In 2020, Mr Nathan Peterson, a history teacher in the United States, found himself awkwardly demonstrating exercises in front of an old laptop. Although the school year had ended, Mr Peterson typically volunteers to teach extra classes during the summer. That year, he was assigned physical education and, due to COVID, had to teach online.
The pandemic upended our most fundamental assumptions about what teaching looks like and what teachers do. Governments and teachers were forced to improvise with little precedent and even less preparation. But fundamental changes to the teaching profession did not stop in 2020. In 2022, Mr Peterson asked ChatGPT a question and it gave him a very good answer.
Teachers are and have always been the most important factor in education. Improving the quality of teaching can yield significant academic and economic benefits for students. It is imperative that we understand what they are doing in the face of a rapidly changing world, what they can do better and how we can help them.
The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is the world’s pre-eminent source of information about teachers and teaching practices. Since its launch in 2008, TALIS has served as the voice of teachers so they can share what is happening in classrooms and what they need. Thanks to TALIS, we know that around a third of teachers use artificial intelligence in their teaching, but that seven out of ten worry that it facilitates plagiarism and cheating. Despite the challenges they face, we know that nine out of ten teachers are satisfied with their jobs and that choosing to remain in the role is more strongly influenced by employment and working conditions than salaries.
TALIS shows that successful teaching is the product of successful collaboration. Teachers deserve a work environment that encourages and values change, innovation and co‑operation. We expect them to prepare our children for the future, not the past we have already lived. To do so, we should support them with the resources and the autonomy to deliver on this promise. It is teachers’ responsibility to adapt, learn and improve. It is our responsibility to make sure they can.