federal service point to advise school leaders and teachers on legal frameworks for autonomy and innovation (Scenario V, first steps).
Interdisciplinary approaches
Greater (core) focus on interdisciplinarity in higher education with a focus on new methods that support approaches such as projects (Scenario III, transformation).
Developing a culture of innovative collaboration across different age groups, classes, and schools, including opportunities for co- and team teaching beyond existing approaches (Scenario II, transformation).
Time and space for working with partners (Scenario V, first steps).
Professional learning to develop an explicit understanding of working within purposeful multi-disciplinary teams (Scenario I, first steps).
Innovating the curriculum
Learning from other systems about different ways of teaching in curricular areas rather than traditional subjects; more student led teaching and curriculum modules (Scenario II, transformation).
Learning from feedback and errors
Research/ survey of schools on their culture of feedback and error (Scenario II, transformation).
Creating space for reflection for individual teachers and teams (Scenario V, first steps).
Using autonomy and allowing for trial and error (Scenario V, first steps).
Collaborative school cultures
Collaboration provides opportunity to combine individual strengths across a school team to build collective teacher efficacy. It also relates to working with other partners to support the work of teachers and students. Secondary analysis of the TALIS 2018 data (OECD, 2020[17]) for Austria shows how teacher cooperation is positively associated to teaching quality, classroom behaviour and the perceived teacher-student relationship and suggests how cooperation between teachers can function or be promoted in everyday school life (Methlagl and Vogl, 2020[18]). As part of the 2018 OECD TALIS survey (OECD, 2020[17]), over 80% of teachers agreed with the statements that (a) there is a collaborative school culture characterised by mutual support and (b) that this school staff had opportunities to actively participate in school decisions and (c) that this school cultivates a culture of shared responsibility in school matters (Schmich and Opriessnig, 2020[19]). For students, this could have positive effects regarding the wider school and classroom culture similar to a scenario where collaboration among teachers encourages collaboration among students (Coke, 2005[20]; Bleiner, 2023[21]).
Collaboration between teachers has the potential to provide benefits when the purpose for collaborating is meaningful. Teachers strengthen their understanding of teacher professional identity to support their individual and collective work. Professional learning that is teacher-led, collaborative, school-based and emerges directly from the needs of teachers and their students can support professional growth and learning for students (Boeskens, Nusche and Yurita, 2020[22]; Hong, Cross Francis and Schutz, 2024[23]). Collaborative practices can support reflection on classroom practice (McCaw, 2021[24]; OECD, 2005[25]). All teachers could also be developed by offering peer coaching and supervision (Kutsyuruba and Godden, 2019[26]) which can facilitate teachers to collaboratively develop solutions. Specific practical problems faced by a colleague can allow for the sharing of practical experience and knowledge, examining issues from various perspectives and reflecting on approaches and the values underpinning choices.
Collaborative practices can also support student-teachers in making sense of the role of teaching across numerous domains (Moore, 2007[27]) including curriculum (Hizli Alkan and Priestley, 2019[28]), teacher–pupil relationships (Geerinck, Masschelein and Simons, 2010[29]), and to develop responsive, adaptive pedagogy grounded in contextually sensitive decision-making (McCaw, 2021[24]). This can help prepare teachers to face central professional challenges, like the unpredictability of classroom dynamics or the complexities of increasingly diverse school communities (Forghani-Arani, Cerna and Bannon, 2019[30]).
For early career teachers, collaborative approaches can support proper onboarding process through shadowing more experienced teachers, working in teams, or other open teaching formats. Support for early career teachers can often include development of skills of experienced teacher mentors, including support for this from teacher education (Willegems et al., 2018[31]; Tonna, Bjerkholt and Holland, 2017[32]; Shanks et al., 2022[33]).
Collaboration can support teacher well-being. The World Health Organization (2021[34]) defines a healthy work environment as “one in which workers and managers collaborate to use a continual improvement process to protect and promote the health, safety and well-being of all workers and the sustainability of the workplace”. In fact, social isolation is one of the main causes of teacher dissatisfaction (Reeves, Pun and Chung, 2017[35]) and retention, especially among young teachers (OECD, 2024[36]; Deakin University, Melbourne/Deakin University, Melbourne, 2021[37]). Fostering collaboration can reduce feelings of isolation, which, when accompanied by organisational structures that support effective collaboration, can contribute to interdependent increases in teacher job satisfaction, self-efficacy, and confidence (Reeves, Pun and Chung, 2017[35]; Moolenaar, Sleegers and Daly, 2012[38]; GIVE - Servicestelle für Gesundheitsförderung an Österreichs Schulen, 2025[39]).
Collaboration can support innovation in the classroom by working across and between schools. When supported, there can be benefits from creating time and space for interested schools with similar micro-innovation ideas to share development of their approaches by collaborating. Collaboration opportunities can support innovations at the school level (Sinnema et al., 2021[40]). Potential gains include the sharing of knowledge, reducing the burdens of each school doing it on their own using synergies, as well as gains in learning (Sinnema et al., 2021[40]). Systematic approaches can also lead to higher levels of teacher satisfaction by providing opportunities for teachers to share their expertise beyond their school (Beaufort Research and NFER, 2019[41]), to benefit of others by sharing of good practice as well as the opportunity to further a career specialisation opportunity that support “maintaining motivation levels and enthusiasm for the job” (Beaufort Research and NFER, 2019[41]).
Working with families and community is one of the closest relationships for teachers. Nurturing collaborative relationships with families and community stakeholders is increasingly recognised as integral to educational success. Schools should appreciate the multiple ways of how bringing in the communities can strengthen student sense of belonging and confidence in their capacity to grow and improve (Darling-Hammond and Cook-Harvey, 2018[42]; Masson, Antony-Newman and Antony-Newman, 2022[43]). Effective partnerships not only enhance student well-being and academic achievement but also enrich the professional practice of educators (Perälä-Littunen and Böök, 2019[44]; Epstein, 2018[45]; Ryan, 2021[46]; Goodall et al., 2022[47]). Integrating family engagement into teacher education programs supports the development of inclusive educational practices from the outset (Goodall et al., 2022[47]).
At the same time, working together with parents is not always an easy task and teachers have to learn how to do this well (Leenders et al., 2019[48]). Parental involvement can have negative effects on teachers, such as infringing their autonomy (Spruyt et al., 2023[49]). Teacher training must support working effectively with individual parents and developing an understanding about how the professionalism of teachers plays a role in creating a welcoming school (Epstein and Sheldon, 2023[50]; Epstein, 2018[45]; Ryan, 2021[46]). Changes to the intensity of relationships with families in the contemporary context requires refreshing norms and expectations about teachers’ collaboration with parents and other partners - this strengthened approach should also involve starting in initial teacher education to support development of new approaches (Epstein, 2018[45]; Perälä-Littunen and Böök, 2019[44]; Goodall, 2018[51]).
Higher education is one partner the teaching profession can collaborate with. This refers to all disciplines within higher education and specifically to teacher education. Collaboration and partnerships are recognised by teachers as vital for enhancing their research capabilities and professional skills (Bristow, 2021[52]).These links are fundamental to teachers as a way of sustaining and developing their knowledge base for teaching. Higher education partners and policy makers could create opportunities for interested teachers to conduct research on issues important to their work (Bristow, 2021[52]; Willegems et al., 2018[31]; ESTYN, 2017[53]). For researchers, working with teachers can make research more visible and pertinent to teachers, incorporating their perspectives and voices into practice.
Collaborations across the broader societal sector can also benefit teachers and schools. High-quality, collaborative approaches and resources can align teacher expertise with those in broader societal sectors (Mujtaba et al., 2018[54]). This can include supporting student engagement in learning (Mujtaba et al., 2018[54]). Partnerships with successful professional industries can provide insights for school leaders to expand their knowledge and practice (Harris et al., 2021[55]; MEGA Bildungsstiftung, 2024[56]). There is opportunity for motivated teachers and leaders to learn about practices in other professions that can support reflection on approaches used within teaching.
Collaboration requires the development of skills and practices that strengthen the value of working together. Developing the skills of teachers to be introspective, reflective and collaborative, starting with initial teacher education, can enhance teacher professionalism through practical ways to support professional autonomy and teacher responsibility for their own continuous professional learning and growth across a teacher’s career (Suarez and McGrath, 2022[57]).
A stronger focus on developing the collaboration skills of current and future professionals in the education sector can benefit cross-sectoral/ interprofessional collaboration in their work. As interdisciplinary approaches become core to professional work in response to contemporary and future challenges, professionals need skills to collaborate effectively with others. This can be supported in school and adult learning programmes (Lawson and Veen, 2016[58]). Learned collaboration skills are valued in work and teachers and schools can model practices for students (Bax et al., 2023[59]). At the same time, cross-sectoral collaborations require clarity of roles (Malmberg-Heimonen, Tøge and Akhtar, 2023[60]; Nilsson Brodén, 2022[13]) as well as combined and individual goals and benefits (Nilsson Brodén, 2022[13]; Raum, 2018[61]). Structural support from policy makers and school leaders is crucial in facilitating intra- and inter-school collaboration among educators, especially for teachers working in more difficult schools with increased challenges in classroom management (Backers, Tuytens and Devos, 2020[62]), for instance through higher diversity (Amitai and Van Houtte, 2022[63]; OECD, 2019[64]). Successful collaborations thrive on mutual trust, shared responsibilities, and effective communication (Glover et al., 2023[12]).
Education policy makers support school leaders to enable teacher collaboration. Collegiality, professional collaboration, and support all influence teachers' choices to stay or leave their teaching positions and schools (Backers, Tuytens and Devos, 2020[62]).Taking responsibility for the organisation teachers work in is perceived as a motivation, also to grow in the profession (Mombaers, Vanlommel and Van Petegem, 2020[65]). Teachers can work together with school leadership to sustain a collaborative culture that supports professional development (De Jong, Meirink and Admiraal, 2019[66]; Bristow, 2021[67]), mental health and well-being (Beaufort Research and NFER, 2019[41]) and starting teachers develop skills to further this (Willegems et al., 2018[31]).
Fostering collaboration requires time and space. At management level, care should then be taken to relieve teachers of administrative workload and to create a relaxed working atmosphere (Honingh and Hooge, 2013[68]). This support also encompasses providing infrastructure, curatorial processes, and dedicated time allocations for collaborative opportunities. Policy makers can also facilitate the reimagination of physical school spaces and infrastructures to better support collaborative learning and teaching practices (Zenke, 2020[69]). The call to redesign spaces reflects a shift towards more inclusive and adaptable environments that allow for open, creative learning processes (MEGA Bildungsstiftung, 2024[56]).
Thematic analysis
The scenarios and workshops identified a goal to strengthen the role of teachers in leading collaboration with students and other teachers on the basis of an equal relationship. Collaboration was seen as one of the main drivers for innovation, development, and job satisfaction, but not always part of current practice. In a preferred future vision, schools would have a clear framework for collaboration which is co-designed with society partners.
A focus on strengthening internal and external support systems for teachers and school leaders to work in multi-dimensional teams can help achieve this transformation. This means valuing the role of schools as a whole system that recognises a range of teachers’ talents, interests and passions that can be combined to create synergies and strengths as a whole school team. Professional development, innovation and collaboration needs to happen continually. This needs to become an integral part of the mindset and culture of the profession. Strategies and guidance need to be clear and available.
Actions for transformation and first steps suggested in developing the set of scenarios, include:
Within schools
New working models that enable and support structured cooperation; planned time and space in schools for collaboration (Scenario IV, transformation).
Collegial work shadowing and team coaching (Scenario IV, transformation).
Teacher recruitment: importance of a team player attitude (Scenario IV, transformation).
Mentoring is already an integral part of induction that can be strengthened (Scenario II, first steps).
Developing skills on coaching (Scenario II, first steps).
Reducing “practice shock” through improved onboarding (Scenario V, first steps).
Creating feedback culture between teacher and student, amongst the range of collaborations within a school (Scenario IV, first steps).
Building physical spaces in schools that support collaboration, including providing time (Scenario V, first steps).
Strengthened professional learning to support communication with parents (Scenario I, first steps).
Differentiated induction processes focusing on communication with parents and providing opportunity for beginning teachers to “work” with parents and develop effective ways to communicate/ benefit from working together (Scenario I, first steps).
Within Teacher Education
Collaboration as an integral and vivid part of teacher training and teacher training institutions (Scenario III, first steps).
Within communities
Map and expand ways that local communities can be supported to work together towards common goals (Scenario I, transformation).
Fostering collaboration within multi-disciplinary teams composed of teachers, psychologists, social workers (Scenario IV, first steps).
Investment in co-operative structures, inside and outside of schools. Potential to start with school leaders (Scenario IV, transformation).
Developing the idea of an educational, collaborative neighbourhood (Scenario IV, transformation).
Creating a clear statement of purpose and organisational identity (Scenario IV, first steps).
Providing information on what schools in the area are doing to facilitate linkages (Scenario II, first steps).
Creating other meeting structures to teacher conferences, for example, democratic citizen councils (Scenario IV, first steps).
Expanding support systems, including through financial incentives (Scenario IV, first steps).
Expanding all-day schools that allow for meaningful relationships between students, teachers, and parents (Scenario IV, first steps).
Teacher autonomy and Teacher Professional Identity (TPI)
Teacher autonomy relates to the space available to a teacher to make decisions and choices, for example related to their teaching or professional development. Teacher Professional Identity reflects ways that teachers perceive their work, both individually and collectively, which can impact on how they go about their work.
Teachers’ work has become more intensified (Van Droogenbroeck and Spruyt, 2015[70]; Ballet and Kelchtermans, 2008[71]) and stressful in recent decades (Tuytens et al., 2022[72]). Some of the challenges relate to the pace of work, technological changes and managerial requirements or non-teaching workload (Van Droogenbroeck, Spruyt and Vanroelen, 2014[73]). This can lead to a sense of isolation and loneliness (Turner, Thielking and Prochazka, 2022[74]). At the same time, there is recognition that autonomy is a strong feature of professionalism that supports job satisfaction and success (Van Droogenbroeck and Spruyt, 2015[70]). Teachers’ work requires support at all levels to respond to the challenges faced. They also require employers to take well-being and policies directed to keeping teachers healthy very seriously (Beaufort Research and NFER, 2019[41]; Tuytens et al., 2022[72]),
There is scope to consider ways to enhance autonomy (teacher leadership) in teaching (Grice, 2019[75]; Mezza, 2022[76]; Beaufort Research and NFER, 2019[41]) that can benefit authentic and meaningful learning options for students. This requires careful thought about the intended learning for the student (ESTYN, 2024[77]). Enhanced pedagogical leadership (Grice, 2019[75]), an area specific to teachers’ professional work, could be supported by creating space within curriculum structures to allow teachers to lead. This includes examining the “discretionary authority” (Baker and Milner, 2016[78]) available to teachers.
Next to the positive effects on students, autonomy can also increase teachers job satisfaction and therefore teacher retention (Backers, Tuytens and Devos, 2020[62]; Spruyt et al., 2023[49]; Beaufort Research and NFER, 2019[41]). Schools can give teachers the freedom and confidence to experiment and respond to the needs of individual students or groups, including defining any limitations (Beaufort Research and NFER, 2019[41]). Increasing trust and autonomy in school leaders and teachers can build a self-improving school system (Bristow, 2021[52]).
Developing the skills of teachers to be introspective, reflective and collaborative, starting with initial teacher education, can enhance teacher professionalism through practical ways to support professional autonomy; and teacher responsibility for their own Continuing Professional Learning and growth across a teacher’s career (Suarez and McGrath, 2022[57]).
Transformational leadership, defined as a leader who demonstrates that he/she “communicates clearly, gives teachers participation, autonomy, and support, and makes correct decisions” (Backers, Tuytens and Devos, 2020[62]; Tuytens et al., 2022[72]), can play an important role by providing space for teacher autonomy (Van Droogenbroeck, Spruyt and Vanroelen, 2014[73]), mediating impacts of work intensification (Van Droogenbroeck and Spruyt, 2015[70]), and involving teachers in school level decision making (Van Droogenbroeck and Spruyt, 2015[70]; Devos et al., 2016[79]).
If teachers strengthen their understanding of Teacher Professional Identity, this can support their individual and collective work. Continuing Professional Learning that is teacher-led, collaborative, school-based and emerges directly from the needs of teachers and their students can support professional growth and learning for students (Boeskens, Nusche and Yurita, 2020[22]). Forming partnerships with all different sorts of stakeholders can support teachers to strengthen their professional identity, develop new approaches in the way they teach or reframe their understanding of teaching (Austrian research seminar, personal communication, 15 April 2024).
Approaches to Continuing Professional Learning that place Teacher Professional Identity (TPI) at the heart of supporting teachers can focus on current work needs and ongoing development opportunities (Suarez and McGrath, 2022[57]; Hong, Cross Francis and Schutz, 2024[23]). Diversifying career options for teachers provides greater opportunity for teachers to recognise their own skills sets and the contribution they make towards the collective professional identity (Suarez and McGrath, 2022[57]) within a workplace and to the profession more generally. As well as valuing their own individual differences, teachers can be empowered to develop and share their interests and expertise.
Recognising the broad and transferable skillset that comes with a degree in education can help strengthen the professional identity of teachers and open up a wider range of career pathways. Skills such as communication, collaboration, analytical thinking and social skills work are highly valued across sectors, positioning teachers as well-prepared professionals beyond the classroom. Framing teacher education in this way not only benefits the status of the profession, but also responds to the expectations of newer generations entering both teacher education and the labour market. It may also appeal to individuals who envision teaching as part of a more varied career journey, by offering greater flexibility and opportunities for professional diversification (Carter, 2023[80])
Mindfulness practices offer significant potential for building healthier working environments, strengthening teacher identity and transforming schools. Beyond promoting well-being, they allow teachers to develop a grounding sense of purpose, and a calm, compassionate presence in the classroom (McCaw, 2021[24]). They can help teachers navigate uncertainty and vulnerability, encouraging deeper reflection on their professional role and values to create conditions for their own agency (Skinner, Leavey and Rothi, 2019[81]).
Thematic analysis
The scenarios and workshops highlighted the importance of a collective team approach that starts with the school leader working closely with teachers as leaders within their school. This includes the need to support school leaders and teacher leaders through partnerships with the school-community, education sector and the broader societal sector.
A vision for the future would need teachers to have a strong understanding of their profession and the responsibilities they assume.
A focus on strengthening all roles within the education system would help achieve this transformation. The teaching profession, along with its partners, needs to discuss the teacher mission statement to paint a professional picture in public.
Actions for transformation and first steps suggested in developing the set of scenarios, include:
Opportunities for specialisation within the collective of a school team
Describing different complementary positions for staff in their school, including possibilities to specialise and take specific roles within a collective team approach (Scenario I, transformation).
Exploring digital systems for individual learning (Scenario II, first steps).
Piloting a project for teachers to experience other professions (Seitenwechsel) (Scenario IV, first steps).
Enablers
Fostering the courage of autonomy (Scenario IV, first steps).
Improving the quality of conversations around individual professional development (Scenario IV, first steps).
Leadership (on various levels)
School leaders play an important role in achieving transformation. Their role in supporting others and the complexity of their work requires ongoing support. Other levels of leadership include teacher leadership and middle leadership which may or may not involve specific role allocations.
School leaders can develop leadership capacity with a school by promoting a culture of positive feedback and developing shared goals. Developing teacher leadership can directly impact teaching and learning (Eryilmaz and Sandoval Hernandez, 2024[82]; Knapp, 2020[83]). Leadership and school authorities can create conditions where teachers can actively participate in decision-making processes, explore innovative teaching methodologies, and engage meaningfully with families and external partners. These elements collectively enhance both teacher professionalism and student educational experiences.
Participatory decision-making mechanisms can balance autonomy with supportive structures (Backers, Tuytens and Devos, 2020[62]). Such approaches not only bolster teacher retention but also cultivate a sense of ownership and commitment among educators (Devos et al., 2016[79]; By, 2021[84]). This participatory framework is further crucial amid the dynamic nature of teaching conditions, ensuring schools can effectively respond to evolving educational needs (Van Wingerden and Poell, 2019[85]). Teachers work together with school leadership to sustain a collaborative culture that supports professional development (Bristow, 2021[52]; De Jong, Meirink and Admiraal, 2019[66]), mental health and well-being (Beaufort Research and NFER, 2019[41]) and starting teachers develop skills to further this (Willegems et al., 2018[31]).
School leaders and authorities can also encourage teachers to experiment with new teaching methodologies, creating space to innovate and take risks without being judged immediately. Research underscores that giving educators the space and resources to innovate promotes student agency and inclusivity in learning (Bron, Emerson and Kákonyi, 2018[86]; Charteris and Smardon, 2019[87]). Moreover, it allows educators to refine their pedagogical skills and adapt strategies that cater to diverse learning needs effectively. There is also opportunity to harness teacher leadership and the professional work enacting the curriculum within contemporary school, policy and societal contexts (Harris, Jones and Crick, 2020[88]).
Leadership plays a key role for transformation and requires focuses on capacity building, connecting with others, and placing the work within the contexts of both a school and the system (Schley and Schratz, 2011[89]). The contexts of individual schools and the system can shape the focus of leadership (Kemethofer, Helm and Warwas, 2022[90]; Knapp, 2020[83]), such as the extent to which leadership focuses on instructional leadership (Eryilmaz and Sandoval Hernandez, 2024[82]) or innovation. Some researchers highlight differences with leaders from German-speaking countries compared with others, including traditional approaches being generally less characterised as being participatory or entrepreneurial in style (Knapp, 2020[83]). In Austrian education policy, the role of school leadership has been increasingly highlighted for its crucial impact on school and instructional development (Schratz et al., 2015[91]). Research on school effectiveness shows that school quality and student performance are indirectly influenced by leadership actions. School leaders who promote teacher collaboration positively influence other aspects, such as innovation efforts at the school level and characteristics of classroom instruction (Bonsen, 2010[92]). Rosenholtz (1991[93]) showed that schools where teachers work and learn together lead to better student performance compared to schools where teachers work in isolation.
Effective leadership requires a shared vision, clear objectives, ongoing quality management, process development, evaluative practices, and high-quality teaching (Schratz et al., 2015[91]). This strong, but indirect effect of school leadership on school quality suggests that successful school development relies on the commitment and empowerment of other stakeholders in the system, especially (Schratz et al., 2015[91]). Teachers play a crucial role as success factors in shared or distributed leadership models (Rexhäuser, 2015[94]). In addition to classroom management, teachers take on leadership roles within the school as teacher leaders – such as steering committee members, department heads, or leading working groups at district or state levels. This can be stimulated by lateral leadership models (Shaari, 2020[95]), where leadership is based on expertise like subject matter or didactics rather than hierarchy. Expanding the role of teacher leaders (Wenner and Campbell, 2016[96]) enhances leadership responsibility in a systemic context, for which appropriate qualification and professionalisation measures must be offered. Furthermore, if teacher leaders operate through lateral rather than hierarchical authority, formal recognition of this leadership approach is necessary to secure its future success (Schratz et al., 2015[91]).
School leadership is a crucial element to enact changes in teaching and learning. With changing demands on principals, there is a need to consider the support needs for the role as the key to comprehensive reform of the education system and improved educational outcomes (Höller, Suchań and Lindemann, 2020[97]). Continuous Professional Learning of teachers goes hand in hand with professional support for school leadership (Mombaers et al., 2023[98]). Some of the challenges of school leadership include managing regulations in order to innovate in ways they believe benefit their students as well as supporting pedagogical freedoms of teachers (Knapp, 2020[83]). Other issues include responding to changing contexts such as student diversity and the increasing need for culturally responsive leadership to achieve benefits from all (Brown et al., 2021[99]), although this can be viewed as building on effective leadership practices in general (Brown et al., 2021[99]).
Teacher education can support the development of both school leadership and teacher leadership – and indeed this dual approach also brings benefits for teacher education. There may be further opportunity to consider ways to strengthen partnerships that focus on other parts of teacher’s career span, including leadership. There is opportunity to co‑construct professional support in ways that draw on shared strengths of partners (Oates and Bignell, 2022[100]), including enhancing the use of evidence and bridging both sides of the theory-practice gap (Oates and Bignell, 2022[100]; Ulferts, 2021[101]).
Collaborations with the broader society can benefit school leadership too. Partnerships at a leadership level with successful professional industries can provide insights for school leaders to expand their knowledge and practice (Harris et al., 2021[55]; MEGA Bildungsstiftung, 2024[56]). There are mutual benefits to be gained from the broader educational sector being involved in supporting the development of teacher and school leadership, particularly through school-university partnerships. Both organisations can learn from sharing of expertise and developing insights (Forester, 2020[102]; Oates and Bignell, 2022[100]) and trust which can benefit the collaboration as well as each individual group.
It is important that systems level leadership complements and supports local initiatives (Education Gazette editors, 2022[103]). Policy makers articulate clear and bold purposes of education that connect the work of teachers with broader societal aims, including creating space within the curriculum to support these aims. Updating values and the purpose of education should support review of curriculum and other areas of teachers’ work to create space for new ideas. At the same time, clear guidance must be articulated about how space has been created to support these new directions.
School leaders can be supported to play an important role in teachers well-being, as well as their own. The link between teacher trust and job satisfaction extends across a career (Van Maele and Van Houtte, 2012[104]; Van Droogenbroeck, Spruyt and Vanroelen, 2014[73]) which means it should be nurtured in all phases of a teacher’s career. A transformational leader is associated with job satisfaction, motivation to teach (Thomas et al., 2018[105]) and teacher retention (Backers, Tuytens and Devos, 2020[62]). School leaders have a clear role to facilitate the progression of passion and expertise of teachers, and this is considered a key element of a quality education. It requires quality school leadership with a focus on meaningful human resource policies that strives to merge teacher passions while at the same time developing strong school teams. Trust, connectedness, and flexibility are important components. Policymakers can play a role to facilitate this development.
Thematic analysis
The scenarios and workshops highlighted the importance of school leadership to support transformation. This includes to develop pedagogical aspects within a school and to establish sustainable structures for innovation and collaboration.
A vision for the future would strengthen the importance and support needed for school leaders. Developing the role of middle leaders in schools would focus on (a) nurturing leadership capacities within a school, (b) support for the school principal role, and (c) expanding teacher leader influence in schools.
Achieving transformation in this area would require a focus on making the school leader job more attractive. This could include revising and strengthening the school leader training and selection process, building professional learning communities for school leaders, and giving support to allow focus on pedagogical leadership. There is also potential to intensify internal and external support systems for teachers and school leaders to work in collaborative, multi-professional teams on meaningful goals.
Actions for transformation and first steps suggested in developing the set of scenarios, include:
School leaders
Strengthening support for school leaders, including to develop key areas of long-term transformation (Scenario I, transformation).
Strengthening education management, including supervision and coaching (Scenario II, transformation).
Widening space for managerial capacities of school leaders in relation to staff and organisation of schools, including through a review of the current legal framework (Scenario III, transformation).
Create a steering group/ network or service point to help foster the exchange of ideas and the role of the school leader in innovation (Scenario III, first steps).
Building on Leadership Academy successes that includes collegial team coaching for school leaders and teaching, and collegial support in teams rather than just top-down (Scenario III, first steps).
Examining introducing a school leaders buddy system (Scenario III, first steps).
Growing leadership mindsets that see benefits in building a strong team (Scenario III, first steps).
Building on the school leader profile (Scenario V, first steps).
Middle leadership and teacher leaders
Developing school middle leadership opportunities, including informal opportunities and providing clear legal backing and guidance (Scenario II, transformation).
Examining the value of implementing a formal middle leadership level (Scenario III, transformation).
Schools
Society must negotiate and clearly define the responsibilities of the school (Scenario II, transformation).
This study represents the third of three case studies performed by the New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching project. The case studies have highlighted that future approaches can lead to new horizons. Futures approaches do not try to predict the future (OECD, 2021[106]; Holfelder, 2019[107]) but are able to shape the future by influencing decision making and offering strategic foresight (Holfelder, 2019[107]; Fuller, 2017[108]). As the Uruguayan writer/poet/historian Eduardo Galeano writes, “Utopia is on the horizon. I walk two steps, it moves two steps away and the horizon moves ten steps further. So what is utopia for? That's what it's for, it's for walking.”
As was the case with the precious two studies, this study on the future of teaching in Austria does not aim to be representative or comprehensive. Invitations were issued to key representative stakeholder groups, who then chose whom to circulate the invitation to. Participants in each of the study activities are, therefore, not a representative sample but rather a group of willing professionals with a stake in the education in Austria who offered to share their knowledge and their expertise.
Participants in this study have highlighted ideas and possible actions that they felt would make teaching more resilient, more attractive, more professional, and more sustainable in the future. The elements relating to the teaching profession and education as a whole that have been identified and were the object of focus and study in this publication are in no way absolute. Rather, they are conceptual, intertwined and can be interpreted differently by different stakeholders. Education is rarely a concept that is shaped by ‘hard’ truths or clear contradictions.
The outcomes of the study in Austria discussed in this report illustrate that this is also very much the case for teachers. This does not mean they do not hold truth; the value in identifying common directions can provide a starting point for more elaborate discussion on the ‘how’. In getting to this next level of planning, this report can assist Austria in following directions in which different stakeholders in the education system have identified a common ground to move forward.
Using foresight approaches provides us with a form of strategic intelligence (Robinson et al., 2021[109]) which can be drawn on now and into the future. The study provides guidance for policy making using this strategic intelligence, including providing longer and shorter-term actions to consider and develop. The participatory and evidenced informed processes themselves serve as a guide to realise the benefits from anticipating the future for policy making and for practice.
References
[63] Amitai, A. and M. Van Houtte (2022), “Being pushed out of the career: Former teachers’ reasons for leaving the profession”, Teaching and Teacher Education, Vol. 110, p. 103540, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103540.
[62] Backers, L., M. Tuytens and G. Devos (2020), Het aantrekken en behouden van leraren in een grootstedelijke context [Attracting and Retaining Teachers in a Metropolitan Context], Steunpunt Onderwijsonderzoek, https://data-onderwijs.vlaanderen.be/documenten/bestand.ashx?nr=12917 (accessed on 10 March 2025).
[78] Baker, S. and J. Milner (2016), “Building discretionary authority in a teacher education program”, Action in Teacher Education, Vol. 38/2, pp. 91-103, https://doi.org/10.1080/01626620.2016.1155098.
[71] Ballet, K. and G. Kelchtermans (2008), “Workload and willingness to change: disentangling the experience of intensification”, Journal of Curriculum Studies, doi: 10.1080/00220270701516463, pp. 47-67, https://doi.org/10.1080/00220270701516463.
[7] Baumgartner, A. (2019), “Commercial Dispute Resolution: Unlocking Economic Potential Through Lighthouse Projects”, in International Organizations and the Promotion of Effective Dispute Resolution, Brill Nijhoff, https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1163/j.ctvrxk3sj.14 (accessed on 17 April 2025).
[59] Bax, W. et al. (2023), “What Works Best in the School-to-Work Transition?”, OECD: The Network Forum, https://www.oecd-forum.org/posts/what-works-best-in-the-school-to-work-transition (accessed on 17 March 2025).
[41] Beaufort Research and NFER (2019), Research study on the attractiveness of teaching, and retention of teachers. Welsh Government, Welsh Government, Cardiff, https://www.gov.wales/statistics-and-research/research-study-attractiveness-teaching-retention-teachers/?lang=en (accessed on 6 March 2024).
[21] Bleiner, B. (2023), “Kann eine positive Fehlerkultur im Unterricht die Unterrichtsbeteiligung von Schülerinnen und Schülern unterstützen? [Can a positive error culture in the classroom support pupils’ participation in lessons?]”, Pädagogische Hochschule Vorarlberg, Vol. 29, https://www.ph-vorarlberg.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/RED_SOZ/PDFs/F_E_29/FE_29_04.pdf. (accessed on 28 March 2025).
[22] Boeskens, L., D. Nusche and M. Yurita (2020), “Policies to support teachers’ continuing professional learning: A conceptual framework and mapping of OECD data”, OECD Education Working Papers, No. 235, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/247b7c4d-en.
[92] Bonsen, M. (2010), “Schulleitungshandeln”, in Handbuch Neue Steuerung im Schulsystem, VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-92245-4_11.
[67] Bristow, E. (2021), The Impact of Professional Learning on Practitioners, Pupils and School Improvement: An Evidence Review, Welsh Government & Cardiff University, Cardiff.
[52] Bristow, E. (2021), The Impact of Professional Learning on Practitioners, Pupils and School Improvement: An Evidence Review, Welsh Government & Cardiff University, Cardiff, https://hwb.gov.wales/api/storage/bdbac816-4ee1-4c97-89df-7ed12460893e/the-impact-of-professional-learning-on-practitioners-pupils-school-improvement-an-evidence-review.pdf (accessed on 25 March 2025).
[86] Bron, J., N. Emerson and L. Kákonyi (2018), “Diverse student voice approaches across Europe”, European Journal of Education, Vol. 53/3, pp. 310-324, https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12285.
[99] Brown, M. et al. (2021), “Challenges and opportunities for culturally responsive leadership in schools: Evidence from Four European countries”, Policy Futures in Education, Vol. 20/5, pp. 580-607, https://doi.org/10.1177/14782103211040909.
[84] By, R. (2021), “Leadership: In Pursuit of Purpose”, Journal of Change Management, Vol. 21/1, pp. 30-44, https://doi.org/10.1080/14697017.2021.1861698.
[80] Carter, C. (2023), “50 Transferable Skills: Why Teachers Excel In The Tech Industry”, Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecarter/2023/12/27/50-transferable-skills-why-teachers-excel-in-the-tech-industry/ (accessed on 17 April 2025).
[87] Charteris, J. and D. Smardon (2019), “‘Student voice in learning: instrumentalism and tokenism or opportunity for altering the status and positioning of students?’”, Pedagogy, Culture & Society, Vol. 27/2, pp. 305-323, https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2018.1489887.
[20] Coke, P. (2005), “Practicing what we preach: An argument for cooperative learning opportunities for elementary and secondary educators”, Education, Vol. 126/2, https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&u=anon~e8ff0a8e&id=GALE%7CA142057927&v=2.1&it=r&sid=googleScholar&asid=e625adf2 (accessed on 17 April 2025).
[2] Collins, P. (2020), Intersectionality as critical inquiry, Wiley Online Library, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv11hpkdj.
[42] Darling-Hammond, L. and C. Cook-Harvey (2018), Educating the Whole Child: Improving School Climate to Support Student Success, Learning Policy Institute, Palo Alto, https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/product-files/Educating_Whole_Child_REPORT.pdf (accessed on 10 April 2025).
[66] De Jong, L., J. Meirink and W. Admiraal (2019), “School-based teacher collaboration: Different learning opportunities across various contexts”, Teaching and Teacher Education, Vol. 86, p. 102925, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.102925.
[37] Deakin University, Melbourne/Deakin University, Melbourne (2021), “A Self-study Exploration of Early Career Teacher Burnout and the Adaptive Strategies of Experienced Teachers”, Australian Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 46/5, pp. 18-39, https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2021v46n5.2.
[79] Devos, G. et al. (2016), Uitdagingen voor personeelsbeleid: Aanwerving en opdrachttoewijzing in Vlaamse basis-en secundaire scholen [Human resource management challenges: Recruitment and assignment in Flemish primary and secondary schools], http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-8029509 (accessed on 17 April 2025).
[103] Education Gazette editors (2022), “The time is now: education’s contribution to a climate-resilient future”, Eucation Gazette/Tukutuku Korero, Vol. 101/7, https://gazette.education.govt.nz/articles/the-time-is-now-educations-contribution-to-a-climate-resilient-future/ (accessed on 6 April 2025).
[4] EI (2022), A Briefing by Educational International: The Pandemic-Moving Forward: Governments and Teacher Unions Working Together to Leave No-One Behind, Educational International, https://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/26465:the-pandemic-moving-forward-governments-and-teacher-unions-working-together-to-leave-no-one-behind (accessed on 28 March 2025).
[45] Epstein, J. (2018), “School, family, and community partnerships in teachers’ professional work”, Journal of Education for Teaching, Vol. 44/3, pp. 397-406, https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2018.1465669.
[50] Epstein, J. and S. Sheldon (2023), School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools, Taylor and Francis, New York, https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429400780.
[82] Eryilmaz, N. and A. Sandoval Hernandez (2024), “Improving cross-cultural comparability: does school leadership mean the same in different countries?”, Educational Studies, Vol. 50/5, pp. 917-938, https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2021.2013777.
[77] ESTYN (2024), HMCI Annual Report 2022-2023, https://annual-report.estyn.gov.wales/app/uploads/2024/01/Estyn-Annual-Report-2022.23.pdf (accessed on 15 March 2024).
[53] ESTYN (2017), The Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales 2015-2016, https://www.estyn.gov.wales/system/files/2020-07/ESTYN_Annual%2520Report%25202015_2016_English.pdf. (accessed on 28 March 2025).
[15] Fletcher, T. and D. Ní Chróinín (2022), “Pedagogical principles that support the prioritisation of meaningful experiences in physical education: conceptual and practical considerations”, Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, Vol. 27/5, pp. 455-466, https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2021.1884672.
[102] Forester, J. (2020), “Five generations of theory–practice tensions: enriching socio-ecological practice research”, Socio-Ecological Practice Research, Vol. 2/1, pp. 111-119, https://doi.org/10.1007/s42532-019-00033-3.
[30] Forghani-Arani, N., L. Cerna and M. Bannon (2019), “The lives of teachers in diverse classrooms”, OECD Education Working Papers, No. 198, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/8c26fee5-en.
[108] Fuller, T. (2017), “Anxious relationships: The unmarked futures for post-normal scenarios in anticipatory systems”, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Vol. 124, pp. 41-50, https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TECHFORE.2016.07.045.
[29] Geerinck, I., J. Masschelein and M. Simons (2010), “Teaching and Knowledge: A Necessary Combination? An Elaboration of Forms of Teachers’ Reflexivity”, Studies in Philosophy and Education, Vol. 29/4, pp. 379-393, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-010-9184-9.
[39] GIVE - Servicestelle für Gesundheitsförderung an Österreichs Schulen (2025), Lehrer:innengesundheit [Teacher: Inside Health], https://www.give.or.at/angebote/themen/lehrerinnengesundheit/. (accessed on 28 March 2025).
[12] Glover, A. et al. (2023), “How do we achieve the third space? The challenges and strengths of partnership working to deliver a flexible PGCE Programme in Wales”, Cylchgrawn Addysg Cymru / Wales Journal of Education, Vol. 25/1, https://doi.org/10.16922/wje.25.1.2.
[51] Goodall, J. (2018), “Leading for parental engagement: working towards partnership”, School Leadership & Management, Vol. 38/2, pp. 143-146, https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2018.1459022.
[47] Goodall, J. et al. (2022), “Diffinio Ymgysylltiad Rhieni ag AGA: o berthnasoedd i bartneriaethau [Defining Parental Engagement with SEN: from relationships to partnerships]”, Cylchgrawn Addysg Cymru / Wales Journal of Education, Vol. 24/2, https://doi.org/10.16922/wje.24.2.2.
[75] Grice, C. (2019), “Leading pedagogical reform”, International Journal of Leadership in Education, Vol. 22/3, pp. 355-370, https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2018.1463462.
[55] Harris, A. et al. (2021), Independent Review of Leadership: Final Report, Welsh Government, Cardiff, https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2022-05/independent-leadership-review-nov-2021-en.pdf (accessed on 28 March 2024).
[88] Harris, A., M. Jones and T. Crick (2020), “Curriculum leadership: a critical contributor to school and system improvement”, School Leadership & Management, Vol. 40/1, pp. 1-4, https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2020.1704470.
[28] Hizli Alkan, S. and M. Priestley (2019), “Teacher mediation of curriculum making: the role of reflexivity”, Journal of Curriculum Studies, Vol. 51/5, pp. 737-754, https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2019.1637943.
[107] Holfelder, A. (2019), “Towards a sustainable future with education?”, Sustainability Science, Vol. 14, pp. 943-952, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-019-00682-z.
[23] Hong, J., D. Cross Francis and P. Schutz (2024), “Reconceptualizing teacher identity development”, Educational Psychologist, pp. 1-18, https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2023.2292713.
[68] Honingh, M. and E. Hooge (2013), “The effect of school-leader support and participation in decision making on teacher collaboration in Dutch primary and secondary schools”, Educational Management Administration & Leadership, Vol. 42/1, pp. 75-98, https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143213499256.
[11] Kelly, K., J. Merry and M. Gonzalez (2018), “Trust, Collaboration and Well-Being: Lessons Learned from Finland”, SRATE Journal, Vol. 27/2, pp. 34-39, https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1186140 (accessed on 17 April 2025).
[90] Kemethofer, D., C. Helm and J. Warwas (2022), “Does educational leadership enhance instructional quality and student achievement? The case of Austrian primary school leaders”, International Journal of Leadership in Education, pp. 1-25, https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2021.2021294.
[83] Knapp, M. (2020), “Between legal requirements and local traditions in school improvement reform in Austria: School leaders as gap managers”, European Journal of Education, Vol. 55/2, pp. 169-182, https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12390.
[14] Kucharska, W. and D. Bedford (2020), “Love your mistakes!—they help you adapt to change. How do knowledge, collaboration and learning cultures foster organizational intelligence?”, Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 33/7, pp. 1329-1354, https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-02-2020-0052.
[26] Kutsyuruba, B. and L. Godden (2019), “The role of mentoring and coaching as a means of supporting the well-being of educators and students”, International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, Vol. 8/4, pp. 229-234, https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMCE-12-2019-081.
[6] Lange, K. and J. Knieling (2020), “EU smart city lighthouse projects between top-down strategies and local legitimation: The case of Hamburg”, Urban Planning, Vol. 5/1, pp. 107-115, https://doi.org/10.17645/up.v5i1.2531.
[58] Lawson, H. and D. Veen (2016), “A planning framework for the five core components”, in Developing Community Schools, Community Learning Centers, Extended-service Schools and Multi-service Schools, Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25664-1_4.
[48] Leenders, H. et al. (2019), “Building strong parent–teacher relationships in primary education: the challenge of two-way communication”, Cambridge Journal of Education, doi: 10.1080/0305764X.2019.1566442, pp. 519-533, https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2019.1566442.
[60] Malmberg-Heimonen, I., A. Tøge and S. Akhtar (2023), “Improving interprofessional collaboration in schools: A cluster-randomized study evaluating the effectiveness of the LOG model on collaboration practices”, Journal of Interprofessional Care, pp. 1-8, https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2022.2149717.
[43] Masson, M., M. Antony-Newman and M. Antony-Newman (2022), “The immigrant perspective: Eastern-European parental discourses about the value of French, plurilingualism and plurilingual literacy practices”, International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, Vol. 25/9, pp. 3507-3520, https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2022.2079372.
[24] McCaw, C. (2021), “Beyond deliberation—radical reflexivity, contemplative practices and teacher change”, Journal of Educational Change, Vol. 24/1, pp. 1-23, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-021-09432-4.
[9] McGrath, J. (2023), “What systematic connections should we have around schools to support the work of teachers?: Global lessons and the potential of ambition loops”, OECD Education Working Papers, No. 296, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/77de597c-en.
[56] MEGA Bildungsstiftung (2024), Forschungsbericht. Reality-check: Brennpunkt Schule?, https://www.megabildung.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Forschungsbericht.BrennpunktSchule.pdf (accessed on 26 August 2024).
[18] Methlagl, M. and P. Vogl (2020), “Die Bedeutung der Lehrerkooperation und des wahrgenommenen Schulklimas für das Unterrichtshandeln und die wahrgenommene Lehrer- Schüler-Beziehung. Eine latente Profilanalyse der TALIS 2018 Daten Österreich [The importance of teacher cooperation and the perceived school climate for teaching behaviour and the perceived teacher-student relationship. A latent profile analysis of the TALIS 2018 data Austria]”, RE-SOURCE, https://journal.ph-noe.ac.at/index.php/resource/article/download/911/939/3023 (accessed on 17 April 2025).
[76] Mezza, A. (2022), “Reinforcing and innovating teacher professionalism: Learning from other professions”, OECD Education Working Papers, No. 276, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/117a675c-en.
[5] Miller, L. and J. Olson (1998), “Visions, Lighthouse Projects, and Large-scale Studies of Technology”, Handbook of Literacy and Technology: Transformations in A Post-typographic World, p. 377.
[98] Mombaers, T. et al. (2023), “‘To teach or not to teach?’ An exploration of the career choices of educational professionals”, Teachers and Teaching, pp. 1-33, https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2023.2201425.
[65] Mombaers, T., K. Vanlommel and P. Van Petegem (2020), De loopbaan van onderwijsprofessionals [The Careers of Education Professionals], https://data-onderwijs.vlaanderen.be/documenten/bestand.ashx?nr=12911 (accessed on 10 March 2025).
[38] Moolenaar, N., P. Sleegers and A. Daly (2012), “Teaming up: Linking collaboration networks, collective efficacy, and student achievement”, Teaching and teacher education, Vol. 28/2, pp. 251-262, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2011.10.001.
[27] Moore, A. (2007), “Understanding the Social Self: The Role and Importance of Reflexivity in Schoolteachers’ Professional Learning”, in Handbook of Teacher Education, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4773-8_39.
[54] Mujtaba, T. et al. (2018), “Learning and engagement through natural history museums”, Studies in Science Education, Vol. 54/1, pp. 41-67, https://doi.org/10.1080/03057267.2018.1442820.
[13] Nilsson Brodén, D. (2022), “Cross-sector and interprofessional collaborations: A powerful tool for the teaching profession?”, OECD Education Working Papers, No. 283, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/7144c6ac-en.
[100] Oates, C. and C. Bignell (2022), “School and university in partnership: a shared enquiry into teachers’ collaborative practices”, Professional Development in Education, Vol. 48/1, pp. 105-119, https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2019.1689520.
[36] OECD (2024), Education at a Glance 2024: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/c00cad36-en.
[3] OECD (2022), Are Students Ready to Take on Environmental Challenges?, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/8abe655c-en.
[106] OECD (2021), Global Scenarios 2035: Exploring Implications for the Future of Global Collaboration and the OECD, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/df7ebc33-en.
[1] OECD (2021), OECD Digital Education Outlook 2021: Pushing the Frontiers with Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Robots, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/589b283f-en.
[17] OECD (2020), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume II): Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/19cf08df-en.
[64] OECD (2019), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume I): Teachers and School Leaders as Lifelong Learners, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/1d0bc92a-en.
[25] OECD (2005), Teachers Matter: Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers, Education and Training Policy, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264018044-en.
[44] Perälä-Littunen, S. and M. Böök (2019), “Finnish teacher-students’ views on home-school cooperation”, International Journal about Parents in Education, Vol. 11/1, https://doi.org/10.54195/ijpe.14120.
[61] Raum, S. (2018), “A framework for integrating systematic stakeholder analysis in ecosystem services research: Stakeholder mapping for forest ecosystem services in the UK”, Ecosystem Services, Vol. 29, pp. 170-184, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2018.01.001.
[35] Reeves, P., W. Pun and K. Chung (2017), “Influence of teacher collaboration on job satisfaction and student achievement”, Teaching and Teacher Education, Vol. 67, pp. 227-236, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.06.016.
[94] Rexhäuser, J. (2015), Erfolgsfaktor Lehrer. Gedanken zur Personalentwicklung, Beltz Juventa [Teachers as a success factor. Thoughts on staff development, Beltz Juventa].
[109] Robinson, D. et al. (2021), “Policy lensing of future-oriented strategic intelligence: An experiment connecting foresight with decision making contexts”, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Vol. 169, p. 120803, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120803.
[93] Rosenholtz, S. (1991), Teacher’s Workplace. The Social Organization of Schools, Teachers College Press.
[46] Ryan, S. (2021), “Promising partnership practices to support children’s learning”, in Perspectives on Childhood, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, https://mic.elsevierpure.com/en/publications/promising-partnership-practices-to-support-childrens-learning (accessed on 17 April 2025).
[89] Schley, W. and M. Schratz (2011), “Developing Leaders, Building Networks, Changing Schools Through System Leadership”, in Townsend, T. and J. MacBeath (eds.), International Handbook of Leadership for Learning, Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1350-5_17.
[97] Schmich, J. and U. Itzlinger-Bruneforth (eds.) (2020), Schuführung [School leadership], https://doi.org/10.17888/talis2018-2.
[19] Schmich, J. and S. Opriessnig (2020), Kooperation von Lehrkräften,, https://doi.org/10.17888/talis2018-2.
[91] Schratz, M. et al. (2015), “Schulleitung im Wandel: Anforderungen an eine ergebnisorientierte Führungskultur [School management in transition: requirements for a results-orientated management culture]”, Nationaler Bildungsbericht Österreich, Vol. 2, pp. 221-262, https://doi.org/10.17888/nbb2015-2-6.
[95] Shaari, I. (2020), “Lateral networks of teachers in a centralised education system: Structures, processes, and development of teacher agency”, Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Vol. 40/4, pp. 516-532, https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2020.1838879.
[33] Shanks, R. et al. (2022), “A comparative study of mentoring for new teachers”, Professional Development in Education, Vol. 48/5, pp. 751-765, https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2020.1744684.
[40] Sinnema, C. et al. (2021), “When seekers reap rewards and providers pay a price: The role of relationships and discussion in improving practice in a community of learning”, Teaching and Teacher Education, Vol. 107, p. 103474, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103474.
[81] Skinner, B., G. Leavey and D. Rothi (2019), “Managerialism and teacher professional identity: impact on well-being among teachers in the UK”, Educational Review, Vol. 73/1, pp. 1-16, https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2018.1556205.
[49] Spruyt, B. et al. (2023), “Het lerarentekort kritisch bekeken vanuit internationaal vergelijkend perspectief [The teacher shortage critically examined from an international comparative perspective]”, Tijdschrift voor Onderwijsrecht en Onderwijsbeleid, Vol. 2022/september-oktober, pp. 19-27, https://cris.vub.be/ws/portalfiles/portal/93235824/Spruyt_et_al_Lerarentekort_talis_TORB.pdf (accessed on 17 April 2025).
[57] Suarez, V. and J. McGrath (2022), “Teacher professional identity: How to develop and support it in times of change”, OECD Education Working Papers, No. 267, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/b19f5af7-en.
[105] Thomas, L. et al. (2018), “Transformational school leadership as a key factor for teachers’ job attitudes during their first year in the profession”, Educational Management Administration & Leadership, Vol. 48/1, pp. 106-132, https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143218781064.
[32] Tonna, M., E. Bjerkholt and E. Holland (2017), “Teacher mentoring and the reflective practitioner approach”, International journal of mentoring and coaching in education, Vol. 6/3, pp. 210-227, https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMCE-04-2017-0032.
[74] Turner, K., M. Thielking and N. Prochazka (2022), “Teacher wellbeing and social support: a phenomenological study”, Educational Research, Vol. 64/1, pp. 77-94, https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2021.2013126.
[72] Tuytens, M. et al. (2022), Psychosociaal welzijnsbeleid als onderdeel van strategisch personeelsbeleid in scholen: wetenschappelijk rapport [Psychosocial wellbeing policy as part of strategic human resources policy in schools: scientific report], https://data-onderwijs.vlaanderen.be/documenten/bestanden/RapportWelzijnsbeleid.pdf (accessed on 10 April 2025).
[101] Ulferts, H. (ed.) (2021), Teaching as a Knowledge Profession: Studying Pedagogical Knowledge across Education Systems, Educational Research and Innovation, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/e823ef6e-en.
[70] Van Droogenbroeck, F. and B. Spruyt (2015), “Do teachers have worse mental health? Review of the existing comparative research and results from the Belgian Health Interview Survey”, Teaching and Teacher Education, Vol. 51, pp. 88-100, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2015.06.006.
[73] Van Droogenbroeck, F., B. Spruyt and C. Vanroelen (2014), “Burnout among senior teachers: Investigating the role of workload and interpersonal relationships at work”, Teaching and Teacher Education, Vol. 43, pp. 99-109, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2014.07.005.
[104] Van Maele, D. and M. Van Houtte (2012), “The role of teacher and faculty trust in forming teachers’ job satisfaction: Do years of experience make a difference?”, Teaching and Teacher Education, Vol. 28/6, pp. 879-889, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2012.04.001.
[85] Van Wingerden, J. and R. Poell (2019), “Meaningful work and resilience among teachers: The mediating role of work engagement and job crafting”, PloS one, Vol. 14/9, p. e0222518, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222518.
[8] Vincent-Lancrin, S. et al. (2019), Fostering Students’ Creativity and Critical Thinking: What it Means in School, Educational Research and Innovation, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/62212c37-en.
[10] Walker, T. (2017), Teach like Finland: 33 simple strategies for joyful classrooms, WW Norton & Company.
[16] Weninger, C. (2018), “Problematising the notion of ‘authentic school learning’: Insights from student perspectives on media/literacy education”, Research Papers in Education, Vol. 33/2, pp. 239-254, https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2017.1286683.
[96] Wenner, J. and T. Campbell (2016), “The Theoretical and Empirical Basis of Teacher Leadership”, Review of Educational Research, Vol. 87/1, pp. 134-171, https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316653478.
[31] Willegems, V. et al. (2018), “Pre-service teachers as members of a collaborative teacher research team: A steady track to extended professionalism?”, Teaching and Teacher Education, Vol. 76, pp. 126-139, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.08.012.
[34] World Health Organization (2021), Health Promotion Glossary of Terms 2021, World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240038349 (accessed on 10 April 2025).
[69] Zenke, C. (2020), “„Vom Klassenzimmer zur Lernlandschaft“?. Über eine Expedition ins Ungewisse”, DDS – Die Deutsche Schule, Vol. 2020/03, pp. 338-353, https://doi.org/10.31244/dds.2020.03.09.