What if we created the space to collectively think about the future of teaching? During three workshops in Salzburg and Vienna, a diverse group of professionals with different roles, responsibilities or interests in education took the time to come together and co-create a series of preferred scenarios for the future of teaching in Austria. This chapter presents their work, drawing on the visions, ideas and input from the different working groups.
Constructing Scenarios for the Future of Teaching in Austria
Abstract
The set of five preferred future scenarios, described in this chapter, form a durable combination of ideas to shape a desirable future as well as providing insights that can support responding to future challenges as they arise. The five preferred future scenarios were distilled from the working groups described in Chapter 2.
An important aim of the study is to generate ideas for both long-term and short-term change. The preferred scenarios draw on results of the stakeholder survey which provided input for workshop participants to distinguish between big ideas for transformation and first steps towards these in terms of strengths to build on and short-term improvements that could be made (see Box 4.1). In this way, participants worked with the Ambition loops tool (described earlier), which helped start a constructive and future-focused discussion.
Both respondents to the survey and participants in the workshops identified ‘ideas for transformation’ in need of long-term planning, while separating out areas in need of short-term improvement and current strengths to build on. This is known as a two-path approach to policy planning (McGrath, 2023[1]; Bingham and Burch, 2018[2]) and offers the possibility to adopt a longer-term action timeframe which can reduce teachers being overwhelmed by change (McGrath, 2023[1]). At the same time, it can open up opportunities for different types of action that can be used to explore ways of moving forward in the longer term which can complement shorter term action. This helps to show how futures are “shapeable” (Holfelder, 2019[3]).
With a focus on preferences for the longer-term, the participatory process helps to generate ‘next practice’ by developing new ideas and innovations. In this way, ‘next practice’ is adaptable, can identify and interpret multiple change signals and privileges discovery, co-creation, and genuine inclusion (Lundy et al., 2021[4]).
Textboxes throughout the chapter highlight examples of ‘next-practice’ that currently exist in certain places already. These were shared by stakeholders during their discussions and creation of preferred scenarios. The process allowed participants to think about how to reshape current practice to better meet future (and current) needs:
‘Next practice’ is about critically reflecting on how our current practices could work differently, more efficiently, more powerfully, thinking about failures, and taking into account future contexts and scenarios. It is about the process and not the final output (Zimmermann et al., 2021[5]).
It is not intended for just one of the preferred scenarios to be chosen. Each preferred scenario intertwines with the others to form strong threads that can be used to navigate a complex and changing world (see Infographic 4.1). Stakeholders in different working groups that were part of the workshops had selected similar ambitions. This indicates that these ambitions are important for several directions for the future of teaching, as indicated by the arrows illustrated in Infographic 4.1. The descriptions are summarized versions of the ambitions that were identified as being of value for multiple scenarios and big ideas for transformation. A full list of the ambition loops and their value for (i) transformation and (ii) short-term improvement can be found in the tables in Annex B.
Big ideas for transformation of teaching in Austria
Note: HE = Higher Education, PD = Professional Development, TPI = Teacher Professional Identity.
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
The fourteen big ideas for transformation as highlighted in the light blue boxes in Infographic 4.1. feature ten key elements as listed in Table 4.1. The key elements were distilled by the OECD team from the selected ambition loops, headings and research that intersect with the five scenarios. Table 4.1 provides a summary for each element, including highlighting which preferred scenarios feature a description of the element.
The use of the featured elements supports overall reading of the set of preferred scenarios by trying to reduce some overlaps. The more detailed description of the featured elements is generally relevant to other preferred scenarios where a theme might be developed to a lesser extent.
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
Structure for each preferred future scenario
The remainder of this chapter presents each scenario using a standard structure. Each scenario is introduced and summarised on a “blue” page with a concise description and key points. Following this, the chapter explores how the scenario addresses the research questions specific to the study on the future of teaching in Austria. It then analyses potential responses from teacher personas – the “end users” – developed in Chapter 3. The OECD team and the steering group from the Austrian Government worked systematically with the set of six Austrian teacher personas to form a judgement about how attractive (or not) the scenario might be from the perspective of each persona. Finally, each scenario outlines suggested actions from stakeholders, including both long-term changes and short-term steps toward transformation. These refer to the research base underlying the ambition loops selected by stakeholders to support the scenario. There are also a number of examples that were shared by stakeholders when developing ideas for transformation and first steps. In addition, there are some examples of how selected teacher personas might react to different aspects of the scenario.
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
How the scenario addresses the research questions
1. What will it mean to be a teacher in the future? What should be at the core of the teaching profession?
In this scenario, being a teacher means being an attentive, open-minded companion for students in their academic and personal development and connecting them to the world. Teachers are more than knowledge disseminators; they engage with the students’ learning in innovative ways and ask questions they themselves do not know the answer for. They are self-reflective learners themselves, constantly engaging in their own personal and professional development, and seeking new ways to create better conditions for student learning.
Teaching is a meaningful and rewarding profession since it encourages creativity and autonomy, and it is associated with enthusiasm. Being a teacher is respected and appreciated by the wider society.
2. How to develop teacher professional identity and a more collaborative profession?
Teachers are well-prepared for and supported in their role. This begins with teacher training, where students who are particularly innovative and creative (so-called “birds of paradise”), or have a specific expertise, for instance from a first career are encouraged to build their own initiatives, ideas and teacher identities. Already early in their education as teachers, they have the opportunity to exchange with more experienced practitioners, which helps them gain a deeper understanding of the profession. At the same time, more experienced teachers benefit from exchanging ideas with students who just finished their Initial Teacher Education and can incorporate new research into their practice. Teachers further exchange their knowledge among themselves, also across schools, and with external partners who can bring in their professional expertise. The platforms and structures for this exchange are well guided. Teachers experience the benefits of that collaboration and foster a culture of cooperation and feedback.
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?
Teachers connect and support each other through regular networking sessions and professional development opportunities that are provided by school leaders. Learning from successful schools through visits and partnerships allows teachers to adopt best practices and innovative teaching methods. Additionally, consulting external experts for coaching can provide fresh perspectives and specialised knowledge, helping teachers integrate new pedagogical techniques and stay updated on societal issues. These strategies create a co-operative school environment that supports experimentation, continuous professional development, open communication, and effective collaboration both within and outside the school community.
4. What support services do teachers need to improve and maintain their physical and mental health?
In a first step, continuous teacher education is essential, as it provides ongoing professional development and helps teachers stay current with effective strategies for managing stress. Additionally, professional intervention and supervision can offer support and guidance, enabling teachers to address personal and professional challenges effectively.
In some cases, teachers collaborate with external professionals to create “mindful schools” that incorporate meditation, training, and mindfulness sessions into the curriculum to promote well-being among both teachers and students.
Ideas for transformation (long-term change)
Preferred Scenario I includes two big ideas for transformation:
The first big idea envisions schools as dynamic spaces promoting openness, curiosity, and creativity, moving away from traditional hierarchical models that restrict variations. By embracing inquiry-based learning, schools can include real-world challenges, helping students develop critical thinking and creativity, which are increasingly important in today's world. Moreover, schools can act as innovation hubs for societal change, where the focus is more on debating perspectives than just presenting “facts”. This would support the empowerment of students to become active, engaged citizens in a pluralistic society. This transformation requires supporting teachers to create learning environments that recognise students' individuality and broader relationships.
The second idea seeks a commitment to create healthy, mindful learning environments as they are essential for both teacher and student well-being. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) offer a promising approach to tackle stress and burnout. Beyond their health benefits, MBIs can strengthen teacher identity by nurturing self-awareness, emotional regulation, and a sense of purpose. This can help teachers navigate professional challenges, such as classroom dynamics and to address specific learning needs for their actual students. Additionally, as student mental health issues rise, teachers are adopting expanded roles, necessitating support through leadership, mentorship, and community engagement.
This scenario also relates to some ambition loops that feature in preferred Scenarios II and VI (see Table B.2 in Annex B, also for the selection of ambition loops that support the big ideas for transformation in this scenario).
Schools as open places of curiosity, connection and exploration
Participants constructing this scenario envisioned schools to be constantly evolving into dynamic spaces that cultivate openness, curiosity and exploration. Schools, both individually and as network, hold a proactive position within communities as they respond to a rapidly changing world, providing “foundational support to connect different parts of a community to achieve social benefits” (McGrath, 2023, p. 73[1]) which also benefits schools and the work of teachers.
Historically rooted in hierarchical models of instruction, schools can evolve into environments that encourage the development, exchange, and negotiation of diverse perspective (Brügelmann, 2010[7]). Inquiry-based learning can simulate real-world challenges in a safe space, allowing students to take risks, make mistakes, and develop critical thinking and creativity. As traditional schooling focuses are becoming increasingly automated and digitalised, the importance of creativity and critical thinking continues to grow – not only for entering the labour market, but also for civic life, and personal and social well-being (Vincent-Lancrin et al., 2019[8]).
Beyond the individual benefits of developing these skills, schools can serve as a collective societal “innovation niche” where alternatives to established traditions can be discussed (Brügelmann, 2010[7]). They can become spaces for encounters with people of different ages and cultures that shape an understanding necessary for a pluralistic society. This includes rethinking education as a reflective and systemised confrontation with competing world views rather than the mere passing on of knowledge and cultural heritage. Empowering students through their education is strongly associated with enhancing their capacity as visionary, active, and engaged citizens (Bron, Emerson and Kákonyi, 2018[9]; Shek et al., 2019[10]; Burns and Gottschalk, 2020[11]). Teachers should be supported to create space, through curriculum, learning environment, and pedagogy, to “recognise learners’ individuality... [and] …acknowledge the wider set of relationships – with their teachers, peers, families and communities – that influence their learning” (OECD, 2019, p. 4[12])
This transformation is supported by collaborative partnerships among educational institutions, teachers, and other professionals. While the purposes for higher education institutions and schools to join this collaboration might differ, the partnership can exist within a “third space” (Green et al., 2021[13]; Green, Tindall-Ford and Eady, 2020[14]; Hamilton and Margot, 2020[15]; Daza, Gudmundsdottir and Lund, 2021[16]). The concept of a third space originates from hybridity theory and recognizes that individuals draw upon multiple discourses to interpret the world (Bhaba, 1990[17]). Third spaces challenge binary oppositions, such as the divide between practitioner and academic knowledge or between theory and practice. Instead, they integrate of these often-perceived conflicting discourses in innovative ways, shifting from an either/or perspective to a both/and viewpoint (Green et al., 2021[13]). There is also opportunity for schools and universities to involve other stakeholders such as other professionals as part of this third space, so that the collective intelligence of a community comes together to innovate and enhance learning experiences (Green et al., 2021[13]).
Support for creating healthy and mindful learning environments
Creating healthy and mindful learning environments is essential for the well-being and effectiveness of both teachers and students. Efforts from local authorities and school leaders to protect and promote a healthy working environment can allow teachers to focus more on professional development, and, put an emphasis on teachers' educational responsibility towards their pupils and themselves (Ballet, Kelchtermans and Loughran, 2006[18]).
Mental health and mindfulness among teachers and school leaders
The Austrian Teacher and Principal Health Study (ATPHS) provides insights into the mental, physical, and social health of teachers and school leaders. From the more than 5000 participants over half (51%) of teachers and 44% of school leaders indicated to feel emotionally exhausted or at high risk of burnout (Lillich, Breil and Teufl, 2024[19]). The results also show that the overall health situation and life satisfaction of teachers has deteriorated over the last twelve years. When interpreting these trends, it should be noted that both the psychological and physical stress of the Austrian population as a whole has risen to a record high in the last ten years and life satisfaction has fallen to a record low. Compared to the general population, the teaching sector currently shows better values for physical health and life satisfaction, but a worse value for psychological stress (Lillich, Breil and Teufl, 2024[19]). Cross-national survey data, suggests that teachers who experience high levels of stress a lot are almost twice as likely as colleagues with lower stress levels to report that they will stop working as teachers in the next five years (OECD, 2020[20]).
When constructing this scenario, participants explored the potential of incorporating mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in schools as a strategy to buffer teachers' stress. While the systemic, governance, or reputational issues that may be contributing to poor well-being should in no way be overlooked, mindfulness-based interventions offer a promising approach to addressing teacher stress and burnout (McCaw and Samson, 2024[21]; Hidajat et al., 2023[22]). In fact in 2024, training courses on recovery and relaxation techniques are both the most frequently attended (23%) and the most desired (32%) training courses among Austrian teachers (Lillich, Breil and Teufl, 2024[19]). Training courses on dealing with social-emotional problems (38%) and mental illness (36%) are also in high demand, as are stress prevention (31%), work-life balance (30%) and burnout prevention (30%) (Lillich, Breil and Teufl, 2024[19]). Research suggests that MBIs, through the improvement of one's self-awareness, acceptance, and emotional regulation which can help reduce emotional exhaustion, can serve as a pathway to developing resilience to endure high levels of stress (Lee, Richards and Washburn, 2021[23]; Neumann and Tillott, 2022[24]). Mindfulness also nourishes curiosity, acceptance, and openness, allowing teachers to differentiate, identify, and respond to potential contributors to positive and/or negative experiences (Hidajat et al., 2023[22]; Bishop et al., 2004[25]). An international review of 30 studies on MBIs for teachers shows that MBIs can significantly reduce teachers’ stress (in 77% of all cases) and risk of burnout (in 89%), through improvements related to emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and their sense of personal accomplishment (Hidajat et al., 2023[22]). The conceptual elements for effective MBIs for teachers include that facilitators can be trained staff or external experts, or app-based programmes; and that usually 4–5 intervention components such as self-regulation, breathing, body scans, meditation, and psychoeducation, are featured (Hidajat et al., 2023[22]).
Beyond their health benefits, the potential of MBIs to shape and enhance teacher identity and professionalism is also worth considering. Contemplative practices can provide avenues by which teachers may access “radical reflexivity”, and present-moment awareness (McCaw and Samson, 2024[21]). The use of peer reflective groups can, for instance, embolden teachers to challenge existing narratives and their own views of teaching while encouraging a collaborative style of professional development (OECD, 2005[26]). Reflexivity has also been argued to play a role in helping student-teachers navigate the multiple and at times conflicting discourses around teaching (Moore, n.d.[27]); as well as in mediating teachers’ approaches to curriculum-making (Hizli Alkan and Priestley, 2019[28]); and it can transform the teacher–pupil relationship (Geerinck, Masschelein and Simons, 2010[29]). As a praxis of critical self-awareness, reflexivity can lead the way to a responsive, adaptive pedagogy grounded in contextually sensitive decision-making (McCaw, 2021[30]). It may thereby 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[31]).
In that sense, 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, 2023[32]). They can help teachers navigate uncertainty and vulnerability, encouraging deeper reflection on their professional role and values. In an educational environment often marked by managerialism and loss of autonomy (Skinner, Leavey and Rothi, 2019[33]), mindfulness can “provide an anchor for crafting an agentic teacher identity, expressed in a holistic educational telos characterised by an ethic of compassion and service” (McCaw, 2023, p. 20[32]). Revitalising a distressed sense of meaning and purpose may be a more sustainable way to bolster resilience and retention for teachers as opposed to merely treating stress and burnout at the symptom level (McCaw, 2023[32]).
Changing teacher-student relationships
Research reveals an increase in mental health issues among students, particularly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, with symptoms such as lack of drive, loss of interest, demotivation, loneliness, boredom, fear of the future, sleep disorders, constant tiredness, excessive demands due to distance learning, existential fears and psychosomatic complaints (MEGA Bildungsstiftung, 2024[34]; Felder-Puig, Teutsch and Winkler, 2021[35]; Kauhanen et al., 2022[36]). Older and female students, and those from disadvantaged or migrant backgrounds are particularly affected. The rise in mental health problems has also changed the teacher-student relationship, with teacher roles growing into those of confidants. Teachers therefore suggest introducing subjects tackling “life skills” to help students manage their emotions and stress, which could improve self-efficacy and the classroom environment (MEGA Bildungsstiftung, 2024[34]). They further express the need for more support, such as supervision (MEGA Bildungsstiftung, 2024[34]). In fact, research suggests that the availability of support plays a more decisive role in teacher retention than the inherent challenges of the school context (Backers, Tuytens and Devos, 2020[37]). Support mechanisms such as quality leadership, collaborative relationships including intervision, and mentorship are crucial in this regard, especially in disadvantaged schools (Beaufort Research and NFER, 2019[38]; Goodwin, Lee and Pratt, 2023[39]). Moreover, fostering a sense of belonging through community engagement and building a two-way communication with families can enhance teachers’ ability to create inclusive and supportive learning environments (Leenders et al., 2019[40]).
Note: This illustration is intended to provide a concrete example of the scenario in action
Source: See Chapter 3 for description of the persona.
The first steps: building on current strengths and ideas for improvement
Leadership and school authorities provide space for teachers to participate in decision making, experiment with new ways of teaching, and work with families and other partners
Leadership and school authorities can create conditions wherein 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[37]) Such approaches not only bolster teacher retention but also cultivate a sense of ownership and commitment among educators (Devos et al., 2016[41]). 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[42]).
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[9]; Charteris and Smardon, 2019[43]). This experimental ethos supports a shift towards experiential and student-centred learning approaches. Some of the most successful programmes and policies to develop civic skills and values in schools steer away from knowledge-transfer-based learning towards experiential learning practices which place children in the centre of the learning process. Experience-based learning programmes also allow schools and students to create and strengthen relationships with their communities (OECD, 2023[44]). Moreover, it allows educators to refine their pedagogical skills and adapt strategies that cater to diverse learning needs effectively.
Furthermore, nurturing collaborative relationships with families and community stakeholders is increasingly recognised as integral to educational success. Schools should appreciate the multiple ways in which 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[45]; Masson, Antony-Newman and Antony-Newman, 2022[46]). Effective partnerships not only enhance student well-being and academic achievement but also enrich the professional practice of educators (Perälä-Littunen and Böök, 2019[47]; Epstein, 2018[48]; Ryan, 2021[49]; Goodall et al., 2022[50]). Integrating family engagement into teacher education programs supports the development of inclusive educational practices from the outset (Goodall et al., 2022[50]).
Teacher educators and research support exploring new teaching paths
Teacher educators and researchers play a crucial role in promoting innovative teaching practices and fostering critical thinking among educators. They could acknowledge the importance of providing teachers with access to relevant and accessible research more strongly. For teachers, this could entail accessing research that addresses contemporary issues and developing critical thinking skills to engage with ideas. Researchers and partners, on the other hand, need to make research more visible and pertinent to teachers, incorporating their perspectives and voices. Collaboration and partnerships are recognised by teachers as vital for enhancing their research capabilities and professional skills (Bristow, 2021[51]).
To cultivate evidence-informed practices in schools and maximise the impact of research findings, efforts to strengthen ties between schools and researchers are crucial (Bristow, 2021[51]). Improving teachers' access to research must also include developing their skills to understand, analyse, and evaluate evidence effectively, necessitating dedicated time, space, and resources (Bristow, 2021[51]).
Short-term improvements to support this scenario could build on existing initiatives connecting schools with the broader society. One of these initiatives was the Modellregion Bildung Zillertal (eduction model region Zillertal), that fostered a close collaboration of regional stakeholders, testing a variety of new approaches in the education system (Kraler, 2021[52]). Schule im Aufbruch (schools in departure) is another initative that stands for an open, holistic and transformative view on education in the sense of Education for Sustainable Development (Schule im Aufbruch, 2025[53]). One of the learning formats promoted by Schule im Aufbruch is FREI DAY (Friday / free day). On FREI DAY, students are given the space and the time to deal with questions about the future on a half-day every school week. With the help of experts, they realise their own community projects where they are needed (Schule im Aufbruch, 2025[54]). At the centre of this is the connection of schools with the local community. Widening the room for schools to engage with such initiatives also requires widening and strengthening teacher autonomy, and encouraging teachers to use the autonomy they already have – this should be done by policy makers and school leaders alike. Currently, teachers often sense a feeling of disempowerment even if they have relative autonomy according to staff regulations, because they fear to make mistakes and be judged by their colleagues, by school authorities, or parents.
Encouraging teachers to reach out, to innovate and to experiment however already begins in teacher education. While teacher students already can get insights into schools early in their studies, learning from more experienced teachers through mentoring programmes, collaborative teaching, and work shadowing could be improved. This could potentially strengthen the relationships between new and experienced teachers, lowering the barriers for new teachers to bring in their ideas and innovations once they begin to work. The many informal meetings and collaborations among teachers that are already in place could further be better supported and learnings could be better distributed across schools.
Specific actions for change
In support of their vision, stakeholders identified a number of specific actions for change, including first steps and actions for the longer term (see Infographic 4.3).
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
How would the teacher personas react to this scenario?
After the preferred scenarios were drafted, an additional workshop involved using the Austrian teacher personas to consider the relative benefits of the scenarios for different teacher personas as well as considering ways to action each of the scenarios.
Note: Judgements for each persona were made during the Mission De-brief. Placement on the continuum is indicative, based on the ideas generated below in the analysis. More information about the methodology can be found in chapter two.
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
As shown in Figure 4.2., overall, preferred Scenario I is likely to be welcomed positively by all the personas and would be most attractive to the future teachers and experienced primary school teachers. As both these groups appreciate autonomy, a more holistic vision of the school, and a focus on their mental and physical health, they would benefit from the opportunity to explore new teaching paths within a mindful and healthy working environment. Their active involvement in participatory decision-making mechanisms could further enhance their autonomy as well as their sense of ownership and commitment and they would appreciate supportive structures. The idea of schools as collective societal “innovation niches” where alternatives to established traditions can be discussed particularly aligns with the future and secondary career teacher’s ambition to build meaning and purpose in and through their profession.
The urban secondary teachers might experience this openness in a similar way, but as they tend to work with more diverse student populations and often already find themselves at the limit of their capacities, there might be a risk for them to feel overwhelmed. In fact, the stakeholder group identified a particular risk for urban secondary teachers with diversity backgrounds: As some of these teachers relate to and resonate with their students in a deeper, personal way, they might suffer from feeling too responsible for their well-being and their educational success in Scenario I. The focus on mental health might be a two-edged sword for them – clearly, they would appreciate this emphasis and the support that is envisioned in this scenario, but there is a risk that the lines of their responsibilities get even further blurred and they find themselves too involved in their students’ personal life, impacting their own well-being. The stakeholders argued this scenario might demand too much from urban secondary teachers by putting them at the center of pedagogical innovation and thereby framing them as problem solvers for issues that are beyond their control.
A similar reaction might occur among starting teachers. Within the first years of teaching, they face a multitude of new responsibilities and might wish for clear, guided structures rather than for openness and experimentation. However, they would likely appreciate the smoother transition from theory to practice through a strengthened collaboration between research and schools, as well as the opportunity to bring in their fresh ideas. They would furthermore enjoy the flexibility of flatter hierarchies through a culture of experimentation where more experience does not necessarily mean more legitimacy, which is also a development the second-career teachers are likely to embrace. The second-career teacher personas are furthermore already used to collaborate freely with different experts. In Scenario I, they can make use of their personal and professional network outside the school, which the whole system may benefit from. However, the stakeholder group discussed how some second-career teachers might feel uncomfortable with the idea of extending their role beyond “traditional” teaching as this vision of the profession might be precisely what they are looking for. Accordingly, the pair of second-career teachers was separated by the stakeholder group and placed on a more positive and a more negative position on the continuum.
The school leaders would probably react in different ways to Scenario I. The progressive school leader persona sees potential for bottom-up innovation and a more dynamic school in Scenario I. On the other side, the more traditionalist school leader persona might fear to lose control over what is happening in the school if structures are lacking that guide how and to which extent experimentation takes place. This persona might also feel their authority being undermined.
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
How the scenario addresses the research questions specific to the study in Austria
1. What will it mean to be a teacher in the future? What should be at the core of the teaching profession?
In the future, teachers will have the opportunity to take more ownership and responsibility. There is also a need to transform the role of teacher to include that of coaching. Collaborative, multi-disciplinary teaching could mean working with other teachers or teaching beyond the subjects that teachers were trained in.
Students should develop an understanding of responsibility for themselves in response to move from control to support for them.
2. How to develop teacher professional identity and a more collaborative profession?
The focus will move from “me and my class” to “us and our school”. There is a spirit of ongoing co-operation between all partners that is encouraged by the school within its systems. Greater opportunities to work with external experts allow covering additional topics and support projects. This can be supported by better communication and co-operation between theoretical and practical training, including support for trainers.
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?
This will involve strengthening the building of networks. People who work as “networkers” will play an important role to connect people in meaningful ways. There will be less pressure on individuals to be responsible for success and more room for “healthy failure”.
4. What support services do teachers need to improve and maintain their physical and mental health?
Teachers will need to have their own “coach” to support their continual growth. Coaching would also be needed to assist changing of roles for some teachers. The system would need to provide a core framework of professional standards to guide flexibility and innovation in beneficial ways that avoid randomness.
Ideas for transformation (long-term change)
In this scenario, two main ideas for transformation are:
1. Creating space to collectively shape the future.
2. Tailoring support for specific contexts.
There are also two spotlight focuses on specific areas within the broader societal sector. These are in (a) health and resilience and (b) sustainability.
Creating space to collectively shape the future
An overarching principle in this scenario values creating space at all levels to think about the future people want to build together. This aligns with a redefinition of leadership from By (2021[55]) who argues that leadership should also be seen as a collective action, focused on purpose, and a part of everyone’s education as “a meaningful way meeting the demands and challenges of the twenty-first century” (By, 2021, p. 41[55]).There are benefits to be gained for schools and broader society if space is created to shape the future together. In recent Austrian research a student leader highlights this idea: “When we all stop rushing around doing what we’re doing and begin to think about it together we could make a better school’ (MacBeath et al., 2000, p. 17[56])” (Ammann and Schratz, 2023, p. 13[57]). Creating space for people to come together in this way is an example of education creating value for communities that will also value the role of teachers in society through their involvement.
Seeking ideas from multiple perspectives and stakeholders is an important part of the process of developing a strategic response to new challenges and for achieving transformational change. Multiple voices (Southgate, Reynolds and Howley, 2013[58]; Southgate, 2020[59]) can shape responses with greater confidence in their resilience (Jordan, Kleinsasser and Roe, 2014[60]).
Deliberate approaches for collective and inclusive thinking about the future can strengthen how this is undertaken to realise the benefits:
We need to carefully think about what assumptions we have about the future, what ideas we should use, and what thinking should be implemented. The overall concern is, are we currently asking the right questions… considering the right directions, are our educational policies serving the present, or are we aiming at imagining the possible and potential futures. (Tesar, 2021, p. 3[61])
These approaches can be informed by forward-looking ideas based on futures methodologies such as foresight (Tesar, 2021[61]; OECD, 2021[62]; Amsler and Facer, 2017[63]). Fostering “networker” roles can utilise professionals as boundary crossers (Ko et al., 2020[64]; Harris, Azorín and Jones, 2021[65]; Mujtaba et al., 2018[66]; White, 2019[67]) and bridge builders (Harris, Azorín and Jones, 2021[65]; DeMatthews, 2018[68]; Gordon and Louis, 2009[69]), in both formal and informal ways, who are valued for the benefits they create supporting cross-sectoral partnerships (Mertens et al., 2021[70]). These professional attributes and roles play an important role to connect groups who might otherwise be working in parallel.
The workshop participants who constructed this scenario identified schools are creative spaces that continuously adapt to challenges and opportunities. There is potential to capture these “micro-innovations” (Education International, 2022, p. 9[71]) that can inform directions forward for education systems. “Micro-innovations” can provide evidence for school leaders, inform academic research and add to the overall “intelligence” (Addae-Kyeremeh and Fox, 2018, p. 55[72]) of an educational system that seeks to bring together a broad range of evidence from practice, policy and research. This includes exploring benefits from co-creation of “experiential knowledge” (Fazey et al., 2014[73]; HOGENT, 2025[74]).
Resourcing at various levels would provide the time and safe spaces (Soleas and Bolden, 2020[75]) for this work to be explored at the school level and captured at the system level to inform policy development.
Agency and efficacy
Internationally, there is increasing focus on student agency, teacher agency and the concept of co-agency, which is defined as "interactive, mutually supportive relationships with parents, teachers, the community and with each other that help students progress towards their shared goals" (OECD, 2019[12]). The OECD uses the metaphor of 'a learning compass', to shift thinking from students receiving fixed instruction from teachers to students who navigate through unfamiliar contexts to direct their learning in a meaningful and responsible way (OECD, 2019[12]). The higher levels of uncertainty add flexibility to meet the needs of students.
As teaching conditions change in unpredictable ways it is important to provide support to a positive response to change (Van Wingerden and Poell, 2019[42]; Struyf, Adriaensens and Meynen, 2011[76]) that ensures a focus on agency and efficacy. When teachers are engaged at work they exhibit high levels of energy and self-efficacy. The concept of self-efficacy, which is based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1993[77]), describes a person's conviction that they can successfully overcome difficult situations and challenges through their own efforts (Schmich and Itzlinger-Bruneforth, 2020[78]), which can allow them to proactively feel they can change their work environment (Van Wingerden and Poell, 2019[42]) to maintain engagement (referred to as “job crafting” (Van Wingerden and Poell, 2019[42]). High engagement and a sense of ownership has, in turn, been found to have “buffering” effects against stress and burnout (Bach, 2022[79]).
However, this approach might require more attention to different skills for teachers. While a common trait in teachers is their intrinsic desire to make a difference for children and young people Hofmann, Eder and Hörl (2021[80]) argue that in today’s changing context important characteristics for [student] teachers to develop are “openness, a love of exploration and a spirit of innovation”. The characteristics are likely to be inspiring for current teachers and to broaden attraction to teaching for those considering their professional options.
There is also opportunity to harness teacher leadership and the professional work enacting the curriculum within contemporary school, policy and societal contexts. The work of delivering curriculum with a broader framework of pedagogy, and schooling generally, provides:
…a distinctive form of teacher agency… curriculum leadership requires rigorous consideration of content, progression, assessment and pedagogy, the essence of teaching. This is very reason why curriculum leadership matters and why it deserves far greater research attention and prominence in school and system improvement discourse. (Harris, Jones and Crick, 2020, p. 3[81])
This form of curriculum leadership will lead to micro-innovations (Education International, 2022[71]; Addae-Kyeremeh and Fox, 2018[72]) that can inform the system as it learns from this professional work. The co-construction of new curriculum can generate different types of curriculum leadership, including subject leadership, pedagogic leadership and system leadership. Teacher leaders are likely to identify priority areas to support the transformations they are making. This requires effective governance to identify successes that can be shared and address needs to support ongoing development.
Healthy mistakes
The participant group considered how a shift in school culture, focused on agency and self-efficacy, should also positively embrace learning from mistakes and seeking feedback that continues to develop ideas.
Some studies examine how building a positive Fehlerkultur “error climate” (Steuer, Tulis and Dresel, 2022, p. 355[82]) can support teachers and students to learn from mistakes (Steuer, Tulis and Dresel, 2022[82]) This does not mean encouraging teachers to test random, non-evidence informed approaches but rather promotes a culture of informed experimentation and willingness to tailor ideas for specific purposes. The study identified six subdimensions related to the role of the teacher: (1) error tolerance by the teacher, (2) irrelevance of errors for assessment, (3) separation of learning, (4) teacher support following errors, (5) absence of negative teacher reactions, and (6) analysis of errors (Steuer, Tulis and Dresel, 2022[82]). The study also identified three subdimensions for students: (a) absence of negative classmate reactions, (b) taking the error risk, and (c) functionality of errors for learning (Hofmann and Carmignola, 2021[83]). The eight subdimensions illustrate some of the features of a culture that supports agency and self-efficacy. For example, analysis of errors as a strategy for learning may not be fully utilised (Bleiner et al., 2023[84]). The subdimensions provide some concrete aspects of practice that can be considered as part of promoting any longer-term transformation.
The participant group explored the value of a culture that had an acceptance of mistakes, paired with receiving feedback as a way of learning from them. When combined as part of a collaborative environment, this can create a learning/ knowledge culture (Kucharska and Bedford, 2020[85]) that is adaptable to change and open to innovation. It can lead to a research- or inquiry-based mindset to teacher professionalism, through an appreciative and responsible interaction with one another that generates interest, joy and curiosity for each teacher’s own work (Bandura, 1993[77]). With this approach, a “mature” culture is established whereby an “acceptance of mistakes” can be examined to create a form of “new knowledge” (Kucharska and Bedford, 2020, p. 1344[85]). This is in contrast to “people who avoid risk-taking [who] will likely use the well-known, old methods of work to avoid mistakes for fear of failure” (Kucharska and Bedford, 2020, p. 1344[85]). Kucharska and Bedford (2020[85]) point out a paradox that in risk averse cultures mistakes still occur but the learning from them is at the individual level while the organisation remains stagnant.
When organisations adopt a mindset of ongoing development, space can be provided for experimentation that may or may not be scaled further. For teachers, this type of culture recognises their roles as innovators of their own work which can be harnessed and valued by other colleagues, schools and the system.
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[86]; Bleiner et al., 2023[84]). A positive error culture in the classroom is linked to higher motivation, creativity, and better learning outcomes like higher cognitive activation potential (Käfer, 2022[87]).
Reimagining the curriculum
One example of creating space that was discussed by the participant group developed a future that promotes self-efficacy and agency through reimagining the curriculum. The participant group questioned if there still a need for subjects and considered if areas of teaching and learning be connected differently to foster self-efficacy. More project-based and cross-curricular learning opportunities can be a start for schools with little capacity as it connects to specific purpose and goals. Benefits could include support for learning in a way that is valuable to communities (e.g. building resilience).
Historically, curriculum has been organised in defined disciplines to support transmission of key knowledge (Drake and Reid, 2020[88]). While these disciplines are separated, there can be overarching connecting principles.Cross-curricular competencies have been part of Austrian school legislation and curricula since the 1960s (B. Chabera, personal communication), and their importance has been strengthened in the most recent reform of curricula (BMB, 2024[89]). Overarching topics like Political Education and Entrepreneurship Education are anchored in the subject curricula, and support the development of interdisciplinary skills and networked learning of students beyond subject-specific boundaries (BMB, 2024[89]).Beyond that, an alternative to this traditional organisation is an interdisciplinary curriculum that is generally discipline based but “their connections are stronger and made explicit” (Drake and Reid, 2020, p. 123[88]). Transdisciplinary approaches are another alternative, in this case the curriculum starts with a real-world problem rather than disciplines (Drake and Reid, 2020[88]).
By creating space, we can consider bolder ideas for transformation and then spend time to consider the implications.
Note: This illustration is intended to provide a concrete example of the scenario in action.
Source: See Chapter 3 for description of the persona.
Tailoring support for specific contexts
One ambition in this scenario is that education policy makers respond to the specific challenges of teaching in different contexts by focusing on a healthy working environment. Examples of different contexts include working in small rural schools (Wiesinger, Schaubmair and Brunauer, 2020[90]; Raggl, 2015[91]), students from linguistically diverse backgrounds (Brown et al., 2021[92]) and students from less advantaged backgrounds (OECD, 2019[93]). This is discussed in more depth as part of Scenario I.
The Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018 results (OECD, 2023[94]) indicate risks for teacher attrition in disadvantaged schools that cater for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. In half of the participating countries, teachers in disadvantaged schools are more likely to have stress from maintaining classroom discipline than those in advantaged schools (OECD, 2023[94]). In turn, classroom discipline is the source of stress that is most often related to decreased job satisfaction and a reduced desire to continue teaching (OECD, 2023[94]). Box 4.3 describes some comparisons between contexts within Austria.
In comparing rural and city school experiences in Austria, TALIS 2018 data (OECD, 2020[20]) reports that:
Less experienced teachers are often allocated to rural areas (14.8% of teachers began work at the school in the 12 months prior to the survey, compared with 10.8% in cities of over 100 000 people).
In rural schools, there is a higher proportion of teachers who permanently left the school in the 12 months prior to the survey (as a ratio of total teacher numbers in the school) compared with cities (4.5% compared with 2.7%).
However, teachers report lower levels of experiencing stress “a lot” in their work compared with teachers in city schools (10.4% compared with 16.4%).
In comparing teacher experiences in schools with higher than 30% concentrations of socio-economically disadvantaged homes and those with less than 30% in Austria, TALIS 2018 data (OECD, 2020[20]) reports that:
Less experienced teachers are also more often allocated to schools with higher concentration of socio-economically disadvantaged homes (6.7% of teacher began work at the school in the 12 months prior to the survey in a school with more than 30% concentration, compared with 5.4% in a school with less than 30% concentration).
However, in schools with more than 30% concentration of student from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, there was a lower proportion of teachers who permanently left the school in the 12 months prior to the survey as a ratio of total teacher numbers in the school compared with schools with less than 30% concentration, 2.7% compared with 3.4%.
Teachers in schools with more than 30% concentration from socio-economic disadvantaged homes reported higher levels of experiencing stress “a lot” in their work compared with teachers in city schools (15.5% compared with 16.4%).
Source: OECD (2020[95]), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume II): Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, https://doi.org/10.1787/19cf08df-en.
As well as general needs of support for new teachers, areas of additional need for working in more difficult schools include classroom management (Backers, Tuytens and Devos, 2020[37]), and support for increased diversity (Amitai and Van Houtte, 2022[96]; OECD, 2019[93]). Support includes good leadership (Backers, Tuytens and Devos, 2020[37]; Beaufort Research and NFER, 2019[38]) and collaborative relationships (Backers, Tuytens and Devos, 2020[37]; Beaufort Research and NFER, 2019[38]).
Teacher mentors provide focus on the students and communities as advocates and support for the schools in which they teach (Goodwin, Lee and Pratt, 2023[39]; Piot, Kelchtermans and Ballet, 2010[97]). Support for new teachers who move into a community, especially in rural settings (Williams, Williamson and Siebert, 2022[98]), can extend to social support outside of work to build a sense of “belongingness” for teachers.
Teacher education can also play a role in supporting teachers in specific contexts and across their career lifespan (see next section).
Teacher education supports leaders in schools
An ambition in this scenario is that teacher education contributes to teacher leadership development and school leadership throughout teachers' careers.
In Initial Teacher Education there are examples of community-based experiential learning projects for student teachers to build experience and skills for teachers to work as part of their community (Harfitt and Mei Ling Chow, 2018[99]; Resch, Schrittesser and Knapp, 2022[100]; Paz-Albo, Jor’Dan and Hervás-Escobar, 2023[101]). Developing two-way communication between teachers and families for example requires going beyond teacher directed activities (Leenders et al., 2019[40]; Pushor and Amendt, 2018[102]) and is built on the assumption that “teachers acknowledge that parents are usually aware of their children’s needs and difficulties and are willing to support their development” (Leenders et al., 2019, p. 522[40]). Getting acquainted with the school population can be a way of increasing school-based social capital (Belfi et al., 2015[103]). This can be an effective way to increase collective teacher efficacy through “trusting relationships among teachers, students, and parents and shared norms regarding good habits of schooling of teachers, students, and parents” (Belfi et al., 2015[103]).
A lifespan approach to teachers’ development (Mezza, 2022[104]) can offer tailored opportunities relevant to needs and interests of teachers and school leaders. Teacher educators are well placed to support co-construction of opportunities across the lifespan of a teacher’s career and to benefit from the opportunity to focus on supporting the full range of needs and interests of new and experienced teachers. In particular, teacher education can support the development of both school leadership and teacher leadership. At the same time, developing a two-way approach can mean that teacher education also benefits from this type of approach. For example, teacher education has access to a range of current practitioners who can share their experience with others. These ideas are further developed in Scenario IV.
A provocation by Hofmann, Eder and Hörl (2021[80]) argues that all partners should consider the characteristics we should be considering when trying to attract people into the profession. While intrinsic motivation to contribute to the development of young people and communities is consistently identified as a reason given for entering teaching, they argue that future teachers will require additional focuses such as working with technology, as well as (teacher) leadership and management capacities (Hofmann and Carmignola, 2021[83]). This work can help reframe images of future teachers that can be emphasised from entering teacher education and beyond.
Spotlight focus
During the data collection (survey) phase, a number of ambition statements related to specific areas within the broader societal sector or educational sector were rated higher by participants. In this scenario, there are spotlights on two specific areas within the broader societal sector that were found to be relevant by the workshop group. Box 4.4 describes these spotlights for (a) the area of health and resilience and on (b) the area of sustainability.
Specific area: Health and resilience
It is an ambition in this scenario that all partner groups set combined health education targets. This includes focusing on mental health and well-being as a cross-cutting theme by strengthening shared responsibilities across Ministries (OECD, 2023[105]) as well as developing cross-sectoral relationships as a core function (OECD, 2023[105]).
Cross-sectoral collaborations require clarity of roles (Malmberg-Heimonen, Tøge and Akhtar, 2023[106]), combined and individual goals and benefits (Raum, 2018[107]; Nilsson Brodén, 2022[108]).
Specific area: Sustainability
In relation to sustainability, an ambition is that policy makers develop the role of schools to play an active role as social agents in addressing contemporary social problems such as climate change (UNESCO, 2020[109]).
It is important that systems level leadership complements and supports local initiatives (Education Gazette editors, 2022[110]). Policy makers articulate clear and bold purposes of education that connect the work of teachers and broader societal aims, including creating space within the curriculum to support these aims (Bianchi, Pisiotis and Cabrera Giraldez, 2022[111]). 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.
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
The first steps: building on current strengths and ideas for improvement
In working toward the bigger ideas for transformation, this scenario highlights three areas for short-term improvement and is supported by a selection of ambition loops (see Table B.2 in Annex B).
Developing lifelong learners
An ambition for this scenario is that teachers and other education partners develop students' skills to be lifelong learners. Lifelong learning is becoming more an important focus within societies (Munro, 2019[112]; Day, 2002[113]; OECD, 2023[114]). Teachers can develop knowledge and capacity about lifelong learning to support their own professional growth and the learning of their students. Developing lifelong learning skills for children and young people can also be framed as an equity strategy given that many equity groups currently have less access to lifelong learning opportunities in the work place (Munro, 2019[112]).
Connecting partners to build knowledge, skills and shared goals
For efficacy to be nurtured across all levels of a school, there is a need to connect the different groups so they support each other’s development as well as build synergies through focusing on shared goals. These groups include partners from the school-community, higher education sector, and the broader societal sector. This should also include developing explicit understandings that define efficacy for each of the groups. Teacher beliefs about their own self-efficacy can impact on how positively they view the efficacy of their students (Berger et al., 2018[115]).
This scenario promotes connecting partners as a way developing shared benefits. An ambition is that school leaders promote a culture of positive feedback and developing shared goals. This practice can help reduce within school variation (Day, Sammons and Gorgen, 2020[116]; Stringfield, Reynolds and Schaffer, 2008[117]), especially when there is a clearly defined set of goals (Stringfield, Reynolds and Schaffer, 2008[117]). Developing shared goals can support transformational leadership by inspiring a commitment to collective purposes beyond the individual (Day, Sammons and Gorgen, 2020[116]) through building vision and the setting of directions (Day, Sammons and Gorgen, 2020[116]). There is also potential to “significantly influence teachers’ stress, individual sense of efficacy and organisational commitment” (Day, Sammons and Gorgen, 2020, p. 16[116]) as long as the goals inspire shared agreement rather than being seen as unreasonable (Day, Sammons and Gorgen, 2020[116]).
Another ambition is that teachers are empowered to make decisions about their professional development and career trajectories. When teachers are empowered to make decisions about their professional development and career trajectories, it reflects an education system that actively supports and facilitates their growth. For this to happen, policy makers and school leaders need to dedicate sufficient time and resources to teachers' professional and personal development, reducing instances where teachers are forced to "put out fires." For example, developing understanding of student motivation can shift thinking about student efficacy from one that views motivation as an external factor beyond the school to one that can be influenced in the classroom as a way of building student efficacy and enhance the overall classroom environment (Berger et al., 2018[115]). Reforms in initial teacher education should view teachers as agents of change and encourage partnerships between schools and industry to create comprehensive training programs that address current challenges and labour market needs. Moreover, education systems should provide career paths that allow teachers to engage in research or shift to other roles, fostering a diverse and fulfilling professional journey.
Another ambition is that all partners value the opportunity to connect with each other to build joint professional knowledge and skills. Connecting expertise across sectors can enrich professional growth for each professional, as well as deepen learning experiences for students through involvement of multiple perspectives (Bryson, Crosby and Stone, 2015[118]; National Research Council, 2015[119]; OECD, 2021[120]). Having close proactive relationships with schools as one of the priorities has been reported to be key in effective strategies to improve teacher education (Glover et al., 2023[121]).
The Partner School Programme at the University of Vienna (Resch, Schrittesser and Knapp, 2022[100]) is one example which provides a choice of options for connections between teacher education and schools through community-based research, project-based learning or service learning.
Another ambition is to build connections that nurture capacity to work with families and other partners is an important feature of the teaching profession. Developing expectations and ways for teachers’ collaboration with parents and other partners should be strengthened, starting in initial teacher education to support development of new approaches (Epstein, 2018[48]; Perälä-Littunen and Böök, 2019[47]; Goodall et al., 2022[50]). Teacher capacity to work with families and other partners is an important feature of professionalism (Perälä-Littunen and Böök, 2019[47]; Epstein, 2018[48]; Ryan, 2021[49]; Goodall et al., 2022[50]) that did not exist in the same way when teacher work was seen as solitary and specialised work. Even though all partners – Initial Teacher Educators (ITE) providers, student teachers, mentors, parents and external stakeholders – recognise the importance of parental engagement, most teacher students report that this is scarcely mentioned on ITE programmes (Goodall et al., 2022[50]).
Working together with parents is not always an easy task and has to be learned (Leenders et al., 2019[40]), otherwise teachers may choose to limit interactions (Leenders et al., 2019[40]). At the same time, if poorly implemented, parental involvement can have negative effects on teachers, such as infringing their autonomy (Spruyt et al., 2023[122]). Teacher learning 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, 2018[48]; Epstein and Sheldon, 2023[123]; Ryan, 2021[49]).
Spotlight focus
In this scenario, there is also a spotlight on the cultural sectors within the broader societal sector (see Box 4.5).
Specific area: Cultural sector
The area of culture was a specific focus in this scenario. An ambition is that all partners support partnerships that create high-quality, collaborative approaches and resources. Collaboration can align approaches between teacher expertise and those in broader societal sectors (Mujtaba et al., 2018[66]) to support student learning, including engagement in learning (Mujtaba et al., 2018[66]).
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
Specific actions for change
In support of their vision, stakeholders identified a number of specific actions for change, including first steps and actions for the longer term (see Infographic 4.5).
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
How would the teacher personas react to this scenario?
After the preferred scenarios were drafted, an additional workshop involved using the Austrian teacher personas to consider the relative benefits of the scenarios for different teacher personas as well as considering ways to action each of the scenarios.
Note: Judgements for each persona were made during the Mission De-brief. Placement on the continuum is indicative, based on the ideas generated below in the analysis. More information about the methodology can be found in chapter two.
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
In Figure 4.4, the strongest support for this scenario comes from the urban secondary teachers and the second career secondary teachers. Mikael and Marlene (second career teachers) would have an open mind set and limited fixed habits but would need training and knowledge about ways to provide student-centred learning – they may have some uncertaintity about sense of losing control. The starting primary school teachers and the teachers from the future also view this scenario positively overall. Lukas (teacher from the future) would vlaue the opportunity to develop his leadership skills and to build a career path in this direction. However, Jelena would need more direction to develop her agency and self-direction.
The experienced primary school teachers view this scenario as a balance of positive and negative aspects. The secondary school leaders are the most negative about this scenario. A risk for them is that the lack of clear goals and responsibilities leads to an overload for the school leader, no matter whether they are reform-oriented or conservative.
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
How the scenario addresses the research questions specific to the study in Austria
1. What will it mean to be a teacher in the future? What should be at the core of the teaching profession?
In this scenario, teachers are knowledge brokers, sharing their knowledge and teaching experiences with other teachers and broader professionals as well as learners.
2. How to develop teacher professional identity and a more collaborative profession?
An understanding of collaboration should be integrated to teacher education. This includes understanding why collaboration is important and how it can be done in a meaningful way. This will support changing the mindset and approaches to continuing professional development. New ways of professional development are needed.
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?
Possible ways to improve collaboration in schools include: learning from collaboration in other organisations, for example, NGOs and other professions; learning from social movements; developing the professional role and feedback culture; dissolution of specialist teacher structures towards teaching teams.
4. What support services do teachers need to improve and maintain their physical and mental health?
School leadership ensures well-being supports for teachers: ensuring meaningful work as this leads to well-being; reducing stress; mediation and supervision in teaching teams; support to work with emotions. School leaders and teachers will benefit from administrative support to organise sabbaticals (or scholarships) and continuing education opportunities.
Ideas for transformation (long-term change)
In this scenario, two big ideas for transformation are:
1. Invest in school leadership
2. Linkages with teacher education throughout the whole of a teacher’s career.
Invest in school leadership
An ambition in this scenario is for policy makers to promote and invest in leadership within schools. Policy makers can support school leaders through co-development of approaches that can guide the development of new processes from theory into practice (Ryan, 2021[49]; Epstein, 2018[48]; Gu, 2021[124]) This includes researching impact through the lens of equity (Epstein, 2021[125]; Darling-Hammond, 2024[126]) to ensure new approaches enhance inclusivity (Darling-Hammond, 2024[126]).
Leadership plays a key role for transformation. To support transformation in this way requires focuses on capacity building, connecting with others, and placing this work within the contexts of both a school and the system (Schley and Schratz, 2011[127]). The contexts of individual schools and the system can shape the focus of leadership (Kemethofer, Helm and Warwas, 2022[128]) such as the extent to which leadership focuses on instructional leadership (Eryilmaz and Sandoval Hernandez, 2024[129]) 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 (creating a common vision for school improvement; draw on common decision-making, foster cooperation between teachers) or entrepreneurial (building trust between the school and the community and promoting a positive image of the school) in style. 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[130]). Research on school effectiveness shows that school leadership and school leader behaviour can impact school goals, classroom climate, teachers' attitudes and actions in the classroom, the organisation of teaching in a school, as well as student achievement (Bonsen, 2010[131]). Effective school leadership requires a shared vision, clear objectives, ongoing quality management, process development, evaluative practices, and high-quality teaching (Schratz et al., 2015[130]).
The strong, but indirect effect of school leadership on school quality (Bonsen, 2010[131]; Schratz et al., 2015[130]) suggests that successful school development relies on the commitment and empowerment of other stakeholders in the system, especially teachers (Schratz et al., 2015[130]). Teachers play a crucial role as success factors in shared or distributed leadership models (Rexhäuser, 2015[132]). 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, 202[133]), where leadership is based on expertise like subject matter or didactics rather than hierarchy. Expanding the role of teacher leaders (Wenner and Campbell, 2016[134]) enhances leadership responsibility in a systemic context, for which appropriate qualification and professionalisation measures must be offered. The central offer in Austria for this is the university course (HLG) "Leading schools professionally - pre-qualification" (20 ECTS credits) (Huber, Lusnig and Schneider, 2024[135]), 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[130]).
Note: This illustration is intended to provide a concrete example of the scenario in action.
Source: See Chapter 3 for description of the persona.
The development of schools as learning organisations requires that both individual and collaborative learning is continuously encouraged. An innovative school must therefore continuously develop its school and teaching culture. This requires creativity, lateral thinking, professionalism and a willingness to try and reflect. These skills should be harnessed by the school's stakeholders in the sense of a 'power of we'. In order to cope with the current complexity of tasks in the education system, all existing potentials are needed, which must be utilised horizontally and vertically in the sense of shared leadership.
Linking policy and practice through collaboration requires new types of roles in the education system. Michael Fullan (2004[136]) sees their role as systems thinkers in action. These are:
Leaders at all levels of the system who proactively and naturally take into account and interact with larger parts of the system as they bring about deeper reform and help produce other leaders working on the same issues. They are theorists, but they are practitioners whose theories are put into practice every day. Their ideas are woven into daily interactions that make a difference.' (Fullan, 2004, p. 11[136])
Opening up to innovative thinking and action in the sense of system thinking requires different forms of professional collaboration in order to share leadership tasks within the complex structure of the education system. Shared leadership as a team task implies that all actors work together to achieve more (motto: 'Together Everybody Achieves More'). At each school site, leadership teams form the basis for the system-wide design of the emerging future, moving from best practice to next practice. This requires a conscious collective responsibility for the whole and the pursuit of common goals.
To achieve this, professional learning communities deepen their knowledge across the system and draw their energy from continuous, interconnected action. The effectiveness of a shared and accountable school culture is particularly evident when the agreed goals are shared and consistently lived by everyone at all levels of the school (actors involved, school organisation, learning and teaching processes). The aim of shared leadership is to develop schools and teaching by getting as many people as possible thinking together about what, how and why things are done. This allows reflection on the underlying assumptions and beliefs that often hinder school reform.
In the interaction between policy, research and practice, teacher education, both initial and in-service, plays a central role. This requires inter-school forms of cooperation that develop professionally through joint discussion of scientific findings, regular coordination and monitoring of progress. Through various forms of collaboration (classroom practice, collegial coaching, action research projects, professional development activities, etc.), system-wide values and norms can be jointly developed. Innovative thinking, a willingness to collaborate and the sharing of knowledge and processes are essential to successfully address cross-system challenges. Teacher educators have a dual role as facilitators of practice development and as researchers of new knowledge. They have to balance the mulfifacetted demands of the whole system between generating theoretical knowledge and providing advice and support for the development of practice.
Source: Original contribution by Michael Schratz, University of Innsbruck.
Linkages with teacher education throughout the whole of a teacher’s career
A related ambition in this scenario is that teacher education contributes to teacher leadership development and school leadership throughout teachers' careers. This idea is also relevant to Scenarios I and IV. 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[137]; Oates and Bignell, 2022[138]) and trust which can benefit the collaboration as well as each individual group.
How co-operative leadership structures can positively contribute to staff development and employee motivation
At Modulare Mittelstufe Aspern, we have been successfully working with interconnected team structures for several years. Our system of year group teams enables young educators to integrate smoothly and effectively into the school environment. Ambitious teachers can gain leadership experience and drive important projects forward in working groups. The work at the school is transparent and fairly distributed. The result is satisfied employees with a high degree of commitment and personal responsibility.
Organisational Structure at Modulare Mittelstufe Aspern
The core of our school organization consists of four year group teams. A team of approximately 8–12 teachers primarily teaches in their respective year groups and oversees our four to five parallel classes. There is a weekly planning hour where all team members have a common free period. The year group teams decide how much time they devote to meetings. Initially met with skepticism, the planning hour is now widely used in all teams.
The year group teams have short communication paths and, due to their manageable size, a high degree of flexibility. Members work closely together. Each class has a class teacher and a co-class teacher. Issues are discussed and resolved collectively, parent-teacher meetings are held together, and planning is done in close coordination. Young colleagues benefit from rapid integration into everyday teaching because they are closely embedded within the team. Alongside the mandatory induction phase with a mentor, this form of school-based socialization, which takes place within the year group teams, represents an important staff development measure for new teachers.
Job Enrichment & Job Enlargement at Modulare Mittelstufe Aspern
The teams are coordinated by a team leader, who also serves as part of the school’s "middle management." All communication with the year group teams goes through them, and during the COVID-19 crisis, they also formed the crisis team. The team leaders are permanent members of the school development team (SDT). They are nominated through a combination of team acceptance and acceptance by the school principal. This lateral leadership level is a sensitive framework that requires continuous critical reflection by all involved to avoid being caught between school management and team members.
All four team leaders hold a high level of respect within the staff. In their roles, they learn leadership behaviours with all the challenges and positive aspects that come with it. They perceive these experiences as essential for their professional and personal development. Their motivation comes from feeling involved and being aware that they significantly contribute to the school’s development. The role of the team leaders is clearly defined, but how this leadership position is carried out varies depending on personality type. Informal leadership roles like those of the team leaders are considered job enrichment measures in the professional literature. These are viewed as both staff development tools and motivation instruments, which are recommended, among other things, for burnout prevention.
Each year group team sends another member to the extended school development team (e-SDT). Depending on pedagogical priorities, rotations often occur – based on the educational focuses we are currently working on. Currently, we have a task force that evaluates and prepares test results statistically (e.g., creating comparative tables to analyse results). This task force monitors new laws, regulations, and guidelines. The e-SDT oversees our School Development Plan and serves as the school’s think tank, defining key goals for our development together with me. While the permanent SDT members act as middle management for several years, gaining leadership experience, e-SDT members temporarily gain insights into school development and management mechanisms. These expanded tasks are considered job enlargement measures in the literature, which is another important staff development tool that enhances employee motivation.
School Climate Team
The school climate team is responsible for ensuring a positive atmosphere at school. For example, this team developed a model for consequences, organizes the annual Fairness Award, and coordinates catering for our conferences.
Additionally, there are other working groups (e.g., PR-Team, Gifted Education Team, Digitalization Team, Social Media and Website Team). It is important to us that at least one person from each year group team works in each group, ensuring that the results are integrated into everyday teaching practices.
At Modulare Mittelstufe Aspern, we place great value on clear responsibilities that are transparent and easily recognizable for all staff members. Annual planning and feedback meetings are held to review the achievements of the current year and to agree on individual contributions towards new goals.
Taking Responsibility Fosters Professional Growth
Depending on interest and talent, it is agreed in dialogue between the teacher and school principal which tasks will be taken on in the coming school year and which working group they will join. Those who are willing to take on more responsibility have the opportunity to lead working groups or carry out independent projects, provided they align with the school’s vision. I support them as the school leader in growing into their leadership role and in learning project management and team leadership.
Continuing Education Concept to Secure Key School Positions
The choice of professional development is not a private matter. As part of the planning and feedback discussions, planned training for the upcoming school year is discussed and agreed upon in a dialogical process. I place particular emphasis on key school positions that require longer training, such as mentors, career orientation coordinators and digitalization experts.
Interconnected Team Structures as a Contribution to Teacher Satisfaction
The influence of our multi-level management structure on teacher satisfaction was scientifically investigated by the Center for Teacher Education at the University of Vienna in the winter semester of 2020/21. Students examined the research question: "Shared leadership structures as a contribution to teacher job satisfaction."
Conclusion
At Modulare Mittelstufe Aspern, staff development is actively practiced. The school’s specific network organization makes a significant contribution to fostering competence and staff development at the site. Teachers can engage in new fields of development through job enlargement and job enrichment offers, promoting their professional and personal development. Overall, this system of opportunities for participation leads to high employee identification and job satisfaction.
Note: original contribution by Mag. Doris Pfingstner, principal of Modulare Mittelstufe Aspern. Modulare Mittelstufe Aspern is a full-time middle school in Vienna. The school has 17 classes and 53 teachers.
The first steps: building on current strengths and ideas for improvement
In working toward the bigger ideas for transformation, this scenario highlights three areas for short-term improvement and is supported by a selection of ambition loops (see Table B.2 in Annex B).
Empowering teachers in their work
An ambition in this scenario is for teachers to exercise professional autonomy as part of developing their Teacher Professional Identity and learning that is relevant and meaningful to their students. There is scope to consider ways to enhance autonomy (teacher leadership) in teaching (Grice, 2019[139]; Mezza, 2022[104]; Beaufort Research and NFER, 2019[38]) that can benefit authentic and meaningful learning options for students. This requires careful thought about the intended learning for the student (ESTYN, 2024[140]). Enhanced pedagogical leadership (Grice, 2019[139]), 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[141])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[37]; Spruyt et al., 2023[122]; Beaufort Research and NFER, 2019[38]). 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[38]). Increasing trust and autonomy in school leaders and teachers has the potential to lead as well to a self-improving school system (Bristow, 2021[51]).
Teachers strengthen their understanding of teacher professional identity to support their individual and collective work. CPL 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[142]). 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 CPL and growth across a teacher’s career (Suarez and McGrath, 2022[143]).
Figure 4.6 shows TPI in the centre of a framework of working with students, school context and educational system context. The TPI development and outcome model highlights how both the enactment of TPI in the classroom and school settings, as well as inputs and supports from the school context and educational system context, can develop TPI.
Source: Suarez, V. and J. McGrath (2022, p. 9[143]), “Teacher professional identity: How to develop and support it in times of change”, https://doi.org/10.1787/b19f5af7-en.
Teachers value their professional role in making connections to support formal and informal learning for children and young people. Concepts such as informal and non-formal learning (Villalba‐García, 2021[144]; El Bedewy, Lavicza and Lyublinskaya, 2024[145]) provide opportunity to reframe teachers’ work and formal learning within a context of lifelong learning. They can be extended to include the concept of working within a “learning city” (Facer and Buchczyk, 2019[146]) which draws on networking learning opportunities such as links with galleries, museums and other institutions.
School leadership is a crucial element to enact changes in teaching and learning. With changing demands of school leaders, there is a need to consider support needed for the role as the key to comprehensive reform of the education system and improved educational outcomes (Höller, Suchań and Lindemann, 2020[147]). 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[148]). Other issues include responding to changing contexts such as student diversity and the increasing need for culturally responsive leadership to achieve benefits for all, although this can be viewed as building on effective leadership practices in general (Brown et al., 2021[92]).
School leaders promote a culture of shared responsibility
School leaders can develop leadership capacity within 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[129]; Knapp, 2020[148]). Teachers work together with school leadership to sustain a collaborative culture that supports professional development (De Jong, Meirink and Admiraal, 2019[149]; Bristow, 2021[51]), mental health and well-being (Beaufort Research and NFER, 2019[38]) and starting teachers develop skills to further this (Willegems et al., 2018[150]).
Support for school leaders to build collaboration.
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[37]). 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[151]). Positive interventions by policy makers can benefit school leaders, teachers and the system.
Teachers work together with school leadership to sustain a collaborative culture that supports professional development (De Jong, Meirink and Admiraal, 2019[149]; Bristow, 2021[51]), mental health and well-being (Beaufort Research and NFER, 2019[38]) and starting teachers develop skills to further this (Willegems et al., 2018[150]).
Specific actions for change
In support of their vision, stakeholders identified a number of specific actions for change, including first steps and actions for the longer term (see Infographic 4.7).
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
How would the teacher personas react to this scenario?
After the preferred scenarios were drafted, an additional workshop involved using the Austrian teacher personas to consider the relative benefits of the scenarios for different teacher personas as well as considering ways to action each of the scenarios.
Note: Judgements for each persona were made during the Mission De-brief. Placement on the continuum is indicative, based on the ideas generated below in the analysis. More information about the methodology can be found in chapter two.
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
Fatma and Ernst (school leaders) are generally supportive of this scenario, particularly the light it shines on the work of a school leader. Both value opportunities to empower their staff to focus on their work in classrooms while being experienced enough with change to be wary of anything that imposes added burden. Both Fatma and Ernst would feel the management and steering of collaborative processes as a responsibility of the school leaders. While it might require high levels of investments in the beginning there would be high benefits as a result. Fatma is likely to particularly value the benefits that support for collaboration can offer her team’s work and satisfaction as a professional.
Jelena and Lukas (teachers from the future) value the focus on leadership that include a focus on trust and co-operation. Positive visions of leadership would be an attractive feature to join the profession, especially where they connect with contemporary understandings of leadership that exist in actoss other professional options for them. They recongnise that collaboration needs to be taught explicitly to build positive cultures.
Mikael and Marlene (second-career teachers working in secondary education) are more negative about this scenario because they would like to just focus on their own classroom and teaching of their students. They might feel that collaboration takes them away from this focus although they are likely to gain ideas and insights from working with experienced teachers. They would likely want to ensure the collaboration aproaches do not reduce their access to a mentor.
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
How the scenario addresses the research questions specific to the study in Austria?
1. What will it mean to be a teacher in the future? What should be at the core of the teaching profession?
In this scenario, being a teacher reflects a commitment to a lifetime of learning in collaboration with external partners to prepare young people for future challenges. They balance professionalism and flexibility, striving to be the "best of the best" in their field. This is a responsibility that is recognised and valued by society, and teachers are given the space to collaboratively reflect on their profession regularly, so that they can meet the dynamic needs of their students and society.
New technologies are well-integrated into learning activities, and teachers spend less time transmitting knowledge in the traditional way. They are rather knowledge intermediaries and learning moderators and embrace a holistic view of student development.
2. How to develop teacher professional identity and a more collaborative profession?
The development of teacher professional identity begins with teacher education, which puts a strong emphasis on collaboration – as a leadership skill itself, and in the way teacher education is conducted. In this scenario, there is a strong exchange between higher teacher education and experienced teachers, so that teacher education reflects a more realistic and dynamic picture of the teaching profession, allowing a smoother transition from education into practice. At the same time, teachers engage with new insights from research within higher education and are supported in incorporating them into their professional work. Development is based on values and mutual respect.
Actors within the broader societal sector – including local initiatives and NGOs, private companies, small-scale informal providers and individual professionals, are encouraged – if not obliged – to actively collaborate with teachers as well. Increased non-state sector involvement improves pedagogic, technical and management skills across all levels of education.
Figure 4.8 shows some of the actors that teachers currently work with across the OECD.
Note: The questionnaire was filled in by ministries from OECD countries; respondents were asked to reflect their ministry or government’s views on two questions about partnerships between schools and other actors: 1. (multiple choice): Please indicate whether there are partnerships between schools and other actors in addressing challenges regarding physical health, emotional well-being, and use of digital technologies (multiple choice). 2. (qualitative): Please elaborate on one or two partnerships that you think are particularly effective or innovative. How is effectiveness measured? A total of 23 countries and systems responded to the questionnaire: Australia, Belgium (Flemish Community and French Community), Canada, Denmark, England (United Kingdom), Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Türkiye. Not every respondent answered every question.
Source: OECD (2025[152]), “School partnerships addressing child well-being and digital technology”, https://doi.org/10.1787/3c946a99-en.
For the OECD’s 21st Century Children project (OECD, 2025[152]), a questionnaire on school partnerships with external actors was submitted to OECD education ministries in 2022 (see Figure 4.8). Since the initial data collection in 2018 (which, while not identical, closely aligns with the 2022 survey), there has been a clear overall increase in the requirement for partnerships between schools and various actors across OECD countries. The emphasis on partnerships with mental health professionals has grown significantly, rising from 30% of systems requiring them in 2018 to 50% in 2022, reflecting increased awareness of student mental health needs. Similarly, partnerships with guidance counsellors expanded from 25% to nearly 50% during the same period. Overall, the 2022 data indicate a broader shift toward formalising collaborations between schools and external actors.
Health and well-being partnerships were reported as the most prevalent in 2022, with mental health professionals present in most schools in 70% of systems, compared to only 15% with dietitians/nutritionists. Despite the focus on emotional well-being, some schools still lack such partnerships. Partnerships with local stakeholders, such as families (64% prevalence), remain less established than health-focused collaborations, while partnerships with research institutes/universities are rare (15%). Digital and media actor partnerships are the least developed, with EdTech companies leading at 18%, and media outlets/journalists rarely involved. These findings, based on ministry-level perceptions, may not fully reflect the decentralised nature of education in many OECD countries.
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?
Policy makers and school leaders ensure that teachers have dedicated space and time to exchange with one another and to critically reflect on their work, so that professional development is an established part of their work and not an additional, unrecognised effort aside from their teaching practice. There is a deliberate physical setting built into school designs for regular, institutionalised exchange among teachers, both within the school and with other schools and societal actors. This exchange is well-structured and designed to foster innovation – for instance, best practices and micro-innovations are shared. While teachers can also share challenges or frustrations they face, they use this exchange as a productive support forum. This collaborative culture not only benefits the teachers but also enhances their ability to impart teamwork skills to their students.
4. What support services do teachers need to improve and maintain their physical and mental health?
As a baseline, policy makers ensure that schools are decent workplaces with a well-functioning infrastructure. Teachers’ physical and mental health is a priority for school leaders, and prevention measures such as training and therapy are accessible and free of charge.
Early career teachers are provided with a proper onboarding process, which includes shadowing more experienced teachers, working in teams, or other open teaching formats. Supporting 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[150]; Tonna, Bjerkholt and Holland, 2017[153]; Shanks et al., 2022[154]). The working climate in schools allows all teachers – and particularly those who are less experienced– to try out new ideas without being judged if they do not work out immediately. All teachers are further offered peer coaching and supervision (Kutsyuruba and Godden, 2019[155]). With the help of peer coaching, teachers collaboratively develop solutions for specific practical problems faced by a colleague. Everyone contributes their practical experience and knowledge, examining issues from various perspectives and reflecting on their own actions and values. This process occurs without external advice, allowing participants to acquire the necessary knowledge and tools together.
Ideas for transformation (long-term change)
Preferred Scenario IV includes four big ideas for transformation:
Policy makers create space for collaboration in education.
Schools, teacher education, and education research engage with one another.
Schools tap into the local community resources / societal sector for gaining specific expertise and supporting social initiatives.
Teachers foster a climate of collaboration within and among schools.
There are also three spotlight focuses on specific areas within the broader societal sector. These are in (a) EdTech, (b) sustainability, and (c) health and resilience.
This scenario emphasises the idea of schools being at the heart of their communities and collaborating with various actors in society. It delves into the different kind of partnerships that evolve within this network, and suggests activities for the partners involved, including policy makers, higher education and research, broader societal sector and collaboration within and among schools (among teachers, between teachers and students, among schools).
Link to other scenarios
The second scenario foresees that teachers have the space to take their professional development seriously, including that they have opportunities to collaborate with higher education. A related ambition is that higher education partners and policy makers create research opportunities for interested teachers. This is developed in Scenario II. The current scenario contributes to these ideas by emphasising the need to include physical settings within a school for these types of interactions to occur within a professional environment,
Policy makers create space for collaboration in education
One of the ambition loops of this scenario is that policy makers recognise the central role of interdisciplinary collaboration to drive innovation and vitality within schools. By creating deliberate spaces for diverse educational partners to collaborate, policy makers can help expand teaching practices to evolve beyond traditional boundaries, embracing new methodologies and technologies to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world. Collectively updating the values and the purpose of education could support the 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 new directions.
Policy makers could identify opportunities to establish or extend interdisciplinary relationships in support of innovation. One approach is to recognise that schools will be at different levels of openness to innovation and therefore there should be different options based on different levels of confidence to innovate (Vincent-Lancrin et al., 2019, p. 158[8]). Interdisciplinary focuses on innovation can be supported by lightweight, adaptable structures (McGrath, 2023[1]). At the same time, teacher roles need to be clearly (re-)defined to allow fruitful collaboration with other professions for a variety of purposes including well-being, curriculum/ learning, and community building. 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[121]). Secondary analysis of the TALIS 2018 data for Austria shows the positive effects of teacher collaboration on 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[156]).
In particular, schools should develop common visions, goals and rules (Wiek, 2015[157]) through a “bottom-up” approach with teacher education and the teaching staff in order to ultimately ensure greater identification (Methlagl and Vogl, 2020[156]). Research shows that teachers' willingness to co-operate depends primarily on how personally valuable and relevant they find it, highlighting the importance of voluntary engagement and interest in collaboration (Drossel et al., 2018[158]). Accordingly, cooperation should be given a high priority in initial and further teacher training as well as in school development processes in order to promote positive attitudes towards cooperation among prospective teachers and to develop skills that are relevant in co-operative forms of work. If teacher students and teachers are offered space (by providing time and other resources) for joint projects and process-oriented teamwork, they can develop shared experiences which are essential to develop trust, and in turn, successful cooperation (Methlagl and Vogl, 2020[156]). At management level, care should then be taken to relieve teachers of administrative workload and to create a relaxed working atmosphere that allows for reflection and experimentation (Honingh and Hooge, 2013[159]). This support also encompasses providing infrastructure in the form of physical spaces within a school, curatorial processes, and dedicated time allocations for collaborative opportunities.
Policy makers could, in that sense, drive forward the reimagination of physical school spaces and infrastructures to better support collaborative learning and teaching practices (Zenke, 2020[160]). The call to redesign spaces reflects a shift towards more inclusive and adaptable environments that allow for open, creative learning processes (MEGA Bildungsstiftung, 2024[34]).
Schools, teacher education, and education research engage with one another
An ambition for this scenario is to integrate schools with teacher education and research more deeply to advance teacher professionalism and strengthen educational outcomes. Currently, teachers and teacher students in Austria report that teacher education programs often lack practical relevance and fail to adequately prepare educators for the complexities of classroom dynamics (MEGA Bildungsstiftung, 2024[34]). As interdisciplinary approaches gain prominence in education, there is a growing imperative to develop collaboration skills among educators to foster cross-sectoral and interprofessional partnerships (Lawson and Veen, 2016[161]). Learned collaboration skills are valued in work and teachers and schools can model practices for students (Bax et al., 2023[162]) promoting a “culture of collaboration” that inspires students’ behaviour likewise, which contributes to a more connected, communal school climate (Coke, 2005[86]). As space is created for new curriculum focuses, such as climate (Helvaci and Helvaci, 2019[163]; OECD, 2022[164]) or “digital trust” (OECD, 2022[165]), there is opportunity to explore new approaches that focus on interdisciplinary opportunities (Toimata Foundation; Te Mauri Tau, 2025[166]) and transversal skills (Thode, 2023[167]). This offers an alternative to traditional approaches, instead leveraging new content focuses as an opportunity to create space for engagement and interaction.
The lack of relevant opportunities for student teachers to develop their digital competences as part of their formal initial education and training is also reflected in TALIS data: in 2018, on average across the OECD, 56% of lower secondary teachers surveyed had received any pre-service training in the use of ICT for teaching. While overall cohorts of recent graduates had more exposure, in some countries (including Austria) more than 25% of teachers who had completed their initial training within five years of the survey reported not to have received any training in the use of ICT for teaching (OECD, 2023[168]; OECD, 2019[93]).
Stronger partnerships between higher education institutions and schools could enhance teachers' research literacy and empowering them to learn from and potentially also conduct impactful research aligned with their professional needs (ESTYN, 2024[140]; Resch, Schrittesser and Knapp, 2022[100]). Such collaborations are essential for sustaining a culture of research use in schools, promoting continuous professional development, and nurturing a robust Teacher Professional Identity (Suarez and McGrath, 2022[143]) that bridges theory and practice (Bristow, 2021[51]).
Higher education partners and policy makers could create opportunities for interested teachers to conduct research on issues important to their work. ‘Extended professionals’ are “teachers who collaborate with the aim of improving pupil learning, who investigate their practice and pupils' needs, who know and use research-based knowledge, but at the same time, exert control over their work by monitoring its impact and seeking to improve it” (Willegems et al., 2018, p. 126[150]). Further engagement of teachers with research evidence and carrying out research themselves has been recommended to improve their professional learning (ESTYN, 2024[140]). A potential challenge for teacher educators that engage in conducting research is the dual challenge of pressure to produce academic research as well as the value of them supporting the ongoing development of practice in schools (MEGA Bildungsstiftung, 2024[34]). To achieve this, national and local government will play a central role in developing and sustaining research and enquiry activity in schools, supported by a collaboration between higher education institutions and schools developing the research skills of practitioners through career-long coherent and relevant professional learning, and school leaders developing a school culture of research use (Bristow, 2021[51]).
Note: This illustration is intended to provide a concrete example of the scenario in action
Source: See Chapter 3 for description of the persona.
Schools tap into the local community resources / societal sector for gaining specific expertise and supporting social initiatives
The role of a physical school within a community provides opportunities for the school to be an anchor institution (Halsey, 2018[169]) that contributes to the community good. The school can be a hub to connect families, other parts of the education sector as well as relevant sectors within broader society (Giles-Kaye et al., 2022[170]) as a way of fostering prosperity for students and communities. In turn, the community can support, recognise and value teachers’ work which contributes to greater respect for the profession within society.
As part of any reconceptualisation of the school as a community hub, there is a need to consider purposes of education that extend beyond traditional literacies of reading, writing and numeracy to include more holistic aspects such as health, well-being, technology (OECD, 2021[120]), equity (Darling-Hammond, 2024[126]) and ethics. This includes placing school within a framework of lifelong learning (Munro, 2019[112]), including connecting with non-formal learning opportunities (El Bedewy, Lavicza and Lyublinskaya, 2024[145]) and valuing capacities in learning to learn.
Collaborations with the broader society can benefit both school leadership and teachers, too. Partnerships at a leadership level with successful professional industries can provide insights for school leaders to expand their knowledge and practice. For example, a school leader’s opportunity to engage with the company Toyota was viewed positively as opening new insights and ways of thinking about school leadership (Harris, Azorín and Jones, 2021[65]). Another example is an initiative in Austria, Seitenwechsel, that offers teachers the opportunity to work in a company for one year. The Seitenwechsel program was launched in 2021 by former school principal Erwin Greiner to bridge the gap between education and the professional world. It is supported by the MEGA Bildungsstiftung, which is committed to fostering innovation in education (see Box 4.8). There is opportunity for motivated teachers and leaders to learn about practices in other professions that can support reflection on approaches utilised within teaching. This can provide specialised opportunities in areas such as pedagogy or curriculum areas that foster partnership or critical reflection that supports innovation. As well as enhancing professional satisfaction, the system can seek to harness learning more broadly from individuals or groups who are involved. 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).
An example from the MEGA Bildungsstiftung Project Portfolio
The Seitenwechsel program gives teachers the opportunity to work in a company for one year. After that, they return to school for another year to share their new experiences in the classroom. This dual-phase structure ensures that teachers not only gain firsthand industry experience but also receive support to integrate these insights into their teaching practices. The program is open to teachers from different school types, including Mittelschulen, Allgemeinbildende höhere Schule (AHS) and Polytechnische Schulen. Selection is based on a comprehensive application process that considers both the teachers’ interests and the needs of participating companies.
Through Seitenwechsel teachers gain valuable practical experience and learn skills that are important in today’s job market. These new insights improve their teaching and help students learn in a more hands-on and interdisciplinary way. Many teachers also report that after returning from their time in a company, they feel more respected and appreciated by their students. One participant noted, "After my time in the company, I felt more respected and valued by my students." At the same time, companies benefit from the exchange by learning how to better connect with young people. Seitenwechsel supports the broader mission of the MEGA Bildungsstiftung to strengthen the connection between schools, society and businesses.
In addition to Seitenwechsel, other initiatives within the MEGA Bildungsstiftung’s portfolio help schools connect with experts from different fields:
Buntaž helps young people transition from school to work or further education. The program organizes “Role Model Meetups,” where professionals—many with migration backgrounds—share their education and career experiences. These meetings give students valuable insights and inspiration. The program also offers training in future skills and provides individual support.
Stark durch die Schule ("Strong Through School"), a project by Verein Afya, focuses on classrooms with high levels of aggression. Over eight weeks, peer trainers teach students how to understand and control their emotions. Teachers also receive training to better handle challenging classroom situations.
Programs like Seitenwechsel, Buntaž and Stark durch die Schule help schools become more open learning environments connected to their communities. They show how education can extend beyond the classroom and use external expertise to address both academic and social challenges.
The impact of these programs goes beyond individual teachers. They suggest that teaching careers could include periods of work outside of schools, creating stronger links between education and other fields. This could make the teaching profession more dynamic and better connected to society.
The MEGA Bildungsstiftung supports and develops these approaches, ensuring that innovative projects are tested, refined and potentially expanded within the education system.
Source: Original contribution by Camilla Seilern, MEGA Bildungsstiftung
Teachers foster a climate of collaboration within and among schools
In this scenario, teachers play a central role in cultivating a collaborative climate within and among schools, they build environments where professional exchange and innovation thrive. Teachers are open and curious to explore pedagogical approaches that innovate learning opportunities.
Teachers are encouraged to explore innovative pedagogical approaches that foster creativity and critical thinking, essential skills in the age of automation and digitalisation trends (Vincent-Lancrin et al., 2019[8]). There are benefits for focusing on creative (E. Travkina, personal communication, 2022) and critical thinking, including for the labour market, civic life, and personal and social well-being (Vincent-Lancrin et al., 2019[8]). The current, lived experience of teachers working in a rapidly changing world is an asset to be harnessed, both for teachers, learners and the collective intelligence of an educational system (Addae-Kyeremeh and Fox, 2018[72]; Mulgan, 2018[171]).
One ambition is to co-construct approaches that support teachers to include student voice and local perspectives and opportunities within the flexibility that the curriculum provides. Providing flexibility within curriculum structures does not ensure it will be fully utilised (Newton, 2020[172]), particularly with other constraints such as limited time (Newton, 2020[172]). Examining ways to include student voice and local perspectives can identify barriers and opportunities to enacting curriculum approaches that seek to empower teachers and learners.
Creating space for these types of valued interactions could be partly achieved by examining administrative burden, but support is also needed in other areas. In Austria, completing administrative tasks is seen as the greatest source of stress among teachers – there is a strikingly high value for the statement "Having to do too much administrative work (e.g. filling out forms)", with 85% of Austrian school leaders and 48% of teachers stating that this is a fairly large or very large source of stress. This is (statistically significant) 9 percentage points higher than the EU23 average (Schmich and Opriessnig, 2020[173]). Qualitative interviews, however, identify challenges with students as the most impactful factor on perceived stress (Martinek, 2014[174]), contrary to their ranking in the TALIS 2018 data. This however strikes as a surprise: In TALIS 2018, teachers estimated spending an average of three hours per week on administrative tasks (OECD, 2020[20]). Compared to the average of 46 working hours per week and higher figures in other countries (such as seven hours in England), this finding suggests a lack of identification with these tasks (Hofmann and Carmignola, 2021[83]). Administrative tasks might be often cited as stressors since teachers fail to see their relevance and view bureaucratic elements as conflicting with the educational focus of their profession (Hofmann and Carmignola, 2021[83]).
Spotlight focus
During the data collection (survey) phase, a number of ambition statements related to specific areas within the broader societal sector or educational sector were rated higher by participants. In this scenario, there are spotlights on three specific areas within the broader societal sector that were found to be relevant by the workshop group. Box 4.9 describes these spotlights for (a) the area of EdTech, (b) the area of sustainability, and (c) the area of health and resilience.
EdTech
Policy makers, educators, and the EdTech industry could collaboratively develop, test, and implement technology tools tailored to enhance teaching practices (Nilsson Brodén, 2022[108]). This collaboration could ensure that educational technology aligns closely with teaching needs (Batty, 2019[175]). Creating avenues for teachers to initiate and lead technology solutions can influence innovation and support the integration of cutting-edge tools into educational settings. Other possibilities to support research, development and innovation by teachers or organisations may include the organisation of (competitive) education grants, drawing closer and supporting the collaboration between schools and EdTech firms, setting up monetary and non-monetary incentives to encourage the development/ trialling/ implementation of new digital solutions (OECD, 2023[168]).
Specific area: Sustainabilty
An ambition for this scenario is that policy makers develop the role of schools to play an active role as social agents in addressing contemporary social problems such as climate change. It is important that systems level leadership complements and supports local initiatives (Education Gazette editors, 2022[110]). Policy makers articulate clear and bold purposes of education that connect the work of teachers and 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 new directions.
A related ambition is that schools provide opportunities for their community to connect with sustainability initiatives, and vice-versa. Schools can connect with other anchor institutions. This can include opening up community representation opportunities to school stakeholders, as well as connecting with community representatives to add to the vibrancy of the school’s connections with community (Lewandowsky, Facer and Ecker, 2021[176]). Parent support can be harnessed as environmental mentors (OECD, 2022[164]).
Specific area: Health and resilience
An ambition for this scenario is for all partner groups value the provision of school-based health resources to support students and community. Cross-Department and Ministerial approaches (Nilsson Brodén, 2022[108]) can ensure role clarification is implemented effectively in practice to produce a conduit of support for the student (Giles-Kaye et al., 2022[170]; Mertens et al., 2021[70]).
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
The first steps: building on current strengths and ideas for improvement
In working toward the bigger ideas for transformation, this scenario highlights three areas for short-term improvement and is supported by a selection of ambition loops (see Table B.2 in Annex B).
Schools promote a culture of outreach and collaboration
With the experience of school closures and digital learning throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the school as a physical space with personal, physical interactions and social experiences from on-site learning has gained appreciation and significance for all stakeholders (Parry, 2022[177]). On-site school has benefits for student well-being and mental health (Hoover and Bostic, 2021[178]) and learning (Iyengar, 2021[179]). It helps as well to overcome the problems that arise when teachers see their professional development impeded by social and/or physical isolation, preventing them from accessing support (Hobson, Andrew J. and Ashby, 2012[180]). There is also value in being able to address the needs of local contexts (Parry, 2022[177]; OECD, 2022[181]) and to draw on local connections (VBJK, 2018[182]). This appreciation is a solid foundation for strengthening the school’s position in communities and the broader society.
Results from TALIS 2018 Volume 1 show that only 16% of respondents think that the teaching profession is valued in society; the EU average is 18% (Wallner-Paschon, Suchań and Oberwimmer, 2019[183]).
A somewhat more differentiated picture emerges for the appreciation and political influence of teachers: Only around one in ten teachers in Austria is convinced that teachers can influence education policy in Austria and believes that teachers are valued by the media in their country/province (Wiesinger, Schaubmair and Brunauer, 2020[90]).
Collaborations with broader societal sectors can also be built on the development and showcasing of high-quality student work (Shintani, Li and Ellis, 2013[184]). The focus on preparing a product for a public audience can help learners develop “life-enhancing skills” (Chen and Yang, 2019, p. 71[185]). There is also opportunity to gain feedback from broader stakeholders as part of the learning process, as well opportunities to showcase final products (Chen and Yang, 2019[185]).
A related ambition is that the capacity to work with families and other partners is an important feature of the teaching profession. This topic is discussed in more detail in Scenarios I and II.
Building on strengths and planning for short-term improvement
Opportunities for inter- and intra-school collaboration and outreach already exist, but they could be opened for other stakeholders and restructured. For instance, many teacher conferences currently focus on challenges regarding individual students; this workload could be reduced by integrating social workers and psychologists. By creating a teacher council or a comparable democratic forum for the public representation of teachers, teacher concerns could be better channeled and communicated, and the public image of teachers could be improved through collective action on positive PR work. This could help transform not only the public, but also the perspective of teachers themselves on their profession.
Many schools already promote a culture of positive feedback, experimentation, and more flexible forms of lesson planning. Some schools, particularly all-day schools, report meaningful relationships between students, teachers, parents, and the community. Learning from these positive examples could be a first step for creating the open, explorative school that is envisioned in this scenario.
One ambition is that education policy makers create time and space for interested schools with similar micro-innovation ideas to share development of their approaches by collaborating together. Collaboration opportunities can support innovations at the school level (Sinnema et al., 2021[186]). A system can harness its strengths by connecting schools with similar interests – just as leaders can connect staff with similar interests in other institutions (Jones, 2022[187]) – to share their learning journey which can add insights and thinking. Potential gains including, sharing of knowledge, reducing the burdens of each school doing it on their own, as well as gains in learning (Sinnema et al., 2021[186]) as teachers reflect and learn about the idea that are developing (inquiring about) and the support of the well-being of pupils and their families (ESTYN, 2020[188]). School to school collaboration provides an opportunity to benefit from consideration of context (Chapman, 2019[189]) as part of the improvement enquiry process. 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[38]), 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, p. 105[38]).
Specific actions for change
In support of their vision, stakeholders identified a number of specific actions for change, including first steps and actions for the longer term (see Infographic 4.9).
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
How would the teacher personas react to this scenario?
After the preferred scenarios were drafted, an additional workshop involved using the Austrian teacher personas to consider the relative benefits of the scenarios for different teacher personas as well as considering ways to action each of the scenarios.
Note: Judgements for each persona were made during the Mission De-brief. Placement on the continuum is indicative, based on the ideas generated below in the analysis. More information about the methodology can be found in chapter two.
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
Figure 4.10 shows positive support for this scenario from all the personas. The strongest support for this scenario comes from Gabriela and Usman, the urban secondary teachers. They are likely to value the support from and collaboration with communities while having clearly defined roles. Second-career teachers, Mikael and Marlene, are likely to bring in a network of support from outside of the school as well as draw on their previous experiences. Starting primary teachers, Sophia and Maximillian are likely to see the use of technology resources as a means to reduce the burden as starting teachers, including being able to share resources. They also appreciate the emphasis on coaching skills as valuable and transfrable skills. Flexibility in later career choices is likely to be viewed positively by Sophia and Maximillian as being attractive to other young people to try out teaching.
Although all of the personas are overall positive, there are some challenges to take account. Second-career teachers, Mikael and Marlene, would need competencies to moderate and facilitate learning. They would also be challenged balancing the focus on common curriculum with time to focus on more individual work.
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
How the scenario addresses the research questions specific to the study in Austria?
1. What will it mean to be a teacher in the future? What should be at the core of the teaching profession?
Teachers are innovators and are expected to (and do) take risks to try new teaching methods. Teachers embody curiosity and open-mindedness and are brave and bold in taking action. The culture of teaching will be described by curiosity, openness and innovativeness. Teachers will be able to innovate based on the needs of the students they teach. The core of teaching means to develop personalities – both teachers’ and students’ personalities. There is a need to provide time and structure for collaboration within the given working hours. Different types of collaboration can meet different purposes, for example, digital meetings allow more topic-specific collaboration.
2. How to develop teacher professional identity and a more collaborative profession?
Professional identity is nurtured through openness and curiosity and exploring new pedagogical approaches and innovation. This requires that teachers and schools have room for innovation and freedom to experiment. Onboarding for all teachers, including second-career teachers, should be of a high quality which recognises the value and contribution of experienced teachers in providing this support. Technological skills are fostered. Quality practice is recognised.
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?
Teachers collaborate via formal networks and bottom-up initiatives at schools. Lesson studies can support collaboration. As the diversity of teacher profiles grows there is value in considering how different experiences and skills can be utilised within a school. Positive communication is fundamental.
4. What support services do teachers need to improve and maintain their physical and mental health?
Collaboration in professional networks supports teacher well-being (“stress is much easier to cope with if you are not a lone fighter”). School leadership implements a vision that allows targeted innovation. Coaching and supervision are available for teachers. Systems of support need to be embedded across all schools, including buddy, mentor and supervision practices. Calculations of workloads (internal/ external) can inform decision making. Explore part-time models focused on teacher preparation.
Ideas for transformation (long-term change)
In this scenario, three big ideas for transformation are:
1. Strengthen Teacher Professional Identity across career phases
2. A focus on collaboration and interdisciplinary relationships
3. Teachers as pedagogical innovators.
There is a spotlight focus on one specific area within the broader societal sector; in EdTech.
Strengthen Teacher Professional Identity across career phases
What if... we form partnerships to strengthen teachers' professional identity throughout their careers?
One opportunity to innovate support for teachers’ development is through education sector partnerships that consider teacher needs through a career lifespan approach (Mezza, 2022[104]). There are generally strong connections between schools and teacher education at university to support pre-service teachers and teachers as they transition into the profession. 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[138]), including enhancing the use of evidence or knowledge base and bridging both sides of the theory-practice gap (Oates and Bignell, 2022[138]).
Approaches to Continuing Professional Learning (CPL) that place Teacher Professional Identity (TPI) at the heart of supporting teachers can focus on their current work and ongoing development needs (Ulferts, 2021[190]). Cross-sectoral partnerships across the educational sector can harness interprofessional expertise and interests. On the one hand, there is opportunity to support teachers’ work. On the other hand, there is also opportunity to conduct research on topics of relevance to contemporary practice that values the lived experience of teachers. Research and development can expand approaches, particularly with a focus on reducing theory-practice gaps (Resch, Schrittesser and Knapp, 2022[100]).
A focus on collaboration and interdisciplinary relationships
There should be more focus on developing collaboration skills to current and future professionals in the education sector to 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 should be supported in school and adult learning programmes (Lawson and Veen, 2016[161]). Learned collaboration skills are valued in work and teachers and schools can model practices for students (Bax et al., 2023[162]).
Policy makers can create space for interdisciplinary relationships between education partners and identify opportunities to establish or extend interdisciplinary relationships in support of innovation. This might include redefining roles that “start from more traditional and “safe” teaching practices, and specifically from scenarios where teachers could easily anticipate or shape students’ thinking processes and outputs” (Vincent-Lancrin et al., 2019, p. 158[8]). Interdisciplinary focuses on innovation can be supported by lightweight, adaptable structures. For example, the European Academy of Sciences and Arts’ Research & Innovation agenda in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Technology, Arts and Culture (STEMAC) (Liritzis, 2024[191]), reinforces coherence between natural sciences and engineering & technology and humanities (art / culture). The approach “aims to remove limitations and replaces them with wonder, critique, inquiry, innovation, and method of training students in the arts, humanities and social sciences with skills suitable for the 21st century workforce” (Liritzis, 2024, p. 43[191]).
Note: This illustration is intended to provide a concrete example of the scenario in action
Source: See Chapter 3 for description of the persona.
Teachers as pedagogical innovators
What if we see teachers as pedagogical innovators? There is opportunity to create space for teachers to innovate pedagogy in line with reframing of the purposes of education (Hannon and Peterson, 2017[192]). New partnership opportunities for teachers and schools could support transformation of education from the school level outwards to address contemporary issues and anticipate how these may evolve.
Providing teachers with the time and space to innovate can unleash their curiosity and innovation. Providing resources (financial, physical or human resources) and incentives (see Box 4.10), allows the space for “unlearning” (Yang, Chou and Chiu, 2014[193]), exploring innovation beyond current resource requirements, and changes in routine and beliefs. 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[120]), mis- or disinformation (Hill, 2022[194]) or climate change (OECD, 2022[164]) provide opportunities to explore how schools could transform their approaches. A challenge remains to place adequate value on innovation and how it sits alongside a predominant focus on formal assessments or in later years of schooling when the stakes of academic success are perceived as becoming higher (Weninger, 2018[195]; Paniagua and Istance, 2018[196]).
Assessment and feedback, as well as consequences to that feedback, play a key role in teacher development and innovation. While assessment is an essential component of innovation, high stakes assessments can also have the potential to discourage risk taking necessary for innovation (Looney, 2009[197]). The absence of high stakes consequences can encourage experimentation and innovation in pedagogy while on the other hand the lack of (financial) rewards can hamper it.
Austria is considered a representative of a low-stakes system, in which development is stimulated through insight and self-regulatory incentives. At the same time, Austrian teachers are less prone to receiving continuous feedback, compared to other EU education systems. For example, 18% of Austrian teachers reported never receiving feedback from their school leaders, while 48% never received feedback from external institutions, such as school inspectors or other persons from a district authority. Important to note for policy makers is that there are virtually no consequences for teachers to feedback in terms of financial rewards or sanctions (Schaubmair, 2020[198]).
Source: Looney, (2009[197]), “Assessment and Innovation in Education”, OECD Education Working Papers, No. 24, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/222814543073; Schaubmair (2020[198]), Beurteilung von und Feedback an Lehrpersonen [Assessment of and feedback to teachers], https://doi.org/10.17888/talis2018-2.
All partners can support scaling up of micro-innovations through lighthouse projects and other similar approaches. Lighthouse projects are used in areas such as urban planning (Lange and Knieling, 2020[199]) and trialling innovations in technology by putting into practice ideas that might then be scaled up (Miller and Olson, 1998[200]), as well as other change management areas including judicial reform (Baumgartner, 2019[201]). Lighthouse approaches provide a collaborative mechanism to develop ideas. This can involve providing (a) additional funding or support (Lange and Knieling, 2020[199]) while (b) seeking agreed approaches to be implemented (Lange and Knieling, 2020[199]; Baumgartner, 2019[201]; Miller and Olson, 1998[200]) 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[199]).
Spotlight focus
During the data collection (survey) phase, a number of ambition statements related to specific areas within the broader societal sector or educational sector were rated higher by participants. In this scenario, there is a spotlight on one specific area within the broader societal sector that were found to be relevant by the workshop group. Box 4.11 describes the spotlight for the area of EdTech.
EdTech
All partners value the place of technology in exploring links between formal and informal learning, including implications for learning, teaching and preparing lifelong learners. Teacher awareness of individual, informal student learning can provide opportunities for connections between learning in both spaces (Carraro and Trinder, 2021[202]; Kashiwa and Benson, 2018[203]), including by considering a learner’s integrated learning environment (Kashiwa and Benson, 2018[203]). At the same time, awareness of informal learning approaches can identify opportunities for formal schooling to strengthen capacity for lifelong learning.
The first steps: building on current strengths and ideas for improvement
In working toward the bigger ideas for transformation, this scenario highlights three areas for short-term improvement and is supported by a selection of ambition loops (see Table B.2 in Annex B).
Recognising teacher competencies
In this preferred scenario, an ambition is that teachers recognise their own professional competencies and how they can develop these to contribute to the professional community in which they work. Approaches to diversify career options for teachers provide greater opportunity for teachers to recognise their own skills sets and the contribution they make towards the collective professional identity (Suarez and McGrath, 2022[143]) within a workplace and to the profession more generally. There are benefits from adopting an assets based approach where “any attempt to conceptualise teaching needs to include a concept of the teacher as a person or his/her sense of self” (Kelchtermans, 2009, p. 258[204]) as part of a group of teachers responsible for a group of students (Kelchtermans, 2009[204]) - this can be exemplified by the need for teachers to be constantly making decisions (in real time) to support the learning of their students Building teacher “self-understanding” (Kelchtermans, 2009[204]) can be developed through a focus on developing capacity for “introspection” or a “personal interpretive framework” (Kelchtermans, 2009, p. 260[204]). As well as valuing their own individual differences, teachers can be empowered to develop and share their interests and expertise.
A related area for improvement is that teachers exercise professional autonomy to develop education that is relevant and meaningful to their students. There is scope to consider ways that autonomy (teacher leadership) in teaching (Grice, 2019[139]; Mezza, 2022[104]) benefits authentic and meaningful learning options for students. Enhanced pedagogical leadership (Grice, 2019[139]), an area specific to teachers’ professional work, can be supported within curriculum structures to allow teachers to lead. This includes examining the “discretionary authority” (Baker and Milner, 2016[141]) available to teachers. Next to the positive effects on students, autonomy can also increase teachers job satisfaction and retention (Backers, Tuytens and Devos, 2020[37]; Spruyt et al., 2023[122]).
The role and support for school leaders and a priority for well-being
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. School directorates should support school leaders in this. Trust, connectedness, and flexibility are important components. Policymakers can play a role to facilitate this development.
An ambition in this scenario is that school leaders are 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[205]; Van Droogenbroeck, Spruyt and Vanroelen, 2014[206]) 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., 2019[207]) and teacher retention (Backers, Tuytens and Devos, 2020[37]). Transformational leadership can be defined as a leader who demonstrates that he/she “communicates clearly, gives teachers participation, autonomy, and support, and makes correct decisions” (Tuytens, Vekeman and Devos, 2020[208]; Backers, Tuytens and Devos, 2020[37]). Supervisors can play an important role by providing space for teacher autonomy (Van Droogenbroeck, Spruyt and Vanroelen, 2014[206]), mediating impacts of work intensification (Van Droogenbroeck, Spruyt and Vanroelen, 2014[206]) and involving teachers in school level decision making (Van Droogenbroeck, Spruyt and Vanroelen, 2014[206]).
Teachers’ work has become more intensified (Van Droogenbroeck, Spruyt and Vanroelen, 2014[206]) and stressful in recent decades (Moens et al., 2022[209]; Lillich, Breil and Teufl, 2024[19]). Some of the challenges relate to the pace of work, technological change and managerial requirements or non-teaching workload and societal pressure (Van Droogenbroeck, Spruyt and Vanroelen, 2014[206]). This can lead to a sense of isolation and loneliness (Turner, Thielking and Prochazka, 2022[210]). At the same time, there is recognition that autonomy is a strong feature of professionalism that supports job satisfaction and success (Van Droogenbroeck, Spruyt and Vanroelen, 2014[206]). These changes to teachers’ work require support across all roles to respond to the challenges faced. They also require employers to take well-being and policies directed to keeping teachers healthy very seriously (SERV, 2023[211])..
The notion of diversification can also be extended outside the school to support both teaching and learning. An ambition is that we consider what if... we value external expertise from across society to broaden learning experiences in school? Cross-sectoral partnerships can contribute to and catalyse innovations in curriculum and pedagogy. Greater flexibility and proximity to expertise near schools, and even across the world via technology, provide new opportunities to connect the work of teachers, learning of students and the specific expertise of other professionals. This can include supporting student voice and choice in their learning (Bron, Emerson and Kákonyi, 2018[9]; Charteris and Smardon, 2019[43]) inside and outside the building.
Another area for improvement is for policymakers and school leaders to support the continuous development of teachers' content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and classroom management to enhance teacher authority. Changing forms of professionalism across society are now more relational and interdependent (referred to as “connective professionalism”) (Mezza, 2022[104]). For teachers, this means that “professional authority” (Elliott and Stemler, 2008[212]) is achieved through demonstrating teaching expertise (Elliott and Stemler, 2008[212]; Alvarez, 2022[213]; De Bruyckere, 2017[214]). This includes subject knowledge (De Bruyckere, 2017[214]; Elliott and Stemler, 2008[212]; Ulferts, 2021[190]), pedagogical knowledge (Elliott and Stemler, 2008[212]; Joinel Alvarez and Lussi Borer, 2023[215]), didactic expertise (Joinel Alvarez and Lussi Borer, 2023[215]) and classroom management skills (Elliott and Stemler, 2008[212]), including relational expertise (Joinel Alvarez and Lussi Borer, 2023[215]) and personal qualities displayed in the classroom (Joinel Alvarez and Lussi Borer, 2023[215]). Support for developing effective structures has been found to have positive effects on teaching (Hellebaut et al., 2023[216]). However, the continuous development of teachers’ skills is dependent on the support for school leadership to lead this work. Therefore, the continuous professional learning of teachers goes hand in hand with professional support for school leadership (Mombaers, Vanlommel and Van Petegem, 2020[151]).
Specific actions for change
In support of their vision, stakeholders identified a number of specific actions for change, including first steps and actions for the longer term (see Infographic 4.11).
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
How would the teacher personas react to this scenario?
After the preferred scenarios were drafted, an additional workshop involved using the Austrian teacher personas to consider the relative benefits of the scenarios for different teacher personas as well as considering ways to action each of the scenarios.
Note: Judgements for each persona were made during the Mission De-brief. Placement on the continuum is indicative, based on the ideas generated below in the analysis. More information about the methodology can be found in chapter two.
Source: Material gathered as part as the OECD study on New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching in Austria.
Figure 4.12 shows generally positive support for this scenario across most of the personas. Ernst (one of the school leaders) however is likely to view this scenario as a negative. He believes that teachers should teach to their subject expertise and not be distracted by other professionals, technology and experimentation. Ernst would value the trust in teachers and might not see the need to intervene in the expertise of teachers. Without strong support, there is a risk of feeling overwhelmed.
On the other hand, Fatma (the other school leader) is one of the most supportive personas for this scenario. She would find it wonderful to be part of a professional community that seeks to gain from the collective expertise and to feel empowered to make changes based on this, contributing to school as a lab for the future. Her main concerns are making sure people do not go too far with their experimentation, especially if they disregard the prescribed curricula objectives. She believes that reactive governance keeps you a step behind in pedgagogy but also believes that structured systems give all stakeholders security.
Gabriel and Usman (urban secondary school teachers) are also very supportive of this scenario. They value the opportunity to scale up already implemented approaches of their teaching activities, although they note the need to develop support systems that avoid burnout would be concerned if this added to teacher workload. They also view prioritising different roles as a challenge that would need to be addressed.
Mikael and Marlene (second-career teachers) also view this scenario positively. The ideas in this scenario is likely to value their previous work experience with collaboration and other interprofessional skills thay possess. They are likely to be open minded and supportive of innovation, especially as they are likely to be frustrated by the rigidity of the sytem. They would need support to clarify their professional development needs, especially around their classrooms.
While Valerie and Maria (experienced primary school teachers) are supportive of continuous innvoation as part of the teaching profession, they see a lack of resources (time, space) to achieve it. They also believe there is a lack of clarity in developing their career path and would like more support for this.
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