By Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills
Global headlines about teaching often portray the profession as being in crisis. Stories about teacher shortages, falling student outcomes and violent attacks on school grounds give the impression that the “noble profession” might have lost some of its appeal. So, policymakers will be heartened to learn that nine in ten teachers report that they are satisfied with their jobs overall, on average, across OECD education systems participating in the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), released October 7. Almost three-quarters of teachers would also choose to work as a teacher again, on average, if they had the option to do so.
While teacher experiences and opinions will obviously differ, overall the data firmly point towards most teachers, in most places, being satisfied with their jobs. Indeed, almost 95% of teachers surveyed by TALIS say they often feel happy while teaching.
Why? To start with, few professions offer the sense of purpose that teaching does: 95% of teachers cite the opportunity to make a worthwhile social contribution as being important to them, according to OECD data. Most teachers in OECD countries work in public-sector roles, and in most developed economies these positions can be shielded from the volatility of market cycles. Pension schemes, healthcare benefits and predictable career progression can make teaching a financially stable profession, if not a lucrative one.
So we shouldn’t be surprised that in some parts of the world, it seems the teaching profession could be growing in appeal. The share of novice teachers who say teaching was their first-choice career has gone up in nine education systems, and down in seven, since 2018. In some education systems, teaching is a particularly attractive role for newcomers. More than 85% of new teachers in Albania, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Shanghai (China) and Viet Nam say the occupation was their number one job pick.
Other TALIS data also reveal a more mixed picture. Teacher pay has long been a focal point in discussions about education reform. The share of teachers who are satisfied with their salaries has increased in 23 out of 43 education systems surveyed by TALIS since 2018. On average, around two in five teachers are satisfied with their salaries. But in some education systems the proportion is higher. In Austria, the Flemish and French Communities of Belgium, Bulgaria, Colombia, Denmark, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands*, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan, more than three in five teachers are satisfied with their pay. However, in other systems wages remain a major issue: less than one in five teachers are satisfied with their paycheques in Iceland, Malta, Portugal and Serbia.
Some of these statistics are obviously far from ideal. However, as previously noted, many teachers are driven by a deep sense of purpose, and access to professional development, strong leadership and a positive school culture often rank just as high as salaries in terms of teacher motivation.
Stress is another factor to consider. Teachers are constantly juggling multiple responsibilities, from managing diverse student needs and maintaining classroom discipline to meeting curriculum standards and administrative expectations. However, only around one in five teachers say they experience stress “a lot” in their work, on average, according to TALIS. In contrast, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report, two out of five employees report experiencing a lot of daily stress.
Are teachers really less stressed than other professions? TALIS data show that, overall, around half of teachers experience little or no stress in their work across all education systems. Although in some places, teachers seem to be having a harder time. More than 30% of teachers in Alberta (Canada)*, Australia, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Malta and New Zealand* experience stress “a lot” in their work.
The school environment – and how teachers are perceived by society – can have a big impact on whether teachers feel supported and empowered. When teachers feel respected and valued by society, it helps attract high-calibre candidates and plays a role in retaining them. TALIS data show that the status of teachers has declined in some nations, but remains high in others. More than 70% of teachers feel valued by society in Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan, with the share topping 92% in Viet Nam. Teachers who believe the profession is valued by society are less likely to want to leave teaching within the next five years, on average. Policymakers should take note.
Looking at all the data together, the latest TALIS survey reveals a diverse picture. But rather than a profession in decline, the data show that teaching continues to attract individuals driven by purpose, resilience and passion. Overall, yes, teachers are happy in their jobs. This is something to celebrate.
This is part of a series of blogs focused on results from the OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2024: The State of Teaching. TALIS is the world’s largest international survey about teachers and school leaders. Conducted by the OECD, in 2024 it sampled about 280 000 lower secondary teachers in 17 000 schools across 55 education systems. Lower secondary teachers typically teach students up until their mid-teens. The series of blogs are based on chapters in the TALIS 2024 Insights and Interpretations brochure.
*Estimates should be interpreted with caution due to higher risk of non-response bias.
