tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca/topics/teacher-shortage-19432/articlesTeacher shortage – The Conversation2024-03-21T19:08:11Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2256712024-03-21T19:08:11Z2024-03-21T19:08:11Z‘I have been ground down’: about 50% of Australian principals and other school leaders are thinking of quitting<p>Australia’s school principals have collective responsibility for nearly 3 million students and staff. But who takes responsibility for them? </p>
<p>Since 2011, we have been <a href="https://healthandwellbeing.org/pages/principal-reports">surveying</a> Australian school leaders – principals and other leadership staff such as deputy principals and heads of junior or senior schools – about what is happening in their jobs. </p>
<p>Every year we have surveyed between 2,300 and 2,500 participants and it is now the longest running survey of its type in the world.</p>
<p>Previous surveys have <a href="https://theconversation.com/school-principals-are-reaching-crisis-point-pushed-to-the-edge-by-mounting-workloads-teacher-shortages-and-abuse-201777">shown</a> school principals face unsustainably high workloads, high levels of stress and unacceptable rates of violence and abuse from parents and students. </p>
<p>Our 2023 survey unfortunately finds the work levels, stress and abuse continue. But on top of this, school leaders are experiencing significant levels of mental illness and around half are considering leaving the profession. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/school-principals-are-reaching-crisis-point-pushed-to-the-edge-by-mounting-workloads-teacher-shortages-and-abuse-201777">School principals are reaching crisis point, pushed to the edge by mounting workloads, teacher shortages and abuse</a>
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<h2>Too much work and stress</h2>
<p>In the 2023 survey we looked at responses by career stages to get better insights into Australia’s principals. </p>
<p>School leaders vary widely in leadership experience, ranging from early career (up to five years) to more than 20 years in the job. However, across all levels of experience, there are similar levels of high workload (an average of 56 hours per week). </p>
<p>No matter what stage of their career, all told us how the the sheer quantity of work and a lack of time to focus on teaching and learning were the top two sources of stress.</p>
<p>Other top concerns were the mental health of students and of staff.</p>
<h2>Record levels of violence</h2>
<p>Disturbingly, principals also reported the highest levels of violence, bullying and threats of violence since the survey began in 2011:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>53.9% reported experiencing threats of violence, up from 44.8% in 2022. When asked “from whom”, 65.6% of respondents said parents and 79.7% said students</p></li>
<li><p>48.2% reported experiencing violence, up from 44% in 2022. When asked “from whom”, 19.7% said parents and 96.3% said students</p></li>
<li><p>53.7% reported being subjected to gossip and slander. When asked “from whom”, 65.1% said parents and 18.2% said students. </p></li>
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<p>As one school leader told us: </p>
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<p>Whilst I am more than aware that you can’t please all of the people, all of the time, I have been ground down by the almost constant negativity, nastiness and violence within our community. </p>
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<h2>Levels of mental illness are high</h2>
<p>We also examined the rates of mental illness among school leaders. </p>
<p>Almost 19% of those surveyed reported moderate-to-severe levels of anxiety. About 18% said they had moderate-to-severe depression. Early-career school leaders were most likely to report higher levels of anxiety and depression. </p>
<p>As one respondent told us: </p>
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<p>I did not work in Term 2 as I reached burn out.</p>
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<h2>Many are thinking about quitting</h2>
<p>Unsurprisingly, given the workload, abuse and mental health issues, the survey found significant numbers of school leaders are rethinking their career options. </p>
<p>More than half (56%) of school leaders surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that “I often seriously consider leaving my current job”. Those with six to ten years of experience were most likely to say they were thinking about quitting. </p>
<p>As one survey respondent with a decade of experience as a principal noted:</p>
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<p>I don’t feel ready for retirement but can no longer sustain my work as a principal.</p>
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<p>Another respondent told us: </p>
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<p>Most nights when I am awake I will count how much longer I have to work before I retire or think about what else I could do instead of this job. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/they-phone-you-up-during-lunch-and-yell-at-you-why-teachers-say-dealing-with-parents-is-the-worst-part-of-their-job-191256">'They phone you up during lunch and yell at you' – why teachers say dealing with parents is the worst part of their job</a>
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<h2>There is some good news</h2>
<p>We also looked at principals’ resilience, or their ability to bounce back from adverse experiences. Despite all these challenges, principals recorded a moderate increase in their resilience scores. On a 1–5 scale, the average score was over 3.82.</p>
<p>There has been an increase every year since we started tracking resilience in 2017, when the average was 3.58. This is testimony to principals’ dedication to their jobs and passion for education. </p>
<p>As one principal said: </p>
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<p>Being a principal is a tough, lonely job with not much appreciation but I continue to do it because the students need us and I love to see the kids challenged, engaged, cared for and learning […] hopefully to set them up for a great life.</p>
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<p>However, we found those with lower resilience scores were more likely to say they intended to quit. This further highlights the importance of supporting school leaders’ health and wellbeing.</p>
<p>We also found principals’ job satisfaction levels were stable, having declined last year for the first time since the survey commenced. From a high of 74.84 in 2020, it had dropped to 70.01 by 2022. It is encouraging to note it has risen slightly to 70.23 for 2023. </p>
<h2>What needs to happen now</h2>
<p>The challenge from this year’s report is stark and immediate: an exodus is potentially on the horizon.</p>
<p>Federal and state governments are certainly <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/national-teacher-workforce-action-plan">aware of teacher shortages</a> and keep announcing measures to try and address them, such as <a href="https://education.nsw.gov.au/news/latest-news/extra-admin-support-for-schools-to-reduce-teacher-workload#:%7E:text=School%20Admin%20and%20Support%20Staff,alleviate%20workload%20in%20participating%20schools.">more administrative support</a> and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/minns-government-finds-1-4b-in-savings-for-teacher-pay-rises-20230914-p5e4q6.html">pay increases</a>. </p>
<p>But greater urgency is needed in current policy responses. </p>
<p>We cannot assume resilience levels will continue to hold up. The signs are unambiguous. If these school leaders really do quit, they will take years of experience with them and cripple the ability of Australian schools to realise their aspirations.</p>
<p>This includes major <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/review-inform-better-and-fairer-education-system/resources/expert-panels-repor">national education policies</a> – such as the upcoming <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-national-school-reform-agreement-and-what-does-it-have-to-do-with-school-funding-202847">National School Reform Agreement</a> – aimed at boosting academic outcomes and student wellbeing. </p>
<p>This is why we need the <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/education-ministers-meeting">next education ministers meeting</a> to respond to our report. All federal and state education ministers are expected to meet around April and must make support for principals’ wellbeing and safety a top priority. </p>
<p>As our survey shows, the patience of Australian school leaders is running out.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225671/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Herb Marsh has received and receives funding from the Australian Research Council, non-profit Australian school principal peak bodies, Catholic Schools NSW and Australian state and territory governments.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Theresa Dicke has received and receives funding from the Australian Research Council, non-profit Australian school principal peak bodies, Catholic Schools NSW and Australian state and territory governments.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Kidson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A major survey of Australian school principals finds they are copping abuse from parents and students on top of huge workloads. Many experienced leaders say they might leave the profession.Paul Kidson, Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership, Australian Catholic UniversityHerb Marsh, Distinguished Professor of educational psychology, Australian Catholic UniversityTheresa Dicke, Associate Professor, Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2162182024-02-16T16:17:34Z2024-02-16T16:17:34ZTeacher apprenticeships may encourage more people into the profession – but greater change is needed to get them to stay<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575301/original/file-20240213-22-yu5twa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C4570%2C3437&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/group-primary-school-students-crowded-round-629766173">DGLimages/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census/2023-24">latest figures show</a> yet another failure to meet teacher recruitment targets in England. In eight of the past nine years there have been <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7222/">too few people</a> entering the teaching profession in the UK. In 2023-24, only half of the targeted secondary trainee teacher places have been filled. </p>
<p>Current indications show that the government needs over 13,000 more secondary teachers to meet the 2023-24 teacher recruitment target – not to mention the hangover caused by previous years’ shortfall. And, of course, the shortage of teachers is being felt by schools. </p>
<p>Now the government has announced <a href="https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/02/04/teacher-degree-apprenticeships-how-they-work-and-when-to-apply/">teacher degree apprenticeships</a> as a new way to enter the profession. Prospective teachers can get a degree on the job, rather than needing a degree to apply for teacher training. </p>
<p>This strategy does have the possibility to encourage more people into teaching by reducing the barriers to training. However, it is unlikely to be the answer to the teacher supply deficit when factors such as heavy workload and stress are affecting how many teachers stay in the profession. In the academic year 2021-22, <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england">39,930 teachers</a> – <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jul/05/the-task-is-impossible-three-teachers-on-why-they-are-quitting">nearly 9%</a> of the workforce in England – quit. </p>
<h2>Attracting teachers</h2>
<p>In recent years, the goverment’s strategy to attract teachers has focused on financial incentives. For example, a graduate who trains to be a secondary maths teacher can receive a tax-free scholarship of up to £29,000 while training, which is not repayable. </p>
<p>For those who have already trained to be a maths teacher there are <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/early-career-payments-guidance-for-teachers-and-schools#full-publication-update-history">early career payments</a>, on top of their salary, if they remain as a teacher. For example, if someone trained in 2020 they will receive £5,000 in 2024. </p>
<p>But it’s clear that this approach is not working. In the academic year 2023-24, the government sought to recruit 2,820 new physics teachers, and offered training scholarships and bursaries worth up to £29,000 to attract them. But they only managed to recruit 484 people: just 17% of the target. </p>
<p>Bonuses like these <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-so-many-graduates-shunning-teaching-pay-but-not-bonuses-could-be-the-answer-216963">do not appear</a> to be a significant driver in people’s choice to become teachers. Yet it appears to be the main strategy used by the government for several years, with seemingly ineffective results. </p>
<p>The recent <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-teaching-apprenticeship-set-to-transform-pathway-to-classroom">government announcement</a> to introduce apprenticeships for those working in schools is a positive approach and will enable more routes into teaching. </p>
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<p>Teacher apprenticeships are not a new concept. The <a href="https://findapprenticeshiptraining.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk/courses/402">Learning and Skills Teacher apprenticeship</a> was introduced several years ago to train people to teach in England’s further education sector.</p>
<p>The government suggests that these new degree apprenticeships will create opportunities for a wider group of people. An important element of this strategy is to support teaching assistants – who are already familiarised with working in schools – to become teachers. This is logical. But it does assume that teaching assistants wish to become teachers, which is not necessarily always the case. </p>
<p>However, the recommendation of <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-teaching-apprenticeship-set-to-transform-pathway-to-classroom">40% time for study</a> and therefore 60% on-the-job training is a good start for addressing potential burnout as new apprentice teachers move into the profession. This is assuming it is adhered to, and that those on the apprenticeship do not need additional earning to supplement any loss of income due to reduced time at work. </p>
<h2>Working conditions and wellbeing</h2>
<p>A report from the <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7222/">House of Commons</a> highlights that the average secondary school teacher works 49.3 hours a week; this is compared with an international OECD average of 41 hours per week. The average primary school teacher in England works even more: 52.1 hours per week. </p>
<p>It is no wonder that <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7222/">more than half</a> of teachers in England feel their workload is unmanageable. Nor is it surprising that people working in education are subject to <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5fb41122e90e07208d0d5df1/Teacher_well-being_report_110719F.pdf">higher levels of stress</a> than other professions and are also likely to be disappointed with their occupation.</p>
<p>The Department for Education’s 2019 <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-recruitment-and-retention-strategy">Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy</a> sought to address this for new teachers by guaranteeing 5% teaching relief in their second year of teaching. This means that new teachers have 5% fewer teaching hours per week compared to fully qualified teachers. </p>
<p>When considering the average teacher working hours in England are significantly higher than most comparable countries, though, to offer a 5% reduction for one year seems like the equivalent of putting out a bonfire with a cup of water. </p>
<p>In 2023, the government launched a teacher <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/workload-reduction-taskforce">workload reduction taskforce</a> to find ways to reduce teachers’ working weeks by five hours. It remains to be seen whether the taskforce’s final recommendations, due in March 2024, will lead to significant change. </p>
<p>Initiatives such as financial incentives and apprenticeships seek to address the symptom of the problem rather than the cause. Unless the teaching profession experiences a fundamental shift in working conditions for all we are likely to continue to see poor workforce satisfaction and teachers continuing to leave the profession. There is little point in training more teachers if they continue to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jun/08/teachers-england-schools-figures-department-education-survey">quit the profession</a> in their thousands.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216218/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephen Corbett receives funding from the University of Portsmouth. He is affiliated with the Education and Training Foundation. </span></em></p>In the academic year 2021-22, 39,930 teachers in England quit.Stephen Corbett, Professor in Professional Development and Learning, University of PortsmouthLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2179172023-11-22T19:09:05Z2023-11-22T19:09:05ZA new database of teachers on screen shows they are often portrayed as rule breakers, losers or villains<p>The federal and state governments’ new “<a href="https://www.bethatteacher.gov.au/">Be That Teacher</a>” campaign aims to boost enrolments in teaching degrees by raising the status of teachers. </p>
<p>It uses a diverse range of real teachers talking about the real impact they can have on students’ lives. It has been <a href="https://theconversation.com/thank-you-for-making-me-feel-smart-will-a-new-campaign-to-raise-the-status-of-teaching-work-217362">praised</a> for its authenticity, but <a href="https://blog.aare.edu.au/so-wrong-inspirational-campaigns-will-never-work-heres-why/">will it be enough</a> to meaningfully change the way we see teachers? </p>
<p>My new research looks at teachers in popular TV shows and films and finds they are often portrayed as losers or villains.</p>
<h2>Why status matters</h2>
<p>In previous research, I did a <a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11343/311698">meta-analysis</a> of almost 200 <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-wont-solve-the-teacher-shortage-until-we-answer-these-4-questions-203843">teacher retention</a> studies. This found social approval is strongly correlated with teachers’ intention to stay in the profession. </p>
<p>In other words, the more respect one’s friends and family have for teaching, the more likely that teacher will want to stay in the classroom. </p>
<p>I also surveyed more than 900 Australian teachers (across all school years) about their career decisions. Here I also found the social status of teaching in general society played an important role in how teachers felt about their jobs. </p>
<p>As an English teacher with seven years’ experience explained: </p>
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<p>It is very frustrating as a teacher being constantly misrepresented in the media. Much of the conversation is negative and condescending. This is very disheartening for teachers who work incredibly hard and withstand an enormous amount of pressure, stress and exhaustion.</p>
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<h2>The teachers on screen project</h2>
<p>If respect for the teaching profession is lacking, where do these perspectives come from? </p>
<p>We know the <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-wonder-no-one-wants-to-be-a-teacher-world-first-study-looks-at-65-000-news-articles-about-australian-teachers-186210">news media is one significant component</a> but it is not the only one. Another major source of society’s awareness and perceptions of teachers and teaching is mainstream film and television.</p>
<p>My project analyses the portrayal of teachers in film and television, with a focus on the characteristics of the teachers, the way they teach, and whether they stay in their school and the profession.</p>
<p>I have compiled a database of more than 300 teachers across more than 200 film and television series with a focus on the United States, United Kingdom and Australia over the last 25 years. My analysis so far reveals five trends.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The trailer for Dead Poets Society, the 1989 film starring Robin Williams.</span></figcaption>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/no-wonder-no-one-wants-to-be-a-teacher-world-first-study-looks-at-65-000-news-articles-about-australian-teachers-186210">No wonder no one wants to be a teacher: world-first study looks at 65,000 news articles about Australian teachers</a>
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<h2>1. Losers and liars</h2>
<p>In the 1989 film <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jul/16/dead-poets-society-30-years-on-robin-williams-stirring-call-to-seize-the-day-endures">Dead Poets Society</a>, Robin Williams plays John Keating, a hero-like teacher who inspires students to love poetry and follow their dreams. </p>
<p>This is the exception rather than the rule. In my study, teachers are often characterised as losers or unlikable authoritarians.</p>
<p>The most popular films with teachers as the main character in the last 20 years have been 2003’s <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/school_of_rock">School of Rock</a> where Jack Black’s character Dewey Finn shamelessly masquerades as a teacher to try and make money, and 2011’s <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bad_teacher">Bad Teacher</a>. Here, Cameron Diaz’s Elizabeth Halsey despises her job and takes drugs.</p>
<p>On television, the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903747/">Breaking Bad</a> drama series features chemistry teacher Walter White (played by Brian Cranston) quitting to make more money cooking drugs. </p>
<h2>2. Abusive and incompetent</h2>
<p>When they are not struggling protagonists, teachers on screen are antagonistic characters. On average, teachers are unflatteringly portrayed as abusive, negligent, incompetent and loners. </p>
<p>For example, in the 2004 film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377092/">Mean Girls</a> Coach Carr (who is having illegal sexual relations with some of his students himself) gives a totally substandard sex education lesson.</p>
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<p>Just don’t do it. Promise? </p>
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<p>Another concern is the overwhelming representations of teachers assaulting, grooming or having consensual yet inappropriate relationships with their students. This includes teacher Ezra Fitz in the popular series <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1578873/">Pretty Little Liars</a> (2010-2017), who <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pretty-little-liars-addresses-its-statutory-rape-problem-but-not-in-the-way-we-hoped_n_5937f09ee4b0ce1e740956e6#:%7E:text=When%20they%20hook%20up%20in,he%20had%20sex%20with%20her.">knowingly has sex</a> with an underage student. </p>
<p>Teachers in my study who breach the <a href="https://www.aitsl.edu.au/standards">Australian Teaching Standards</a> outnumber those who do not by three to one. This includes failure to create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments, where teachers bully students or fail to prevent bullying by other students.</p>
<p>For example, Mr Gilbert of <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1716772/">The Inbetweeners Movie</a> (2011), is needlessly <a href="https://youtu.be/PXZREPFTjtE?si=2PEx8GdIh7jdmRNa&t=15">cruel and belligerent</a> to the young people in his care.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Coach Carr teaches sex education to teenagers in Mean Girls.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>3. Not diverse</h2>
<p>Screen teachers are also predominantly single, white, middle-class women. White teachers outnumber teachers of other ethnicities by ten to one. </p>
<p>The Australian teaching workforce is <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-teacher-workforce-has-a-diversity-problem-heres-how-we-can-fix-it-214564">predominantly white</a> and does not reflect the country’s diversity. We know <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/women-in-leadership/2013/nov/12/media-representation-matters">representation matters</a> (“if you can’t see it, you can’t be it”) so film and TV portrayals are not helping. </p>
<p>One positive finding is black teachers are almost always portrayed as hero teachers, such as Denzel Washington’s teacher-coach Herman Boone in 2000’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remember_the_Titans">Remember the Titans</a>. However, less than 10% of the black teachers on screen are women. Less than 1% of teachers in the database are of Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern or another ethnicity, combined.</p>
<h2>4. The good ones leave</h2>
<p>My data shows that if there are good teachers, they don’t stick around. In <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096697/">The Simpsons</a>, Lisa’s favourite teacher Mr Bergstrom (Dustin Hoffman) leaves her bereft with his departure. In Dead Poet’s Society, John Keating is sacked after a year. </p>
<p>LouAnne Johnson (Michelle Pfeiffer) is an arguably transformative teacher to a group of underprivileged kids in the 1995 film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112792/">Dangerous Minds</a> but ultimately quits by year’s end. </p>
<p>This sends a message that good teachers can’t survive in the system, or are better off somewhere else. </p>
<h2>5. And they’re not necessarily that ‘good’</h2>
<p>Many “good” teachers on the screen are depicted as “saviours”, yet they are almost always unconventional with their teaching methods. </p>
<p>In the previous examples, Bergstrom, Keating and Johnson exhibit questionable behaviours. This includes not teaching the prescribed curriculum, not knowing the curriculum, focusing attention on just one student, seeing students outside of school and using coercive and inappropriate rewards. </p>
<p>As Bergstrom tells Lisa Simpson:</p>
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<p>I’m sorry, Lisa. It’s the life of a substitute teacher. He’s a fraud. Today he might be wearing gym shorts, tomorrow he’s speaking French or pretending to know how to run a band saw or God knows what.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">A tearful Lisa Simpson tells Mr Bergstrom she is going to miss him.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>A little help from Hollywood</h2>
<p>Hollywood of course misrepresents lots of professions. But you can’t ignore the power stories on screen have in influencing behaviour. </p>
<p>We have seen this in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092099/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2">Top Gun’s</a> effect on <a href="https://screenrant.com/top-gun-us-navy-recruiting-applications-increase/#:%7E:text=The%20U.S.%20Navy%20set%20up,number%20of%20applications%20in%20years">naval recruitment</a> and the winery film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375063/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Sideways</a> leading people to drink <a href="https://winebusinessanalytics.com/sections/printout_article.cfm?content=61265&article=feature#:%7E:text=%22The%20Sideways%20Effect%22%20gained%20currency,data%20to%20support%20the%20claims">pinot noir at the expense of merlot</a>. </p>
<p>Would more positive screen portrayals of teachers help attract and retain teachers by improving their status in society? With <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/teaching-and-school-leadership/consultations/national-teacher-workforce-action-plan">schools struggling to find teachers</a>, it would certainly be another strategy worth trying. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-wont-solve-the-teacher-shortage-until-we-answer-these-4-questions-203843">We won't solve the teacher shortage until we answer these 4 questions</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217917/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hugh Gundlach does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As Australia tries to raise the status of teaching, new research shows how mainstream film and TV portrayals are not helping.Hugh Gundlach, Lecturer in Education, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2173622023-11-09T19:10:24Z2023-11-09T19:10:24Z‘Thank you for making me feel smart’: will a new campaign to raise the status of teaching work?<p>Federal and state governments have <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/anthony-albanese/press-conference-launch-be-teacher-advertising-campaign">just launched</a> a A$10 million advertising campaign to “raise the status” of teachers in Australia and encourage people to consider a career in school education. </p>
<p>Called “Be That Teacher”, <a href="https://www.bethatteacher.gov.au">the campaign</a> features emotive stories from eight real teachers who have positively affected their students’ lives and futures.</p>
<p>For example, Mr Wang, a maths teacher from Victoria talks about how a Year 10 student wrote him a note to say “thank you for making me feel smart for once”. Mrs Kentwell, a primary teacher from Queensland, spoke about holding the hand of a young blind student in a running race, while other students cheered him on. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>The rewarding feeling you get from teaching is something I’ve never felt from any other job. </p>
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<p>The campaign, by ad agency Clemenger BBDO, is running across social media, television, cinema, billboards and at bus stops and train stations until next April.</p>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-970" class="tc-infographic" height="400px" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/970/faf81edb338798f7890c663e55b06ade2d9261b3/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Why do we need it?</h2>
<p>The campaign comes amid an ongoing teacher shortage crisis in Australia. Federal government <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/teacher-workforce-shortages-issues-paper">modelling</a> has predicted a shortfall of more than 4,000 teachers by 2025. Last month, the New South Wales government <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/public-school-teacher-shortages">revealed</a> a 42% drop in casual teacher numbers meant 10,000 lessons in the state were going without a teacher each day. </p>
<p>We also know the number of students enrolling in teaching degrees <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/interview-abc-afternoon-briefing-1">has dropped 12%</a> in the past ten years. Of those <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/commonwealth-bank-teaching-awards-presented-schools-plus">who do enrol</a>, only 50% finish the degree and 20% of those who graduate leave the profession within three years. </p>
<p>Australian studies have also told us teachers <a href="https://theconversation.com/jason-clare-has-a-draft-plan-to-fix-the-teacher-shortage-what-needs-to-stay-and-what-should-change-193834">do not feel valued</a> by the community, are <a href="https://theconversation.com/they-phone-you-up-during-lunch-and-yell-at-you-why-teachers-say-dealing-with-parents-is-the-worst-part-of-their-job-191256">abused and disrespected by parents</a>, and receive <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-wonder-no-one-wants-to-be-a-teacher-world-first-study-looks-at-65-000-news-articles-about-australian-teachers-186210">poor media coverage</a>. </p>
<p>Is this campaign the answer? Can advertising help solve Australia’s teacher shortage?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-wont-solve-the-teacher-shortage-until-we-answer-these-4-questions-203843">We won't solve the teacher shortage until we answer these 4 questions</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>Advertising can work</h2>
<p>There is evidence to show advertising can work. A clever way to demonstrate advertising’s value is to examine what happens in its absence. Our <a href="https://www.journalofadvertisingresearch.com/content/63/2/172">2023 study</a> showed, on average, brands experience a decline in sales when they stop advertising for more than one year.</p>
<p>But there are no certainties with advertising. So what increases the chance of a successful campaign? </p>
<p>Advertising <a href="https://www.journalofadvertisingresearch.com/content/61/3/247">works primarily</a> by creating and refreshing memories – in this case by establishing a link between “teaching” and “positive career option”. This heightens the chance teaching will come to someone’s mind when considering careers. The freshness of a memory (how recently they saw the ad) <a href="https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&u=unisa&id=GALE%7CA55533967&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-AONE&asid=0b6d994f">increases</a> the chances they will think of teaching.</p>
<p>This means the campaign should run while the shortage persists, to increase the chance it will be in potential students’ minds and particularly during the lead-up to university preference cut-off dates over the summer.</p>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-971" class="tc-infographic" height="400px" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/971/5234d229b05bea3bfa2eb0db2d206011da662797/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Do the ads themselves work?</h2>
<p>The campaign gets an A on several factors.</p>
<p>The videos are beautifully crafted, capturing attention by using human faces, voices and authentic storytelling. All these elements improve the chances of campaign success by evoking an emotional response, which <a href="https://www.journalofadvertisingresearch.com/content/57/1/53">heightens memory retention</a>.</p>
<p>The “Who will you inspire?” tagline used in the campaign is also both emotive and memorable.</p>
<h2>The branding needs more work</h2>
<p>Beyond the ads, the Be That Teacher website contains information about pursuing a teaching career (how to do it, available scholarships and support). While the campaign can create a memory or pique someone’s interest, this information will help people decide if teaching is the career for them. </p>
<p>Here, the branding aspect (or identity) of the campaign needs more work. Be That Teacher is new to Australians and it needs to be more prominent in the videos and still images to stand out and capture attention. </p>
<p>Introducing the line “Be That Teacher” visually at the beginning of the ads and adding a verbal mention, rather than just at the end, <a href="https://www.journalofadvertisingresearch.com/content/52/2/146">heightens the chance</a> it will be processed and remembered. This is crucial if the campaign is going to push people to the website.</p>
<h2>Of course we also need more than ads</h2>
<p>Recruitment and retention issues in education are not new. Teachers report feeling <a href="https://theconversation.com/teachers-stress-isnt-just-an-individual-thing-its-about-their-schools-too-183451">overworked</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-great-education-ministers-agree-the-teacher-shortage-is-a-problem-but-their-new-plan-ignores-the-root-causes-188660">underpaid</a> and overly burdened by <a href="https://theconversation.com/this-is-like-banging-our-heads-against-the-wall-why-a-move-to-outsource-lesson-planning-has-nsw-teachers-hopping-mad-188081">administrative tasks</a>. </p>
<p>These are all complex issues and clearly, advertising will not be the sole fix to the teacher shortage (nor are governments <a href="https://theconversation.com/jason-clare-has-a-draft-plan-to-fix-the-teacher-shortage-what-needs-to-stay-and-what-should-change-193834">suggesting it will be</a>). </p>
<p>But with teachers so essential to Australia’s future, every effort should be made to build and retain our teaching workforce. Good advertising like this campaign can help generate more interest in the profession and provide a <a href="https://marketingscience.info/marketing-theory-evidence-practice/">gentle nudge</a> towards improving the status of this vital career. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-we-retain-teachers-supporting-them-to-work-together-could-help-216076">How do we retain teachers? Supporting them to work together could help</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217362/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Virginia Beal does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Federal and state governments have launched a $10 million advertising campaign to encourage more people to consider a teaching career.Virginia Beal, Senior Marketing Scientist, Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2160762023-11-01T19:24:03Z2023-11-01T19:24:03ZHow do we retain teachers? Supporting them to work together could help<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/556029/original/file-20231026-21-cizo9b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=9%2C9%2C5997%2C3980&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-and-a-woman-having-a-conversation-inside-a-classroom-8466770/">Anastasia Shuraeva/ Pexels </a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia is in the grips of a teacher shortage “crisis” <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/speech-catholic-education-leaders-forum">according to</a> Education Minister Jason Clare. </p>
<p>Federal education department <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/teacher-workforce-shortages-issues-paper">modelling</a> shows there will be a high school teacher shortfall of about 4,000 by 2025. Media <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-25/rural-teacher-shortage-hits-new-lows/100861556">reports suggest</a> shortages are already particularly bad in rural areas. </p>
<p>Clare <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/speech-catholic-education-leaders-forum">says</a> one of the ways we will fix the shortage is by “increasing the number of people who stay on teaching”.</p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X23002172">new study</a> shows increasing opportunities for teachers to work together may keep teachers in their jobs. </p>
<p>Our research illustrates collaboration between teachers is linked to greater job satisfaction, as well as other benefits for teachers working in rural schools. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-wont-solve-the-teacher-shortage-until-we-answer-these-4-questions-203843">We won't solve the teacher shortage until we answer these 4 questions</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What does collaboration involve for teachers?</h2>
<p>Collaboration for teachers can include sharing teaching resources, discussing approaches to different classes and students and collaborating on common standards for student assessments. </p>
<p>But teachers often work in relative isolation of each other, as they are confined to their classrooms and assigned class groups. </p>
<p>According to a <a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/talis-2018-results-volume-ii-19cf08df-en.htm">2018 OECD</a> report, 28% of teachers around the world teach with another teacher in the same classroom at least once a month and 47% exchange teaching materials with others at least once a month. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/will-free-teaching-degrees-fix-the-teacher-shortage-its-more-complicated-than-that-213361">Will free teaching degrees fix the teacher shortage? It's more complicated than that</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X23002172">Our research</a> investigated what work factors are most relevant to teachers’ wellbeing. We also looked at whether there was a difference between teachers working in rural or metropolitan areas.</p>
<p>We examined two teacher wellbeing outcomes: job satisfaction and work strain. Job satisfaction represents whether teachers are happy working at their current school. Work strain measures whether teachers believe their job negatively impacts their mental and physical health.</p>
<p>Our study used the OECD’s <a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/talis/">Teaching and Learning International Survey</a>. This is the largest international survey about teachers and their working conditions. We used the most recently available data from 2018. Our sample included 3,376 high school teachers working in 219 schools across Australia.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1657487930229760001"}"></div></p>
<h2>Collaboration is linked to job satisfaction</h2>
<p>Our research showed teachers who reported more frequent collaboration with their colleagues also reported greater job satisfaction. This was true for teachers working in both rural and metropolitan schools. </p>
<p>This indicates working together with colleagues may help teachers to feel more satisfied with their job, no matter where they work. The results suggest the more teachers work together, the greater their job satisfaction.</p>
<p>Collaboration may help teachers feel connected with their colleagues and build positive relationships. It may also help teachers feel more competent and supported as part of a team.</p>
<h2>Rural schools</h2>
<p>Our research also found more frequent collaboration appeared to have other benefits to teachers in rural schools. </p>
<p>Rural teachers who had concerns about the relevance of the professional development their school provided were more likely to report their job negatively impacted their mental and physical health (in other words, they had higher work strain). </p>
<p>This is perhaps because teachers may find their work more difficult when they do not receive relevant professional development (new skills, approaches and ideas). </p>
<p>In rural schools, professional development can be harder to access because of distance and the availability of relieving teaching staff. With these existing barriers, it may be particularly detrimental to their wellbeing if professional development is then considered to be irrelevant.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A seated man with an open notebook talks to a woman who is standing holding a tablet." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/556034/original/file-20231026-15-3hp187.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/556034/original/file-20231026-15-3hp187.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556034/original/file-20231026-15-3hp187.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556034/original/file-20231026-15-3hp187.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556034/original/file-20231026-15-3hp187.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556034/original/file-20231026-15-3hp187.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556034/original/file-20231026-15-3hp187.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Professional development can be harder to access in rural schools.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-discussing-project-with-colleague-in-office-5324915/">Anna Shvets/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Collaboration and professional development concerns</h2>
<p>Interestingly, our analysis revealed the link between irrelevant professional development and work strain was not present for rural teachers who collaborated more frequently with their colleagues.</p>
<p>This suggests more frequent collaboration may protect against the effects of irrelevant professional development on work strain. It may be collaboration can provide teachers with <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/0034654315627864">informal learning opportunities</a> that help them to do their jobs better and feel less stressed about work.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-students-in-rural-areas-are-not-behind-their-city-peers-because-of-socioeconomic-status-there-is-something-else-going-on-207007">Australian students in rural areas are not 'behind' their city peers because of socioeconomic status. There is something else going on</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How can teachers collaborate more?</h2>
<p>Our research suggests schools and school systems may want to encourage more collaboration, while also ensuring their staff are provided with relevant professional development. This could help teachers stay in their jobs. </p>
<p>To support teacher collaboration, international <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1747938X1500024X">research</a> says teachers need to work together in ways they find effective. This highlights the importance of listening to staff to understand their needs. </p>
<p>International <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13540602.2019.1639499">research</a> also suggests collaboration is most beneficial when teachers are given dedicated time at work to work together so it is built into their work hours, rather than an added extra. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-teacher-workforce-has-a-diversity-problem-heres-how-we-can-fix-it-214564">Australia's teacher workforce has a diversity problem. Here's how we can fix it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How do we encourage collaboration?</h2>
<p>Two evidence-based ways teachers can collaborate are <a href="https://epaa.asu.edu/index.php/epaa/article/view/5023">peer observations</a> and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19415257.2023.2178480">mentoring</a>. </p>
<p>These are both approaches that can happen without major disruption to classes.</p>
<p>Peer observations <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X21000214">involve</a> a group of teachers observing each other teaching and then meeting to discuss their thoughts. These peer observations are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X17304225">designed to be supportive</a> and may help teachers gain a sense of professional community, boost morale and identify teaching practices that are particularly effective within their school’s context.</p>
<p>For teacher mentoring, teachers can be assigned a more senior or experienced member of the school to meet with and discuss their work experiences. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X23002688">Research</a> shows it is important for mentors and mentees to feel as though they are both benefiting from the process. A mentee may benefit, for example, by thinking about their professional approaches in new ways, while mentors can also learn from listening to their mentee’s experiences. </p>
<p>In smaller and more remote schools, technology may be needed to help connect teachers with colleagues from other schools for both peer observations and mentoring.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216076/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Kingsford-Smith receives funding through a PhD scholarship from the University of New South Wales and the Australian Government. He also works part-time as a teacher for the NSW Department of Education. This research was conducted by Andrew in his capacity as a researcher. The views expressed in this article do not represent the views of the NSW Department of Education.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca J Collie receives funding from the NSW Department of Education.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hoa Nguyen and Tony Loughland do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>New research shows how collaboration between teachers is linked to greater job satisfaction.Andrew Kingsford-Smith, PhD Candidate in Educational Psychology, UNSW SydneyHoa Nguyen, Associate Professor, School of Education, UNSW SydneyRebecca J. Collie, Scientia Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, UNSW SydneyTony Loughland, Associate Professor in Education, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2145642023-10-08T19:27:01Z2023-10-08T19:27:01ZAustralia’s teacher workforce has a diversity problem. Here’s how we can fix it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/552218/original/file-20231005-15-wt1ybu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C59%2C4962%2C3166&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia’s teaching workforce does not reflect the diversity of the Australian community, a situation that has far-reaching implications for our education system. </p>
<p>As we outline in our <a href="https://education.unimelb.edu.au/mgse-industry-reports/report-7-seeing-ourselves-at-school">new research</a>, published today, teachers are predominantly Australian-born, female, and non-Indigenous.</p>
<p>Most hail from middle-class backgrounds with urban upbringings, and are less likely to have disabilities. </p>
<p>So why is this lack of diversity a problem? And what can be done to help overcome it?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-a-plan-to-fix-its-school-teacher-shortage-will-it-work-196803">Australia has a plan to fix its school teacher shortage. Will it work?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Teacher shortages and student achievement</h2>
<p>Australia is in the midst of a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-30/pandemic-exposed-australia-teacher-shortage-students-schools/101886452">teacher shortage</a>, which is affecting schools in unequal ways. </p>
<p>Schools in rural, remote areas, and those with higher levels of <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/school-agreement/report/school-agreement.pdf">disadvantage</a> have been shown to bear the brunt of this issue.</p>
<p>Our research suggests diversifying the teaching workforce can help address attaining and retaining teachers in schools and strengthen student outcomes across the board.</p>
<h2>Diversity makes a difference</h2>
<p><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11115-021-00535-3">Research</a> shows teachers from minority groups, such as teachers of colour, can increase student achievement, especially for students from the same groups.</p>
<p><a href="https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=e064c83b3b8aefbb0e9b7d5d90c09faf96987df3">Evidence</a> also suggests teachers from minority groups often hold higher expectations for their minority students compared with <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-30813-012">majority teachers</a>. For example, Black teachers tend to have higher expectations than white teachers of Black students, and students respond to this with greater effort.</p>
<p>Teachers from minority groups can act as <a href="https://unimelbcloud-my.sharepoint.com/personal/agarner1_unimelb_edu_au/Documents/Jack%20Keating%20Policy%20paper%202023-/Conversation%20article/Griffin,%20A.%20(2018).%20Our%20stories,%20our%20struggles,%20our%20strengths.">role models</a> for people from similar backgrounds. </p>
<p>Teachers from minority groups can also act as <a href="https://journal.spera.asn.au/index.php/AIJRE/article/view/194">cultural “bridges”</a> to parents and students from these groups, fostering a sense of belonging and facilitating cultural understanding among students and colleagues.</p>
<p>Teachers from minority groups are also more likely to stay in hard-to-staff schools impacted the most during a staffing crisis. </p>
<p>For example, teachers from ethnic minorities are <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0741932517733047?journalCode=rsed">more likely</a> to teach and stay in schools with many minority students, and teachers from rural areas are more likely to teach and remain in <a href="https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/ruraleducator/vol43/iss3/1/">rural schools</a>.</p>
<p>So, how can we increase the diversity of the teaching workforce?</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/552219/original/file-20231005-22-vut37x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/552219/original/file-20231005-22-vut37x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/552219/original/file-20231005-22-vut37x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552219/original/file-20231005-22-vut37x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552219/original/file-20231005-22-vut37x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552219/original/file-20231005-22-vut37x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552219/original/file-20231005-22-vut37x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552219/original/file-20231005-22-vut37x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Scholarships can help meet the costs of studying to become a teacher.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Grow-your-own programs</h2>
<p>One approach we examined in our new report is known as a “grow-your-own program”, which focus on would-be teachers already working in schools. This is where would-be teachers are given financial assistance by governments, and other support such as a mentor or study groups. Upon finishing the program, they become fully qualified teachers in their local school. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED613183.pdf">research</a> shows grow-your-own programs can increase teacher diversity and address staffing shortages. They can support people already working in hard-to-staff schools, such as teacher aides, to undertake teaching qualifications. </p>
<p>By recruiting people who already have ongoing connections with the community, grow-your-own programs produce graduates likely to take up and retain teaching positions in these communities. </p>
<p>New South Wales is currently trialling a <a href="https://education.nsw.gov.au/teach-nsw/get-paid-to-study/grow-your-own/grow-your-own---teacher-training-program">similar program</a> targeting teacher aides. The Northern Territory and Queensland also have targeted grow-your-own programs for Indigenous people.</p>
<h2>Teacher residency programs</h2>
<p>Teacher residency programs bring candidates into schools from the beginning of their training, where they are closely mentored by experienced teachers. </p>
<p>Candidates teach actively from the start while completing their teaching qualification.</p>
<p>These programs are usually focused on increasing the supply of teachers, rather than increasing diversity. </p>
<p>But since they allow people to earn an income and train at the same time, they can remove <a href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA256-1.html">barriers</a>, such as the costs of full-time study, for those from minority groups.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/552220/original/file-20231005-15-2tfkbs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/552220/original/file-20231005-15-2tfkbs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/552220/original/file-20231005-15-2tfkbs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552220/original/file-20231005-15-2tfkbs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552220/original/file-20231005-15-2tfkbs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552220/original/file-20231005-15-2tfkbs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=514&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552220/original/file-20231005-15-2tfkbs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=514&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/552220/original/file-20231005-15-2tfkbs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=514&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Teacher residency programs bring candidates into schools from the beginning of their training.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Targeted scholarships for teacher trainees</h2>
<p>Scholarships can help meet the costs of studying to become a teacher, and have been used for decades, although mostly without an emphasis on teacher diversity. </p>
<p>Australian departments of education already offer scholarships targeted to Indigenous secondary and university students who want to become teachers, or who are in teacher training.</p>
<p>We know these scholarships <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/10/10/262">do work</a> to support people into teaching and could be targeted to other minority groups as well. </p>
<h2>Building bridges between VET and teacher training</h2>
<p>Vocational education and training (VET) courses can be easier and cheaper to access than university courses. </p>
<p>For some students they feel like less of a cultural and financial “leap” than going to university. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.publicservicedegrees.org/college-resources/increasing-teacher-diversity/">Building pathways</a> between VET and teacher education courses can help diversify the teaching workforce. <a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/courses/graduate-certificate-in-education-eted">Victoria University</a> and Charles Darwin University offer good examples in Australia.</p>
<h2>Overcoming barriers</h2>
<p>Those wishing to become teachers in Australia already face several barriers. </p>
<p>One is a test known as the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (<a href="https://teacheredtest.acer.edu.au/">LANTITE</a>), which aspiring teachers must pass. </p>
<p>While it’s important our teachers have strong literacy and numeracy skills, some people from diverse backgrounds can find tests <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1996-12938-001">threatening</a> and underperform. We need to consider whether there are alternatives that are equally valid. </p>
<p>School context and culture is also important. Encouraging a person from a minority group into teaching won’t help if the structures and cultures in the workplace don’t support them and cater for diversity. </p>
<p>School leadership, parents and students need to recognise that staff diversity strengthens the school, and support minority staff appropriately.</p>
<p>We need to make sure schools are places where diverse teachers feel valued and can flourish. </p>
<p>Policymakers and schools must recognise teacher workforce diversity is a key component of school quality.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-teachtok-is-helping-teachers-connect-with-their-students-on-tiktok-202240">How 'TeachTok' is helping teachers connect with their students on TikTok</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214564/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Suzanne Rice received funding from the Jack Keating Scholarship Fund to complete this research. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alice Garner was affiliated with the Victorian Department of Education between 2014 and 2019 when employed as a secondary school teacher. During this period she was a member of the Australian Education Union. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lorraine Graham does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Australia’s teachers are predominantly Australian-born, female, and non-Indigenous. Most hail from middle-class backgrounds with urban upbringings, and are less likely to have disabilities.Suzanne Rice, Senior Lecturer, Education Policy and Leadership, The University of MelbourneAlice Garner, Honorary Research Fellow, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of MelbourneLorraine Graham, Professor of Learning Intervention, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2133612023-09-13T04:06:08Z2023-09-13T04:06:08ZWill free teaching degrees fix the teacher shortage? It’s more complicated than that<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547936/original/file-20230913-19-qwbuzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C27%2C6016%2C3971&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/1_CMoFsPfso">Joanna Kosinska/Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has opened a new front in the national campaign to <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/nsw-teachers-to-receive-largest-pay-rise-in-decades">attract and retain</a> teachers. Amid ongoing <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Teacher%20Workforce%20Shortages%20-%20Issues%20paper.pdf">teacher shortages</a>, Victoria <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-12/victoria-free-secondary-teaching-degrees/102844100">will offer fee-free education</a> for high school teaching degrees from next year. </p>
<p>This is similar to the <a href="https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/making-it-free-study-nursing-and-midwifery">free nursing degrees</a> Victoria announced in 2022 to create an “army of home-grown health workers”.</p>
<p>But is it going to fix the problem? </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/governments-are-making-nursing-degrees-cheaper-or-free-these-plans-are-not-going-to-help-attract-more-students-189547">Governments are making nursing degrees cheaper or 'free' – these plans are not going to help attract more students</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What was announced?</h2>
<p>On Tuesday, the Victorian government announced a <a href="https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/making-teaching-free-back-our-school-workforce">A$230 million teaching package</a>. </p>
<p>This includes scholarships to cover the costs of a high school teaching degree. Students will be required to work in Victorian government schools for two years after they graduate. This is expected to support about 8,000 “future teachers”. </p>
<p>There is a further $27 million to provide up to $50,000 in incentives for graduates to work in hard-to-staff schools, both in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. There is also $95.7 million to support and mentor first year teachers. </p>
<p>It’s an attractive package. But it’s very unlikely to address the core of the problem. That’s because access to tertiary study and incentives to relocate are not the <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-great-education-ministers-agree-the-teacher-shortage-is-a-problem-but-their-new-plan-ignores-the-root-causes-188660">root causes</a> of teachers shortages, particularly <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/00049441211066357">in rural and remote areas</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A student carries a stack of books." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547938/original/file-20230913-17-c5c0ko.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547938/original/file-20230913-17-c5c0ko.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547938/original/file-20230913-17-c5c0ko.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547938/original/file-20230913-17-c5c0ko.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547938/original/file-20230913-17-c5c0ko.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547938/original/file-20230913-17-c5c0ko.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547938/original/file-20230913-17-c5c0ko.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Victorian government hopes to encourage an extra 8,000 students into the teaching profession.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/jCIMcOpFHig">Element5 Digital/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>History tells us to be cautious</h2>
<p>History suggests free degrees will not see a surge of students applying to study teaching. </p>
<p>There was free university education in Australia between 1974 and 1989. Yet 1996 analysis showed the reintroduction of fees under the Hawke government was accompanied by <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ527928.pdf">an increase in university access</a>, rather than a reduction in student numbers.</p>
<p>Greater access to tertiary education also didn’t make it easier to find teachers for hard-to-staff schools. A 2019 <a href="https://researchsystem.canberra.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/52676956/Researching_the_schoolhouse.pdf">University of Canberra review</a> looked at 20 years of evidence around attracting and retaining teachers in rural and remote communities, including financial incentives. It found “we are no closer to solving this perennial issue”.</p>
<p>International evidence <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03054985.2020.1775566">is mixed</a>. It shows financial incentives can lead to an immediate increase in enrolments for teaching courses, but this tapers off quickly once the incentive is removed (as appears to be the case here at the end of 2025). </p>
<p>Research also suggests cash incentives can convince some students who are open to the idea of teaching, yet undecided, to enrol. But there is <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/12/11/767">little chance</a> it will bring people into the profession who don’t already value teaching. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Three people sit around a table with laptops, smiling." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547961/original/file-20230913-17-gqnccm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547961/original/file-20230913-17-gqnccm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547961/original/file-20230913-17-gqnccm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547961/original/file-20230913-17-gqnccm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547961/original/file-20230913-17-gqnccm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547961/original/file-20230913-17-gqnccm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547961/original/file-20230913-17-gqnccm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">People with no interest in teaching are unlikely to be convinced by a free degree.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/g1Kr4Ozfoac">Brooke Cagle/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>It’s a question of motivation</h2>
<p>Like nursing, the motivation for pursuing a teaching career is driven by a <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203119273-1/people-choose-teaching-career-paul-richardson-helen-watt">range of factors</a> largely unrelated to pure financial incentives. </p>
<p>Those who choose, and remain in, teaching beyond their first few years are <a href="https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/berj.3887">typically attracted</a> by the intellectual stimulation, social benefits of teaching and opportunity to have a positive impact on people’s lives.</p>
<p>Students motivated predominantly by financial incentives may well get a reality check when they encounter their first practical experience in a classroom, particularly in a hard-to-staff school. </p>
<p>Schools also need to be positive and safe places to work if we want to attract and keep teachers. In a December 2022 review, the Productivity Commission noted “<a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/school-agreement/report/school-agreement-overview.pdf">low value</a>” administrative tasks meant teachers were not spending enough time teaching. </p>
<p>There have also been repeated reports about <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/teacher-made-to-apologise-for-giving-child-improvement-strategies-20230815-p5dwqa.html">unreasonable expectations</a> and even abuse from parents, as well as student behavioural issues. </p>
<p>Unfortunately many teachers report their work is leaving them <a href="https://theconversation.com/school-principals-are-reaching-crisis-point-pushed-to-the-edge-by-mounting-workloads-teacher-shortages-and-abuse-201777">stressed and burned out</a> – and wanting to leave the profession. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/they-phone-you-up-during-lunch-and-yell-at-you-why-teachers-say-dealing-with-parents-is-the-worst-part-of-their-job-191256">'They phone you up during lunch and yell at you' – why teachers say dealing with parents is the worst part of their job</a>
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<hr>
<h2>We need to look beyond teaching degrees</h2>
<p>It’s good to see almost $96 million in the package to support first year teachers’ transition into the profession through “extra preparation time, mentoring and other professional support”. </p>
<p>This is consistent with the <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/teaching-and-school-leadership/resources/national-teacher-workforce-action-plan">national plan</a> to address teacher shortages, released by federal and state education ministers in late 2022.</p>
<p>But we also need <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/00049441211066357">ongoing measures</a>. This includes professional and practical supports. </p>
<p>Adequate housing for teachers amid a housing affordability crisis <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13384-023-00621-z">remains a challenge</a>. The impracticality of being posted to a regional school without housing is self-evident.</p>
<p>Community and social connections <a href="https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol45/iss5/2/">are also vital</a> for new teachers who move to non-metropolitan areas for work.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-wont-solve-the-teacher-shortage-until-we-answer-these-4-questions-203843">We won't solve the teacher shortage until we answer these 4 questions</a>
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<h2>More questions</h2>
<p>This package is an important and welcome response to teacher shortages. But it is unlikely to fix the problem and leaves us with some questions.</p>
<p>The funding is only for high school teachers. Could this attract students potentially interested in primary teaching and make primary school supply issues a greater problem? </p>
<p>The funding is only for enrolments in 2024 and 2025 and only for government schools. What happens in two years’ time? Could the package be extended to private and Catholic schools?</p>
<p>A two-year package with free degrees may seem like good politics (and it makes a good headline). But we need to look at the bigger picture and examine issues such as working conditions, professional development, and the way our society supports teachers so they can keep doing the essential work they do.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213361/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Kidson works in the National School of Education at the Australian Catholic University. ACU provides initial teacher education in Victoria.</span></em></p>The Victorian government has announced a $230 million package to encourage an extra 8,000 ‘future teachers’ into the profession.Paul Kidson, Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2059992023-05-25T20:00:40Z2023-05-25T20:00:40ZWorking with kids, being passionate about a subject, making a difference: what makes people switch careers to teaching?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527935/original/file-20230524-20-o9ad09.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C8%2C5973%2C3979&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Yan Krukau/Pexels</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Teacher shortages <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/teacher-workforce-shortages-issues-paper">around Australia</a> mean there is an ongoing debate about how to <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-a-radical-rethink-of-how-to-attract-more-teachers-to-rural-schools-83298">attract</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/teachers-are-leaving-the-profession-heres-how-to-make-them-stay-52697">retain</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-review-into-how-teachers-are-educated-should-acknowledge-they-learn-throughout-their-careers-not-just-at-the-start-202433">educate</a> more teachers. </p>
<p>One part of the push to increase teacher numbers is encouraging people to swap their current career for a teaching role. </p>
<p>Mid-career or “career change” students are increasingly common in teacher education programs. The most recent Australian data shows as of 2017, one-third of new applicants were <a href="https://www.aitsl.edu.au/tools-resources/resource/ite-data-report-2019#Diversity-and-accessibility-of-ITE-programs-section">25 or older</a>.</p>
<p>We also know there are plenty of people interested. A 2022 <a href="https://behaviouraleconomics.pmc.gov.au/projects/incentivising-excellence-attracting-high-achieving-teaching-candidates">survey</a> by the federal government’s Behavioural Economics Team found one in three mid-career individuals was open to the idea of teaching.</p>
<p>Last August, the Albanese government set up an <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/quality-initial-teacher-education-review/teacher-education-expert-panel">expert panel</a> on teacher education, in part due to concerns about teacher shortages. Led by Sydney University vice-chancellor Mark Scott (who also <a href="https://theconversation.com/mark-scott-appointed-chair-of-the-conversation-media-group-199768">chairs The Conversation’s board</a>), the panel is due to submit a report next month. One of the key items it is looking at is how to “improve” teaching degrees to attract mid-career entrants. </p>
<p>What does the research tell us about the people who go into teaching mid-career? And what lessons does it hold for policymakers wanting them to stay in their new job? </p>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>Our new <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13540602.2023.2208051">research</a> reviewed studies on career-change teachers from the past two decades. </p>
<p>It examined 29 studies on career-change teachers, to identify who chooses to enter teaching, why they make the switch, and the barriers that can stop them changing careers. This international review explored the experiences of career-change teachers worldwide, including Australian, US, UK and New Zealand studies.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-review-into-how-teachers-are-educated-should-acknowledge-they-learn-throughout-their-careers-not-just-at-the-start-202433">A new review into how teachers are educated should acknowledge they learn throughout their careers (not just at the start)</a>
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<hr>
<h2>Who enters teaching?</h2>
<p>Career-change teachers come from many different backgrounds. We identified more than 140 prior careers. </p>
<p>There were former tradespeople, lawyers and scientists. Others had hospitality, administration or retail experience. </p>
<p>We also found people often chose teaching after experience in teacher-like roles. </p>
<p>Many previously worked in childcare, tutoring, volunteering in classrooms, coaching sports, or working with children in community organisations. Some mentioned work leadership roles such as staff training or mentoring. </p>
<p>These experiences helped career changers see they were suited to teaching. Many realised having skills such as effective communication, organisation, resilience, and being able to build relationships were useful for teaching. </p>
<p>Others chose teaching because they liked working with children or wanted to share expertise in a field they were passionate about, such as science. Several were inspired by role model teachers or had family who were teachers.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman sits with young children, experimenting with bells." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527937/original/file-20230524-19-u730x1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527937/original/file-20230524-19-u730x1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527937/original/file-20230524-19-u730x1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527937/original/file-20230524-19-u730x1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527937/original/file-20230524-19-u730x1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527937/original/file-20230524-19-u730x1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527937/original/file-20230524-19-u730x1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some mid-career teachers switch becasue they have liked working with children in other jobs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ksenia Chernaya/Pexels</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What makes someone switch to teaching?</h2>
<p>Many had thought about becoming a teacher for a long time, calling it a longstanding interest or <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09589236.2019.1599502">“someday” career</a>. This desire often predated their first career choice, but life circumstances played a big role in choosing when to make the switch. </p>
<p>Some had become dissatisfied in their job because of boredom, long hours or poor conditions, or because they wanted a career that felt more meaningful. </p>
<p>Having children made teaching a more attractive option for many. Career changers felt the shorter working days, hours that aligned with children’s school, and regular holidays would allow them to better manage family responsibilities. </p>
<p>We also found global circumstances influenced the choice to teach. Some career changers chose this pathway when their jobs became unstable during industry declines, offshore outsourcing, or due to events such as the global financial crisis. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-wont-solve-the-teacher-shortage-until-we-answer-these-4-questions-203843">We won't solve the teacher shortage until we answer these 4 questions</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What does and does not support career changers?</h2>
<p>Our research also found career changers often faced challenges when choosing to teach. </p>
<p>Career-change teachers reported friends and family usually supported the idea of choosing teaching. However, in some cases when individuals were switching from high-status careers (as scientists or doctors), people questioned the change, seeing teaching as a drop. </p>
<p>Mature entrants sometimes struggled in teacher education programs, because of study costs and lack of financial support, especially during lengthy unpaid professional placements. </p>
<p>Others felt teacher education programs often lacked flexibility or didn’t recognise the unique needs, skills and experiences of mid-career students. </p>
<p>Supports such as scholarships, flexible timetables and mentoring helped them balance teaching studies with their existing life responsibilities.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-can-no-longer-justify-unpaid-labour-why-uni-students-need-to-be-paid-for-work-placements-203421">'We can no longer justify unpaid labour': why uni students need to be paid for work placements</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Expectations vs reality</h2>
<p>Once mid-career teachers made it into a job, their ideas about teaching did not always match reality. </p>
<p>Some were shocked by the high workloads, excessive administration demands, continual government-driven changes and lack of professional autonomy. </p>
<p>Indeed, many career-change teachers end up <a href="https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/the-challenge-to-retain-second-career-teachers">leaving the profession</a> early. An estimated 30-50% of all new Australian teachers leave the profession within the first five years, and for career-change teachers, this figure is estimated to be <a href="https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/the-challenge-to-retain-second-career-teachers">25% higher</a></p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A stack of paperwork in an in-tray" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527940/original/file-20230524-17-l4fgym.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527940/original/file-20230524-17-l4fgym.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527940/original/file-20230524-17-l4fgym.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527940/original/file-20230524-17-l4fgym.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527940/original/file-20230524-17-l4fgym.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527940/original/file-20230524-17-l4fgym.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527940/original/file-20230524-17-l4fgym.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Mid-career teachers report being surprised by administrative work when they begin teaching.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What can we do differently?</h2>
<p>To encourage more mid-career entrants to join the teaching profession, we need to better appreciate the unique strengths and experiences they bring from their previous lives. Mid-career entrants come to schools with new ideas and enthusiasm to make a difference and share their real-world and industry experiences. </p>
<p>One option is to formally recognise extensive industry experiences or advanced subject area qualifications (such as a PhD in chemistry) these career changers bring to schools. This could be done with expedited career progression or <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X19305827">specialist roles</a> within schools. </p>
<p>Schools could also offer increasingly flexible employment pathways (such as jobshare arrangements or innovative timetabling) for career changers who want to maintain industry connections. </p>
<p>This could allow for school-industry partnerships that benefit students, and let these teachers use their professional experiences to make a difference. In doing so, this crucial teaching workforce may feel they are making a positive contribution to their students and be more likely to stay.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/many-teachers-find-planning-with-colleagues-a-waste-of-time-heres-how-to-improve-it-203413">Many teachers find planning with colleagues a waste of time. Here's how to improve it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205999/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Reece Mills receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Theresa Bourke receives funding from the ARC. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erin Siostrom does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research shows plenty of people think about becoming teachers. We also know mid-career teachers’ expectations don’t match reality once they make it to the classroom.Erin Siostrom, Associate Lecturer in Science Education, University of the Sunshine CoastReece Mills, Senior Lecturer, Queensland University of TechnologyTheresa Bourke, Associate Professor and Academic Lead Research, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2017772023-03-19T19:04:42Z2023-03-19T19:04:42ZSchool principals are reaching crisis point, pushed to the edge by mounting workloads, teacher shortages and abuse<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/515659/original/file-20230316-20-780950.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C7169%2C4206&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock </span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australian schools have been under huge pressures in recent years. On top of concerns about <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13384-022-00595-4">academic progress</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00049441221086654">staff shortages</a>, schools have faced significant, ongoing disruptions due to COVID and major flooding disasters. </p>
<p>In response, there has been considerable attention rightly given to students, families and classroom teachers. But what about the people tasked with leading their schools through these unprecedented times? We have been surveying Australian principals and other school leaders – such as deputy principals and assistant principals – for more than a decade. </p>
<p>Previous reports from this project have highlighted ongoing challenges for school leaders, even during the <a href="https://www.healthandwellbeing.org/reports/AU/2020_AU_Final_Report.pdf">first difficult year of COVID</a>. But while there are some consistent themes, this year’s report shows there has been a significant, worrying shift. </p>
<p>The situation is more serious and pressing than previously reported: many Australian principals are on the verge of a crisis. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-teachers-are-dissatisfied-with-their-jobs-but-their-sense-of-professional-belonging-is-strong-196223">Australian teachers are dissatisfied with their jobs but their sense of professional belonging is strong</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>Our survey has collected data every year <a href="https://www.healthandwellbeing.org/pages/principal-reports">since 2011</a> and is now the most significant and longest-running survey of its type in the world. </p>
<p>Each year we have been able to survey around 2,000 school leaders about what is happening in their jobs. This includes tracking their health and wellbeing. </p>
<p>To date, the project has collected data from over 7,100 individual school leaders across government, independent and Catholic schools, all around the country. Given there are around 10,000 schools across Australia, this is a major source of evidence. </p>
<p>Three major findings stand out from the 2022 report.</p>
<h2>1. Sources of stress are changing and growing</h2>
<p>Each year, participants rate 19 sources of stress on a scale of one (not stressful) to ten (extremely stressful). We then rank all 19 based on the average score for each stressor. </p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, sheer workload and lack of time to focus on teaching and learning have been the two top stressors every year. </p>
<p>This year, however, the impact of teacher shortages has risen from a ranking of 12 in 2021 to three in 2022. On top of this, and for the first time, supporting the mental health of students and teachers combined to make the top five. </p>
<p>The average scores also continue to increase to the highest levels we have seen. For example, in 2021, student mental health scored an average of 7.0. In 2022 its average was 7.3. Teacher mental heath rose from an average of 6.7 to 7.2. </p>
<p>For the first time in the history of the survey, there are seven sources of stress with an average score higher than 7.0. On top of work levels, lack of time, teacher shortages and student and teacher mental health, this includes “student-related issues” and “expectations of employers”. </p>
<p>Seeing so many significant stressors clustered together is new. And their cumulative impact is highly concerning. </p>
<h2>2. Parents are harassing and abusing principals</h2>
<p>In trying to manage these complexities, school leaders are facing increasing levels of abuse and threatening behaviour. </p>
<p>Sadly, school leaders in our survey have <a href="https://theconversation.com/bullies-threats-and-violence-who-would-want-to-be-a-school-principal-16263">historically suffered</a> much higher levels of threatening and violent abuse than the general population. Prior to COVID-19, in 2019, nearly 50% of school leaders reported being threatened with violence. While this dropped to 43% during the first phases of COVID-19 (2020-2021), it now exceeds 50%. </p>
<p>Concerningly, school leaders reported parents as a major source of bullying and threatening behaviour. </p>
<p>In the 2022 survey, one third of participants report being subjected to bullying. When asked to say “from whom”, the highest result was “from parents” (19%). Conflicts and quarrels are reported by 60% of participants, mostly with parents (36%). </p>
<p>Gossip and slander was reported by 50% of participants, again, with most of these from parents (31%). </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/they-phone-you-up-during-lunch-and-yell-at-you-why-teachers-say-dealing-with-parents-is-the-worst-part-of-their-job-191256">'They phone you up during lunch and yell at you' – why teachers say dealing with parents is the worst part of their job</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>3. More principals need help</h2>
<p>Part of our survey includes a “red flag” process. Because participants are telling us about their wellbeing, we will email them directly and confidentially if their responses suggest they should seek further professional help to protect their mental health. </p>
<p>These emails are intended to warn school leaders they are experiencing high stress levels and direct them to sources of support. </p>
<p>In 2022, an alarming 48% of school leaders received red-flag warnings. This is an enormous increase of 18% points in 2021 and the highest level since the start of the survey in 2011. Across 2017–2021, red-flag warnings averaged 29%, highlighting the significance of the 2022 result.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman sits at a desk with a laptop and bookshelves behind." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/515661/original/file-20230316-28-gmme4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/515661/original/file-20230316-28-gmme4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515661/original/file-20230316-28-gmme4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515661/original/file-20230316-28-gmme4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515661/original/file-20230316-28-gmme4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515661/original/file-20230316-28-gmme4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/515661/original/file-20230316-28-gmme4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Our survey revealed almost half of those surveyed were experiencing high stress levels.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What can we do about it?</h2>
<p>Principals and school leaders have spent the past three years steering their communities through a global pandemic and in some cases, devastating flooding and bushfires. </p>
<p>We know the teaching workforce is under stress and many teachers are leaving or intending to leave. We also know families and communities have been stressed and stretched by the pandemic and what this has meant for their work and home lives. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-a-plan-to-fix-its-school-teacher-shortage-will-it-work-196803">Australia has a plan to fix its school teacher shortage. Will it work?</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>But we cannot forget school principals in our responses. Our research shows they are enduring more and different stressors on top of already huge workloads. But they are not getting the support they need, rather, in too many cases, they are enduring abuse and bullying from parents. </p>
<p>Our red flag process shows this is taking a highly concerning toll on the health and wellbeing of school leaders, just when we need them most. </p>
<p>This year’s survey results show, more than ever, school leaders need urgent and significant support. </p>
<p>Federal and state governments have recently responded to teacher shortages with a <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/teaching-and-school-leadership/resources/national-teacher-workforce-action-plan">National Teacher Workforce Action Plan</a>. It’s an important start, but our report shows the problem will compound if comparable strategies are not also developed for school leaders. </p>
<p>We now call on governments to specifically address the health and wellbeing of Australian school principals. We cannot acheive anything meaningful in education if our school leaders are not better supported to do their work, which is so critical to keeping teachers, students and school communities happy, safe and engaged.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201777/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Herb Marsh has received funding from ARC for this research in the past and currently receives funding from several Australian non-profit educational organisations and principal associations to continue the research on Principal Health and Wellbeing. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Theresa Dicke has received funding from ARC for this research in the past and currently receives funding from several Australian non-profit educational organisations and principal associations to continue the research on Principal Health and Wellbeing. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Kidson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>An annual survey of Australian school leaders has discovered a worrying shift in threats to their health and wellbeing.Paul Kidson, Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership, Australian Catholic UniversityHerb Marsh, Distinguished Professor of educational psychology, Australian Catholic UniversityTheresa Dicke, Associate professor, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2000872023-03-08T19:06:47Z2023-03-08T19:06:47ZOur research shows how ‘job crafting’ can help teachers manage and enjoy their stressful work<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513874/original/file-20230307-18-6kiyqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=135%2C29%2C5913%2C3611&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>About three quarters of Australian teachers <a href="https://www.austcolled.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/NEiTA-ACE-Teachers-Report-Card-2021.pdf">experience substantial stress</a> in a typical work week, according to a 2021 survey. Another 2019 Australian study <a href="https://theconversation.com/teachers-are-more-depressed-and-anxious-than-the-average-australian-117267">showed</a> more than half suffer from anxiety, and about one in five meet the criteria for moderate to severe depression.</p>
<p>It’s not surprising, then, that increasing numbers of teachers are <a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-salaries-might-attract-teachers-but-pay-isnt-one-of-the-top-10-reasons-for-leaving-177825#comment_2731348">leaving the profession</a>. Meanwhile, enrolments for education degrees <a href="https://www.aitsl.edu.au/research/spotlights/building-a-sustainable-teaching-workforce">have been declining</a>. </p>
<p>Teachers in Australia and around the world are under-resourced and burning out, reinforcing the urgent need for <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-a-plan-to-fix-its-school-teacher-shortage-will-it-work-196803">policy initiatives</a> to improve their working conditions. But can anything else be done? </p>
<p>Our research shows one way teachers may be able to take more control over their wellbeing at work is by “job crafting”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-a-plan-to-fix-its-school-teacher-shortage-will-it-work-196803">Australia has a plan to fix its school teacher shortage. Will it work?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What is job crafting?</h2>
<p>Job crafting is about making noticeable changes to your job to make it <a href="https://hbr.org/2020/03/what-job-crafting-looks-like">more engaging and meaningful</a>. These are changes you make yourself of your own initiative and they can be small or large. The idea is employees “craft” their jobs so it more closely aligns with what they value and how they perceive themselves. </p>
<p>Job crafting <a href="https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/amr.2001.4378011">emerged</a> in management research in 2001, and has since been studied in a range of occupations. There are at least three different ways employees can craft their work: </p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>Task crafting</strong> is about changing the number, scope, sequence, or types of tasks in a job</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Relational crafting</strong> is about making changes to how you relate to people at work</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Cognitive crafting</strong> refers to changing how you interpret or think about your work. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Studies show job crafting is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001879117300477">associated with</a> employee wellbeing, engagement and performance. Studies <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1359432X.2019.1646728">also show</a> when employees are trained to use job crafting strategies, they show increased performance and work engagement. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-teachers-are-dissatisfied-with-their-jobs-but-their-sense-of-professional-belonging-is-strong-196223">Australian teachers are dissatisfied with their jobs but their sense of professional belonging is strong</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>In 2022, we conducted 46 in-depth interviews with teachers across all levels in Australia about how they used job crafting. Teachers told us they used job crafting in multiple ways, including by modifying the tasks they did with students and by involving other teachers in their classes.</p>
<p>One primary school teacher spoke about how he combined his hobby of playing cards with his maths lessons. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I bring a lot of those card games into class with the kids and we find the maths in the games […] I think they can definitely sense my passion for the games and that makes them more excited. I’ve had quite a few parents say, ‘My child now loves maths because of the way you play the games,’ which is really nice.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another primary school teacher spoke of how they emphasised their love of reading in their teaching – and sought out new ways to read with their students through collaborating with other teachers. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Just because I love reading books, after lunch we might read a book, or go to another [teacher’s] class and read a book with their kids, and [that teacher] will come to mine. It means I get to meet new kids and they’ve got someone different in front of them, and my kids also have someone different in front of them.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A teacher reads to primary students, sitting on the floor." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513879/original/file-20230307-26-6kiyqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513879/original/file-20230307-26-6kiyqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513879/original/file-20230307-26-6kiyqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513879/original/file-20230307-26-6kiyqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513879/original/file-20230307-26-6kiyqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513879/original/file-20230307-26-6kiyqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513879/original/file-20230307-26-6kiyqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">For some teachers, job crafting involved having other teachers’ read to their students.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A secondary teacher gave us another example of how they work with colleagues during the day, to change classroom dynamics: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I love saying to the other teachers, ‘Hey, do you want to drop into my class because I think you’ll like it’ or ‘This kid misses you, he hasn’t seen you in ages, do you want to come swing by?’ It’s so nice to have other adults in the room […] And [for] teachers that you have really good relationships with, you can then model what a healthy relationship looks like to the kids.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>‘Helping human beings’</h2>
<p>Other teachers spoke of how they used cognitive crafting by expanding their ideas of what they consider to be the role of a teacher. As one primary teacher noted:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I see myself as helping human beings grow rather than teaching academic knowledge.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A secondary teacher also talked of the importance of thinking beyond the daily “grind” of their job: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think teachers can, especially when they’ve been teaching for a while, kind of get into a bit of a grind. And it’s just they see teaching as delivering content. But I don’t see it that way. To me, teaching is all about building relationships with my students and using the content as a vehicle to build those relationships and to hopefully get them to where they need to be in later life.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Cognitive strategies such as this are key to connecting the job to a larger purpose. This gives work more meaning, which is <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/joms.12406">essential</a> for employee wellbeing.</p>
<h2>What helps job crafting?</h2>
<p>Our interviewees also spoke of the things that helped and hindered their job crafting. </p>
<p>They told us having too many time pressures and administrative burdens made it difficult to try new approaches. They also said a lack of time, rigid systems, and a lack of autonomy within their schools made it difficult to be creative. One secondary teacher noted:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If you’ve been teaching for a while, or even if you’re a grad teacher, you spend a lot of time, you know, just surviving. Then to have the energy to think about changing things, even if it is for the better, it’s difficult.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Someone writes at desk, with a tea mug." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513884/original/file-20230307-20-9lwkg2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/513884/original/file-20230307-20-9lwkg2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513884/original/file-20230307-20-9lwkg2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513884/original/file-20230307-20-9lwkg2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513884/original/file-20230307-20-9lwkg2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513884/original/file-20230307-20-9lwkg2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/513884/original/file-20230307-20-9lwkg2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Teachers said they needed time to think and plan in order to job craft.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Unseen Studio/ Unsplash</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Teachers said they needed time to reflect on their work. They also said they needed school leaders to support their ideas, so they felt safe and free to take risks, which <a href="https://psychology.org.au/getmedia/02051e98-8a3e-4cc9-8dbe-5e55a6e90257/21aps-pw-report-p1.pdf">research</a> shows is important for job crafting. </p>
<p>One primary teacher noted how many teachers are fearful of being judged at work. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We preach mistakes being okay and risk-taking with our kids, but we don’t really with our staff. We like our staff to be neat and ordered and to tick the right boxes […]. So I think that whole idea of taking risks and challenging educational philosophies would allow people to be more curious in that space. </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Job crafting works, but we need to do more</h2>
<p>Our research shows teachers are using job crafting to make their jobs more manageable, more enjoyable and more effective. </p>
<p>They also told us the overall school environment can either support these different approaches – or make it too difficult to try. </p>
<p>While job crafting has significant potential to help teachers in stressful jobs, it is important to note that improving teacher wellbeing is a shared responsibility. And it is up to schools, government and the broader community to better support the important work teachers do. </p>
<p><em>Kelsey J. Lewis contributed to the research in this piece.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200087/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gavin R. Slemp has previously participated in a research project that was partially funded by the Victorian Department of Education and Training's Strengthening Teachers Initiative.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dianne Vella-Brodrick and Jacqui Francis do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research shows one way teachers could take more control over their wellbeing at work is by ‘job crafting’. This involves making changes to your job to make it more meaningful.Gavin R. Slemp, Associate Professor, Centre for Wellbeing Science, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of MelbourneDianne Vella-Brodrick, Professor and Gerry Higgins Chair in Positive Psychology, Centre for Wellbeing Science, The University of MelbourneJacqui Francis, Lecturer and researcher, The Centre for Wellbeing Science, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1962232023-01-26T19:04:43Z2023-01-26T19:04:43ZAustralian teachers are dissatisfied with their jobs but their sense of professional belonging is strong<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/506046/original/file-20230124-7104-3wi6pr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5431%2C3645&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Teachers around Australia are preparing to head back to the classroom for 2023. But amid excitement about a new school year, there are ongoing concerns about <a href="https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/victoria-grapples-with-teacher-shortage-crisis/video/7d8a976515cab6a0d33e93ed3b5d5b0a">teacher shortages</a> and headlines saying kids are “<a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/school-life/productivity-commission-report-gives-scathing-assessment-on-national-education/news-story/d48519ad9d0a3e86804f7d43f4a12919">falling behind</a>” and education strategies are <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-20/australia-national-education-strategies-blasted-in-report/101872338">not working</a>. </p>
<p>We are education researchers who study teachers’ perceptions of their work in Australia. Last year, we conducted a <a href="https://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/3061169/Teachers-Perceptions-of-their-Work-2022.pdf">national survey</a> of 5,000 teachers, asking them about their careers. We found a growing number of teachers are not satisfied with their jobs and a large majority are planning to leave the profession. </p>
<p>But it was not all bad news. Almost 80% of those we surveyed reported a sense of belonging to teaching.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jason-clare-has-a-draft-plan-to-fix-the-teacher-shortage-what-needs-to-stay-and-what-should-change-193834">Jason Clare has a draft plan to fix the teacher shortage. What needs to stay and what should change?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Job satisfaction</h2>
<p>We found teachers are increasingly unhappy in their jobs. In our 2019 survey of Australian teachers, 65.6% of respondents said they were satisfied with their work. In 2022, that number dropped to 45.8%.</p>
<p>Teachers tell us this significant drop is because they feel unappreciated. They report a <a href="https://theconversation.com/this-is-like-banging-our-heads-against-the-wall-why-a-move-to-outsource-lesson-planning-has-nsw-teachers-hopping-mad-188081">growing workload</a> - in part thanks to increasing administrative demands – and a lack of respect from the community. According to one respondent:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>the time taken in keeping records of everything has increased exponentially.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another teacher told us: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I am burnt out. I cannot do my job well with all the demands placed upon me.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Perhaps then it is no surprise that only 27.6% of respondents said they planned to stay in the profession until they retired. Almost 20% said they would leave within five years. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/they-phone-you-up-during-lunch-and-yell-at-you-why-teachers-say-dealing-with-parents-is-the-worst-part-of-their-job-191256">'They phone you up during lunch and yell at you' – why teachers say dealing with parents is the worst part of their job</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The importance of belonging</h2>
<p>Against this negative background, our survey results offered a ray of hope. Almost 80% of respondents reported a strong sense of belonging to the teaching profession.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Teacher marking assignments." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/506051/original/file-20230124-3570-kc9e73.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/506051/original/file-20230124-3570-kc9e73.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506051/original/file-20230124-3570-kc9e73.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506051/original/file-20230124-3570-kc9e73.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506051/original/file-20230124-3570-kc9e73.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506051/original/file-20230124-3570-kc9e73.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/506051/original/file-20230124-3570-kc9e73.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Teachers report increasing workloads and decreasing levels of satisfaction.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Our survey found several factors contribute to this. The biggest positive influences were teachers’ relationships and connections with colleagues and students. Many teachers feel a sense of shared purpose and camaraderie with their colleagues. As one survey respondent said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Teachers are usually incredibly warm, passionate, positive people who want the best for their workmates and our shared students.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Teachers also valued their relationships with students. Seeing students learn and succeed reaffirmed their sense of purpose. As one teacher told us: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>You get emotionally invested in ensuring the students develop.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another respondent said they were boosted by moments when students “have that ‘aha moment’” </p>
<blockquote>
<p>and tell you about their day and what they love about coming to school, as well as trusting you with personal matters.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We also found supportive school systems and policies contributed to a sense of belonging. This includes flexibility in the curriculum and opportunities for teachers to be “heard”. </p>
<p>On top of this, many teachers pointed to the importance of job security. Permanent teachers tend to feel more belonging than contract teachers, thanks to the security of their positions.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[E]very year, as soon as term 3 started, I would be thinking of applying again and started feeling I don’t belong here anymore. My current position is ongoing and it definitely is a big boost.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Barriers to belonging</h2>
<p>When we asked teachers what harmed their sense of belonging, common responses included a lack of respect, unrealistic expectations, and a lack of support.</p>
<p>Many teachers felt their profession was not valued or respected by the general public. They pointed to common misconceptions about being a teacher. As one teacher explained:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Non-teachers assume they know what it is like to be a teacher because they have been a student in a school, I do not think I know what it is like to be a dentist because I have been and had my teeth cleaned.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Respondents also felt that <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-wonder-no-one-wants-to-be-a-teacher-world-first-study-looks-at-65-000-news-articles-about-australian-teachers-186210">negative media coverage</a> about schools and teachers affected their sense of belonging. They said they were often made to feel like “babysitters” rather than professionals. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/no-wonder-no-one-wants-to-be-a-teacher-world-first-study-looks-at-65-000-news-articles-about-australian-teachers-186210">No wonder no one wants to be a teacher: world-first study looks at 65,000 news articles about Australian teachers</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What now?</h2>
<p>Some teachers in our study report feelings of being overwhelmed and under-compensated, and are considering leaving the field. But our research also shows how much the profession means to them, which suggests there is an opportunity here. </p>
<p>With better support and more understanding of what their complex roles involve, there is great potential to address the teacher shortage. And make teaching a much more satisfying job. </p>
<p><em>The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of Dr Mehdi Moharami to the research presented in this article.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196223/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kelly-Ann Allen is a fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and College of Educational and Developmental Psychologists. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Beatriz Gallo Cordoba, Fiona Longmuir, and Michael Phillips do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A national survey of 5,000 teachers found many plan to leave their jobs. But it not all bad news. Teachers also report a strong sense of belonging.Kelly-Ann Allen, Associate Professor, School of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, Monash UniversityBeatriz Gallo Cordoba, Research Fellow – Quantitative Data/Statistics, Monash UniversityFiona Longmuir, Lecturer - Educational Leadership, Monash UniversityMichael Phillips, Associate Professor, Digital Transformation, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1968032022-12-20T02:47:04Z2022-12-20T02:47:04ZAustralia has a plan to fix its school teacher shortage. Will it work?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502045/original/file-20221220-24-di08hf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=22%2C0%2C7548%2C4994&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Federal Education Minsiter Jason Clare in November 2022. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dean Lewins/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>All year, we have heard reports of a “crisis” in Australian schools, thanks to a shortage of teachers around the country. Federal education department <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/teacher-workforce-shortages-issues-paper">modelling shows</a> there will be a high school teacher shortfall of about 4,000 by 2025.</p>
<p>In August, Education Minister Jason Clare and his state and territory colleagues <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-great-education-ministers-agree-the-teacher-shortage-is-a-problem-but-their-new-plan-ignores-the-root-causes-188660">met and agreed</a> this was a huge problem. Their big, set-piece policy response is a new plan for the “national teacher workforce”. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://theconversation.com/jason-clare-has-a-draft-plan-to-fix-the-teacher-shortage-what-needs-to-stay-and-what-should-change-193834">draft was released</a> in November and late last week, we got the <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/preview-link/node/14758/358159af-bb59-4676-9a3c-58e43996802b">final version</a>. </p>
<p>After all the talk and consultation – will it work? To use the language of a school report, the teacher shortage plan is a good effort and a positive start. But there are areas that need improvement.</p>
<h2>Remind me, what’s in the plan?</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/national-teacher-workforce-plan">final plan</a>, like the draft, identifies five priority areas to attract and retain high-quality teachers to the profession:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>improving teacher supply</p></li>
<li><p>strengthening teaching degrees</p></li>
<li><p>keeping the teachers we have</p></li>
<li><p>elevating the profession</p></li>
<li><p>better understanding of future teacher workforce needs.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>There were more than 650 submissions to the draft. Initially there were 28 recommendations or “actions”. The final version has 27, after one initial idea – a “teacher of the year” award – was scrapped based on teacher feedback.</p>
<p>The final plan still includes measures such as a national campaign to raise the status of teachers and A$30 million to reduce teachers’ workloads.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jason-clare-has-a-draft-plan-to-fix-the-teacher-shortage-what-needs-to-stay-and-what-should-change-193834">Jason Clare has a draft plan to fix the teacher shortage. What needs to stay and what should change?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A good effort</h2>
<p>Bringing together diverse jurisdictions and sectors is an ongoing challenge for Australian education. But this plan involves governments, their bureaucracies and education authorities, employers, teachers, and unions. </p>
<p>This includes plans to streamline accreditation processes for teachers and reduce unnecessary administration (that weighs down their daily workloads). </p>
<p>Importantly, the plan has an inclusive and aspirational tone. It talks about “the work we will do together”. This is not always the case in the complex world of education policy-making in Australia. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1604384828719517699"}"></div></p>
<h2>A positive start</h2>
<p>Nearly half the plan (13 of the 27 actions) focuses on how to recruit and establish teachers in the profession. The increased priority on mentoring for early career teachers is welcomed, given the particular significance <a href="https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/improve-practice/practical-guides/mentoring">it plays</a> in supporting, and so retaining, early career teachers. </p>
<p>Strategies to develop and support First Nations teachers are complemented by strategies to facilitate easier entrance to the profession for a range of equity groups, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as for mid-career professionals. </p>
<p>A commitment to increase the number of permanent teachers and provide professional learning for casual teachers is also positive, given many of these teachers feel <a href="https://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=9427">overstretched and emotionally exhausted</a> by the uncertain nature of casualised teaching. </p>
<p>Importantly, the critical roles played by <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-spends-5-billion-a-year-on-teaching-assistants-in-schools-but-we-dont-know-what-they-do-187918">teaching assistants</a>, teaching students and other support and administrative staff within schools is also acknowledged. </p>
<h2>And further improvement needed</h2>
<p>However, paradoxes and tensions remain. On the one hand, there is a clear commitment to reduce workload. But there is no nationally consistent view on what the workload issues are.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, several of the “key next steps” look likely to repackage, rather than reduce, some of the work. For example, action 13 seeks to “develop, monitor and evaluate reductions in teacher workload”, then requires “states and territories and non-government school authorities […] to report back to education ministers on actions they have taken”. It’s naive to imagine a new form of reporting will reduce <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0022185618801396">teachers’ workloads</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-teacher-shortage-plan-must-do-more-to-recruit-and-retain-first-nations-teachers-194526">The teacher shortage plan must do more to recruit and retain First Nations teachers</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>There is also a danger politics will confuse the matter. A new tool to assess how new policies will impact teachers workloads is set to be developed as part of the next <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-productivity-commission-says-australian-schools-fall-short-on-quality-and-equity-what-happens-now-190646">National School Reform Agreement</a>, which <a href="https://federalfinancialrelations.gov.au/agreements/national-schools-reform-agreement">ties</a> federal, state, and territory funding mechanisms to lifting student learning outcomes. </p>
<p>While it’s a good idea to consider the impact new initiatives will have on workloads, combining this with complex issues of school funding arrangements risks becoming bogged down and overly politicised. The surprise <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/dec/19/labors-delay-on-public-schools-funding-deal-a-betrayal-of-disadvantaged-students-advocates-say">announcement</a> the next schools agreement will be delayed by another 12 months to December 2024 has only <a href="https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/an-act-of-betrayal-current-national-school-reform-agreement-extended/281674">added to these concerns</a>.</p>
<p>There is still more significant work to come. There is an ongoing <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/quality-initial-teacher-education-review/teacher-education-expert-panel-0">review into teacher education</a>, led by Sydney University Vice-Chancellor, Mark Scott. Until we see the findings in June 2023, we don’t have clear answers on how governments will strengthen teaching degrees.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/they-phone-you-up-during-lunch-and-yell-at-you-why-teachers-say-dealing-with-parents-is-the-worst-part-of-their-job-191256">'They phone you up during lunch and yell at you' – why teachers say dealing with parents is the worst part of their job</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A charitable view and a cynical one</h2>
<p>The plan includes an extensive appendix of more than 200 initiatives already underway across all states and territories, and across all three sectors (government, Catholic, independent), to address teacher shortages. </p>
<p>A charitable view is this plan will complement and build on these, increasing the total effort and funds applied. </p>
<p>A cynical view is these initiatives aren’t yet having their desired impact, so planning to do even more of them may not be effective either.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196803/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Kidson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>To use the language of a school report, the teacher shortage plan is a good effort and a positive start. But there are areas that need improvement.Paul Kidson, Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1939542022-11-24T19:05:36Z2022-11-24T19:05:36ZHow a Canadian program that helps educators ‘thrive’ not just ‘survive’ could help address Australia’s childcare staff shortage<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496652/original/file-20221122-18-hbzhmj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C29%2C3982%2C2299&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Makus Spiske/Unsplash</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>On Wednesday, federal parliament <a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7990519/cheaper-child-care-one-step-closer/?cs=14264">passed</a> Labor’s bill to reduce childcare fees for many Australian families. </p>
<p>More affordable childcare for families is great, but it will not solve all the issues in the sector. Schools are not the only ones with a teacher crisis. Early childhood services are also hit with <a href="https://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=11840">chronic staff shortages</a>.</p>
<p>As of October, there were about <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-17/breaking-point:-the-real-cost-of-australias-worker/14087284">6,800 advertised positions</a> for early childhood educators in Australia. The pandemic has not helped. There was a <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/babysitters-make-45-an-hour-nanny-rates-soar-as-childcare-centres-in-staffing-crisis-20220524-p5ao1f.html">40% increase</a> in job ads between April 2021 and April 2022. </p>
<p>Before COVID-19, there was about <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022185618800351">30% annual turnover</a> in the sector, and up to 45% in rural and remote areas. A 2021 <a href="https://bigsteps.org.au/crisis-report/">union study</a> of more than 3,800 educators revealed 74% said they wanted to leave the sector in the next three years. The top reasons for wanting to leave were excessive workload, low pay and feeling undervalued.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-chaos-has-shed-light-on-many-issues-in-the-australian-childcare-sector-here-are-4-of-them-174404">COVID chaos has shed light on many issues in the Australian childcare sector. Here are 4 of them</a>
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<p>This turnover can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK189908/">impact upon</a> children’s wellbeing, development and learning.</p>
<p>To find out more about the challenges educators face, how it impacts upon their wellbeing and learn from other countries, our <a href="https://thesector.com.au/2021/09/14/accreditation-effects-on-early-childhood-educator-morale/">international study</a> explored the experiences of early childhood educators around the world.</p>
<p>This article looks at the Australian and Canadian components of the study. </p>
<h2>Australian educators’ experiences</h2>
<p>As part of our research, we surveyed 51 early childhood educators in Australia in 2021, which found parts of their job threatened their wellbeing. They painted a picture of an important job that is not valued <a href="https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/why-cant-we-value-and-pay-for-the-emotional-cost-of-caring/">financially</a> and not <a href="https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/smile-and-wave-ladies-the-attempts-to-silence-grace-tame-mirrors-the-plight-of-early-childhood-educators/">respected</a> by the broader community. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Childcare workers on strike." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496656/original/file-20221122-17-lo7xs3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496656/original/file-20221122-17-lo7xs3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496656/original/file-20221122-17-lo7xs3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496656/original/file-20221122-17-lo7xs3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496656/original/file-20221122-17-lo7xs3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496656/original/file-20221122-17-lo7xs3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496656/original/file-20221122-17-lo7xs3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Australian early childhood educators went on strike in September over pay and conditions.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Joel Carrett/AAP</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>They talked about work being done “from the love of your heart”, rather than being rewarded with adequate <a href="https://au.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/lowest-paid-jobs-in-australia">pay</a>. They also spoke about early childhood services exploiting the goodwill of educators. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>All those extra toys you see in rooms, fancy art shows, are all topped up and financed by [staff].</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Educators talked about the <a href="https://educationhq.com/news/managerialism-is-driving-the-crisis-in-early-childhood-education-117618/">pressure</a> to meet the needs of parents and children and government regulations.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>All of us have stressful days […] managing behavioural issues, parents’ demands and a lot of routine tasks.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Meanwhile, there was an “obscene” amount of <a href="https://theconversation.com/early-childhood-educators-are-slaves-to-the-demands-of-box-ticking-regulations-167283">administrative</a> work and repeated stories of staff fatigue and <a href="https://thesector.com.au/2021/10/25/bound-for-burnout-early-childhood-educators-are-swimming-against-a-gendered-micromanaged-tide/">burnout</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We are burnt out and leaving the industry in droves because rather than having quality educators we are getting pushed for quantity. Children are being seen as a commodity and it needs to stop.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>What could we learn from Canada?</h2>
<p>Our study also surveyed educators involved in a <a href="https://ecepeermentoring.trubox.ca/research/">program</a> in Canada, where peer support has been used to boost the wellbeing of early childhood educators. </p>
<p>Up to <a href="https://ecepeermentoring.trubox.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/700/2021/08/Mentorship-as-a-Strategy-to-Address-Recruitment-Doan-Gray-2021-2.pdf">50% of early childhood educators</a> in British Columbia had been leaving the sector in their first five years. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/jcs/article/view/18778">Peer Mentoring Program</a> began as a pilot project in 2016 and expanded across the province of British Columbia to 17 sites in 2019. Currently, the program is used in 25 locations across British Columbia. </p>
<p>In the <a href="https://ecepeermentoring.trubox.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/700/2021/02/Reflections-on-the-Peer-Mentoring-Project-for-Early-Childhood-Educators-in-British-Columbia-1.pdf">program</a>, educators were organised into groups of 12 (six more junior, six more experienced) and one or two facilitators. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Small children playing in the sand." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496658/original/file-20221122-16-b8skj8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496658/original/file-20221122-16-b8skj8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496658/original/file-20221122-16-b8skj8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496658/original/file-20221122-16-b8skj8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496658/original/file-20221122-16-b8skj8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496658/original/file-20221122-16-b8skj8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496658/original/file-20221122-16-b8skj8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">As of October, there were nearly 7,000 ads for early childhood educators in Australia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mick Tsikas/AAP</span></span>
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<p>The groups meet in person once a month to talk and share experiences. They may invite a guest speaker, depending on the group’s interest, and each group receives funds for this purpose. They can also organise professional development as part of their meetings as opposed to a one-off workshop.</p>
<p>In addition to the monthly face-to-face group gatherings, junior and mentor educators are paired up and meet weekly, either face-to-face, online, or by telephone to support each other.</p>
<h2>Why is it effective?</h2>
<p>In 2020, we conducted 17 focus groups with approximately 200 early childhood educators who were part of the peer mentoring program.</p>
<p>Participants in the program said it gave them a space to talk without judgement or recrimination. Participants said they felt safe, and mentally refreshed. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I would describe the […] program as going home, being with a group of people who […] allow you to be the best version of yourself.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>One educator <a href="https://ecepeermentoring.trubox.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/700/2021/08/Mentorship-as-a-Strategy-to-Address-Recruitment-Doan-Gray-2021-2.pdf">said</a> the program allowed her to “thrive” instead of just “survive”: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>you’re actually thriving and you have the enriching connections and conversations […] if we want to honour children’s time with their [play and educational] materials and with one another, we also need to honour our time with one another as well, to have that rich conversation.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another mentor said it was empowering to be among other women. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I was like ‘do I get on the board?’, like I needed to be immersed in strong women, strong leadership […] just empowered people that are passionate about the same things that I’m passionate about.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Is it retaining staff?</h2>
<p>Overall, educators say they have increased their connections to other educators, all of which has helped to sustain them in the field, avoiding burnout. </p>
<p>While retention of educators continues to be an issue in British Columbia, educators reported greater levels of confidence in their own abilities.</p>
<p>Anecdotally, educators and services have reported greater retention and a formal survey has been created to capture the data in 2023.</p>
<h2>What now?</h2>
<p>Australian governments and early childhood services are spending a lot to <a href="https://www.vic.gov.au/training-and-support-early-childhood-professionals">attract</a> and <a href="https://thesector.com.au/2022/09/08/inclusive-education-scholarships-now-available-in-nsw-up-to-20000-on-offer/">train</a> educators. </p>
<p>As part of this, some of the money would be well spent supporting the ongoing <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35317528/">wellbeing</a> of educators to keep them in this vital workforce.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193954/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marg Rogers is a Research Fellow with the Commonwealth-funded Manna Institute that builds place-based research capacity to improve mental health in regional, rural, and remote Australia through the Regional Universities Network (RUN).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura K. Doan receives funding from the Government of Canada through the Canada - British Columbia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Navjot Bhullar currently receives funding from the Australian Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), Forrest Hill Grant via the Foundation of Graduates in Early Childhood Studies, and The British Academy.</span></em></p>A Canadian peer support program for early childhood educators is helping staff feel valued and avoid burnout.Marg Rogers, Senior Lecturer, Early Childhood Education, University of New EnglandLaura K. Doan, Associate professor, Thompson Rivers UniversityNavjot Bhullar, Professor of Psychology (Research-focussed), Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1945262022-11-17T19:02:10Z2022-11-17T19:02:10ZThe teacher shortage plan must do more to recruit and retain First Nations teachers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495286/original/file-20221115-22-qu1kuv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4925%2C3227&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Courtneyk/Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The federal government has recently released a <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/teaching-and-school-leadership/resources/draft-national-teacher-workforce-action-plan#:%7E:text=The%20Draft%20National%20Teacher%20Workforce,Improving%20teacher%20supply">draft plan</a> to fix the teacher shortage.</p>
<p>The plan sets out ways to increase respect for the profession and ease teachers’ workloads. A key aspect of the plan also includes recruiting more First Nations teachers. This emphasis is welcome. But as it stands, the draft doesn’t include enough detail about how we achieve this. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jason-clare-has-a-draft-plan-to-fix-the-teacher-shortage-what-needs-to-stay-and-what-should-change-193834">Jason Clare has a draft plan to fix the teacher shortage. What needs to stay and what should change?</a>
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<h2>We need more First Nations teachers</h2>
<p>First Nations teachers are under-represented in Australian schools. As of 2016 <a href="https://www.acde.edu.au/acde-analysis-of-2016-census-statistics-of-aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-teachers-and-students/">6.2%</a> of Australian school students identified as First Nations, while <a href="https://www.acde.edu.au/acde-analysis-of-2016-census-statistics-of-aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-teachers-and-students/">just 2%</a> of the teaching workforce identified as First Nations. </p>
<p>We know First Nations cultures <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep/22/indigenous-australians-know-were-the-oldest-living-culture-its-in-our-dreamtime">are the oldest</a> continuous cultures in the world. We also know culture is not innate. We are born into culture, not with it. </p>
<p>So First Nations peoples have the oldest teaching and learning techniques and knowledges in the world. This has the potential to benefit all students. Recruiting and retaining First Nations teachers is crucial to this becoming a reality.</p>
<h2>What’s in the plan?</h2>
<p>The plan includes a number of specific measures designed to recruit more First Nations people into teaching degrees and classrooms. This includes: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>A$10 million for a national campaign to increase respect for teachers, with a focus on First Nations teachers</p></li>
<li><p>bursaries of up to $40,000 to study teaching, again with a focus on First Nations students</p></li>
<li><p>a new national First Nations teachers’ strategy to apply from 2024. This will be co-designed by the federal government and First Nations education organisations</p></li>
<li><p>as part of this, $14.1 million for teaching First Nations languages in schools. This will give potential First Nations teachers exposure to the classroom and potentially provide a pathway for more First Nations teachers.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>More detail needed</h2>
<p>But so far, there is limited detail about how these actions or measures will lead to increasing teacher numbers. We welcome the investment in First Nations languages in schools, but there are many barriers to growing a First Nations teacher workforce. </p>
<p>According to the 2022 <a href="https://ministers.pmc.gov.au/burney/2022/closing-gap-annual-data-compilation-report-2022">Closing the Gap report</a>, 63% of Indigenous Australians aged 20 to 24 had finished year 12. This compares with 88.5% of non-Indigenous Australians in that age group. </p>
<p>Research has <a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/10916421.pdf">identified</a> Indigenous students doing teaching degrees at university then face racism, a lack of financial support, inflexible structures of university, limited access to technology, and isolation. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags flying in front of Parliament House in Canberra." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495291/original/file-20221115-12-8t590v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495291/original/file-20221115-12-8t590v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495291/original/file-20221115-12-8t590v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495291/original/file-20221115-12-8t590v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495291/original/file-20221115-12-8t590v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495291/original/file-20221115-12-8t590v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495291/original/file-20221115-12-8t590v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Indigenous Australians do not complete high school at the same rate as non-Indigenous Australians.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mick Tsikas/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When First Nations teachers enter the profession, they often face <a href="https://indigenousx.com.au/blak-representation-in-schools-is-imperative/">overwhelming demands</a>. It is not uncommon for First Nations teachers to be seen by non-Indigenous colleagues as the expert in everything Indigenous in a school. </p>
<p>So, if we are going to get <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-can-australia-support-more-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-teachers-178522">more First Nations people teaching in schools</a>, we first need to ensure they were successful as a school student. Then we need to help them find a pathway through teacher education at university and then ensure it is worth staying in the profession, once they make it into classrooms. </p>
<h2>Decolonising classrooms</h2>
<p>Another element missing from the plan is an agenda to <a href="https://theconversation.com/decolonising-classrooms-could-help-keep-first-nations-kids-in-school-and-away-from-police-188067">decolonise classrooms</a>. This requires teachers and schools to change their approaches to include First Nations contexts across all aspects of teaching and learning.</p>
<p>This means everything from what is taught to the way it is taught and the spaces they are taught in. This means including knowledge of First Nations cultures in the curriculum, using First Nations ways of teaching, Aboriginal flags and artworks on display, dedicated collections in school libraries, and spaces that allow for on-Country learning. It also needs to involve Elders and other community members in our schools. </p>
<p>Without these changes, schools themselves become barriers to First Nations teachers wanting to remain in the profession.</p>
<h2>Two pathways into the profession</h2>
<p>Broadly speaking there are two pathways for First Nations people into teaching - through teaching assistant jobs or through university. </p>
<p>In many remote and rural schools, there is a strong workforce of First Nations teacher assistants. Programs to help Indigenous teaching assistants into teaching degrees have <a href="https://www.fobl.net.au/index.php/au-MU/history/71-government-support-for-nt-bilingual-education-after-1950-a-longer-timeline">suffered from funding cuts</a>, although the Northern Territory government, has recently <a href="https://www.teachintheterritory.nt.gov.au/teaching-territory/aboriginal-educator-workforce-initiatives">announced</a> it will increase professional development opportunities for remote Aboriginal teacher education. This includes school-based traineeships, grants and mentoring.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/once-students-knew-their-identity-they-excelled-how-to-talk-about-excellence-in-indigenous-education-193394">'Once students knew their identity, they excelled': how to talk about excellence in Indigenous education</a>
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<p>The federal government’s draft plan also touches on this – mentioning Queensland’s plan to build pathways for First Nations teacher assistants and classroom teachers, by talking to TAFEs and universities. There is also the commitment to a First Nations teachers’ strategy, and initiatives to build the cultural capabilities of the non-Indigenous teacher workforce. </p>
<p>This is a start, but it lacks detail and a sense of national cohesion. </p>
<p>And there is little detail about how First Nations school leavers – who mainly come from urban areas – can be encouraged to enter teaching degrees at university. </p>
<h2>Bipartisanship is key</h2>
<p>Lessons from <a href="https://www.edutech.com.au/matsiti/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/MATSITI-2016-Final-Report-1.0.pdf">past reviews</a> highlight the merits of developing long-term, First Nations-led strategies and programs that provide real support for First Nations teachers. </p>
<p>They also note the importance of listening to, acting on and resourcing initiatives controlled by First Nations peoples. Consistency is vital for success. Bipartisanship is needed across education and Indigenous policy, so programs can be developed without the threat of funding being withdrawn if there is a change of government. </p>
<p>This is a crucial moment for Australia’s education system. The teacher shortage could lead to current and future generations missing out on the quality education they need. </p>
<p>We welcome the investment in First Nations teachers. But we also fear this won’t have the necessary impact unless there is system-wide reform and decolonisation that supports the recruitment, retention, and engagement of First Nations teachers – the oldest teachers in the world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194526/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A key aspect of Education Minister Jason Clare’s draft plan is recruiting more First Nations teachers. But it is missing details and an emphasis on decolonising schools.Aleryk Fricker, Lecturer, Indigenous Education, Deakin UniversityGlenn Auld, Senior lecturer in Education, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1938342022-11-03T06:09:02Z2022-11-03T06:09:02ZJason Clare has a draft plan to fix the teacher shortage. What needs to stay and what should change?<p>Education Minister Jason Clare has <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/teaching-and-school-leadership/resources/draft-national-teacher-workforce-action-plan">released a draft plan</a> to address what he calls an “<a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/teacher-workforce-shortages-issues-paper">unprecedented</a>” teacher shortage in Australia. </p>
<p>As he said on Thursday, “there is a shortage of them right across the country”. For example, federal education department <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/teacher-workforce-shortages-issues-paper">modelling shows</a> there will be a high school teacher shortfall of about 4,000 by 2025.</p>
<p>The plan has been brewing <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-great-education-ministers-agree-the-teacher-shortage-is-a-problem-but-their-new-plan-ignores-the-root-causes-188660">since a meeting</a> between Clare and his state and territory counterparts in August. </p>
<p>Since then, education department heads, schools, university and union leaders have been working on ways to address the teacher shortage. Clare now wants to know what should stay and what needs to change, before education ministers sign off on the plan in December. </p>
<h2>First, what’s the problem?</h2>
<p>We are education researchers who study teachers’ perceptions of their work in Australia. Earlier this year, we conducted a national survey of 5,000 teachers. We recorded more than 38,000 comments, including proposed solutions and ideas for change. </p>
<p>This <a href="https://www.monash.edu/perceptions-of-teaching/report2022">research showed</a> the teacher shortage is the result of complex problems that have been building for years. </p>
<p>If we are going to fix it, we need to address issues including excessive workloads, the increasing complexity of the role, growing expectations and administrative responsibilities, and a lack of respect for the profession. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1586927706645889024"}"></div></p>
<h2>What’s in the plan?</h2>
<p>The plan includes a headline figure of A$328 million, some of which was <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/thousands-of-extra-uni-places-created-to-help-plug-skills-gaps-20221023-p5bs2y.html">announced in the budget</a> last week. </p>
<p>It looks at six themes: improving teaching’s reputation, encouraging more people to do teaching degrees, improving how we prepare new teachers for the job, reducing workloads and better data. It includes 28 “actions”, such as: </p>
<ul>
<li>$10 million to raise the status of teachers </li>
<li>new teacher of the year awards</li>
<li>recognising skills in other areas (like maths) that can be “transferable” to teaching </li>
<li>improving access to First Nations cultural competency resources </li>
</ul>
<p>The draft plan also includes: </p>
<ul>
<li>$25 million for a “workload reduction” pilot</li>
<li>improving data about current teacher supply, teaching graduate numbers and why teachers leave </li>
<li>improving mentoring and support for teachers starting out in their careers.</li>
</ul>
<h2>What does it get right?</h2>
<p>The draft has many promising elements, which suggests there is a commitment to real action on key issues. This is particularly the case when it comes respect for teachers and their workloads.</p>
<p><strong>1. Elevating the profession</strong></p>
<p>The draft says we need to “recognise the value teachers bring to students, communities and the economy”. It is encouraging to see this is the top of the list of action items. Importantly, it also states:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>ministers, education stakeholders, and the media will take every opportunity to actively promote the valued work of teachers and the merits of the profession, effective immediately.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Our research found 70% of surveyed teachers feel the profession is disrespected by the public. We also found 90% felt politicians don’t respect teachers and 80% felt the media do not respect teachers. As one teacher told us:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I plan to leave […]it is wearying constantly having to defend my profession against attacks in the media.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Raising the status of the profession and valuing teachers as a highly skilled, expert workforce (that is a critical part of society) is of utmost importance. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/they-phone-you-up-during-lunch-and-yell-at-you-why-teachers-say-dealing-with-parents-is-the-worst-part-of-their-job-191256">'They phone you up during lunch and yell at you' – why teachers say dealing with parents is the worst part of their job</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><strong>2. Workloads</strong></p>
<p>In another section called, “maximising the time to teach”, there is a much-needed focus on workload issues. In our study, only 14% of teachers agreed their workloads were manageable. Workload issues were also the most frequent reason given for wanting to leave the profession, as illustrated by this teacher: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I’ve hit burnout twice already. I don’t expect I can keep up the level of energy or give so much of my time for much longer.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Workload is a crucial issue that requires an immediate response, as this draft has recognised. Ongoing consultation with teachers is crucial. Ministers and policymakers should keep asking teachers what support they need to make their workloads manageable – and listening to the responses. </p>
<h2>What needs to change?</h2>
<p>In releasing the draft, Clare has called for feedback from teachers and the broader community, and he wants to know what is missing. In our view, the final plan needs to have a bigger focus on two things: </p>
<p><strong>1. Retaining teachers</strong></p>
<p>Although the report includes sections to support current teachers, a significant proportion is spent on attracting new teacher and strengthening teaching degrees. </p>
<p>There is no question we need to attract and train great teachers. But if we want to have any short-to-medium-term impact on the issue, the top priority should be keeping the teachers we have now.</p>
<p>The current workforce shortage crisis is a result of teachers leaving the profession. Our research suggests attrition will continue, with only 28% of teachers indicating they plan to stay in the job until retirement, and almost 50% planning to leave within the next ten years. </p>
<p>There is also a lot of attention on teachers leaving the profession within their first five years. But we found those who had been in the profession for six-to-ten years were the most likely to be planning to leave. This suggests the more significant issues are those experienced on the job rather than while studying. </p>
<p><strong>2. More trust</strong></p>
<p>The other big element missing from this draft is trust. Australia has a history of <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-wonder-no-one-wants-to-be-a-teacher-world-first-study-looks-at-65-000-news-articles-about-australian-teachers-186210">blaming teacher quality</a> for problems in education. </p>
<p>Policy responses have suggested teachers can’t be trusted to do their jobs well. We require teachers to constantly account for their professional decisions through excessive data collection and narrow performance-based markers (such as the NAPLAN tests).</p>
<p>Our research showed the lack of trust erodes Australian teachers’ commitment to, and passion for their work. As one teacher told us: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s not the profession I want to remain in. I became a teacher to educate and inspire students, not to push agendas and collect data.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>When it comes to keeping teachers in the classroom where they are needed, we need to trust they are well-trained and committed to delivering the best for all their students.</p>
<p>If not, teachers will not feel respected, will be burdened by unrealistic workloads and they will not stay. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/no-wonder-no-one-wants-to-be-a-teacher-world-first-study-looks-at-65-000-news-articles-about-australian-teachers-186210">No wonder no one wants to be a teacher: world-first study looks at 65,000 news articles about Australian teachers</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193834/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>There is an ‘unprecedented’ shortage of teachers right across Australia. Education experts say teachers need respect and a more reasonable workload.Fiona Longmuir, Lecturer - Educational Leadership, Monash UniversityKelly-Ann Allen, Associate Professor, School of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, Monash UniversityMichael Phillips, Associate Professor, Digital Transformation, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1912562022-10-11T19:04:25Z2022-10-11T19:04:25Z‘They phone you up during lunch and yell at you’ – why teachers say dealing with parents is the worst part of their job<p>We know teachers are under a lot of pressure. Teacher shortages, <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-great-education-ministers-agree-the-teacher-shortage-is-a-problem-but-their-new-plan-ignores-the-root-causes-188660">growing workloads</a> as well as the <a href="https://theconversation.com/this-is-like-banging-our-heads-against-the-wall-why-a-move-to-outsource-lesson-planning-has-nsw-teachers-hopping-mad-188081">demands of a complex job</a> mean many teachers are stressed.</p>
<p>But my research shows parents are not helping. In fact, they are making the problem worse. </p>
<p>Teachers are increasingly copping abuse from parents and it’s undermining their desire to stay in the profession.</p>
<h2>Bullying, abuse and threats</h2>
<p>A 2020 Australian Catholic University/ Deakin University <a href="https://principalhealth.org/reports/2020_AU_Final_Report.pdf">survey</a> of more than 2,000 Australian principals found 83% had experienced bullying, the threat of physical violence or physical violence in the past 12 months. </p>
<p>The survey did not specify where the abuse came from, but it did report a significant increase in parental engagement due to the pandemic. About 28% of surveyed principals said they were spending an extra two hours a day dealing with parents. </p>
<p>The survey’s researchers also recommended having recorded, online parent/ teacher interviews to minimise exposure to “offensive behaviour”.</p>
<p>This has not escaped the attention of policymakers. From term 3, the Victorian government <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/school-life/schools-could-ban-parents-and-take-them-to-court/news-story/fc1294c509e074bf9890ae1ae6c404b4">introduced powers</a> to ban parents from school grounds for threatening behaviour and bullying towards staff. Western Australia has a <a href="https://thewest.com.au/news/education/wa-education-department-in-the-dark-on-school-prohibition-orders-on-parents-despite-concern-over-rise-in-abuse-c-8081571">similar ban</a> in place. </p>
<h2>My research</h2>
<p>I have interviewed more than 80 teachers across four different studies over the past ten years. </p>
<p>This includes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17508487.2016.1238402">studies</a> with teachers from government and independent schools, and both primary and secondary schools. It also includes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2019.1663247">early career teachers</a> and teachers in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2021.1933912">remote</a> and rural communities. </p>
<p>Out of these, three consistent themes arise: teachers are passionate about teaching, the job is incredibly stressful and does not come with enough support and the profession is increasingly disrespected by the community. This includes <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-wonder-no-one-wants-to-be-a-teacher-world-first-study-looks-at-65-000-news-articles-about-australian-teachers-186210">media reporting</a> about schools, comments from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/17/stuart-robert-says-dud-teachers-not-an-issue-in-australias-independent-schools">political leaders</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/school-life/schools-could-ban-parents-and-take-them-to-court/news-story/fc1294c509e074bf9890ae1ae6c404b4">parents’ behaviour</a> towards teachers. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/this-is-like-banging-our-heads-against-the-wall-why-a-move-to-outsource-lesson-planning-has-nsw-teachers-hopping-mad-188081">'This is like banging our heads against the wall': why a move to outsource lesson planning has NSW teachers hopping mad</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Teachers are expected to be parents</h2>
<p>The teachers I interviewed talked about their commitment to the emotional, intellectual and physical wellbeing of students in their classrooms. </p>
<p>Some teachers spoke of being like a parent to their students. As Annelise told me: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>My year 12s always say to me, ‘You’re like our school mum’ because it’s such a safe environment. I think that’s where you do become like their other mum because they come to you for advice or they come to you all scared, or they just need a bit of boost. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>But while teachers are very caring and protective of their students, they are sometimes taken advantage of by parents who outsource parenting, discipline and child-minding. Ross, a teacher in a private school spoke of always being in demand. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Look, they’re [parents] paying A$20,000-plus [per year] and some of them want to get their money’s worth. So yeah, we are very accountable to the parents […] they’ve paid their money and they want you to sort of parent them as well.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Many parents think teachers just work from 8.30am to 3.00pm. The reality is they have to create lessons, have staff and parent meetings, mark work, complete administration and respond to emails outside of these hours. </p>
<p>As Jacinta explains: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I’m 0.6 but I’m there full-time. I spent three hours just answering emails to parents instead of doing what I went in to do on my day off.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Teachers’ time and work is not valued</h2>
<p>Teachers spoke of not being respected or valued by parents. This includes waiting for hours for parents to pick up their children. As Krystal said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I’ve had to wait until 1am [for] parents to pick up their kids after an evening excursion or rehearsal. This is not just a once off either […]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It also involves parents not believing teachers’ accounts of what happens in the classroom, as Jackson told me: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I told one student off in class for smearing banana all over the carpet behind his desk and I made him clean it up. Within five minutes of the class ending […] I’ve got the kid’s parents on the phone complaining that it wasn’t their son […]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Bella, a drama teacher, told me “the most challenging thing” about being a new teacher “is the parents”. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I had a student in year 11 whose parents emailed my head of department and basically said, ‘The drama teacher, who I don’t know, I don’t think she knows what she’s doing because my child got a B and she’s an A student.’</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Going beyond disrespect</h2>
<p>But it goes behind simple disrespect. Teachers I interviewed reported regular incidents of violence and threatening behaviour. As Kelly told me: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We had to lock down the entire school one day because a parent went ballistic at the principal. Then they did burnouts out the front of the school until the police arrived.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This also involves verbal abuse, as Max highlights:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The kids have their trauma and issues, but nine times out of ten it’s the parents. They phone you up during lunch and yell at you that you’re useless, their child should have got an A and that you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s very stressful. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Chloe, an independent primary school teacher, summed up the situation like this: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>What’s the best thing about teaching? The kids. And the worst thing about teaching is the parents!</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>The worst thing about teaching</h2>
<p>Of course, parents care deeply about their children and have the right to approach the school to ask questions or raise concerns. </p>
<p>But parents should also be mindful that a school is also someone else’s workplace. Teachers are already working overtime (literally) to educate their children – they don’t need abuse from parents on top of this. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-teacher-shortage-wont-be-solved-until-we-treat-teaching-as-a-profession-not-a-trade-188441">Australia's teacher shortage won't be solved until we treat teaching as a profession, not a trade</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/191256/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kirsten Lambert does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Teachers are increasingly copping abuse from parents and it’s undermining their desire to stay in the profession.Kirsten Lambert, Senior Lecturer in English and Graduate Research, Murdoch UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1909212022-09-20T20:19:57Z2022-09-20T20:19:57Z‘I’d just like to get on with my job’ – the barriers facing science teachers in Australia<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/485444/original/file-20220920-18498-mcc5ue.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C52%2C4992%2C3218&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/group-students-laboratory-lab-science-classroom-721325539">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The current <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/crisis-building-for-years-half-of-teachers-plan-to-leave-profession-as-shortages-bite-20220802-p5b6pw.html">teacher shortage</a> in Australia has been building for <a href="https://www.aitsl.edu.au/research/australian-teacher-workforce-data/key-metrics-dashboard">years</a>. </p>
<p>The pipeline of new teachers entering the profession is inadequate, and attrition rates are high, particularly in <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/teacher-shortage-risks-stunting-students-in-maths-science-researchers-warn-20220706-p5azfw.html">science and mathematics</a>.</p>
<p>Shortages have led to more teachers teaching subjects “out of field”. Recent <a href="https://www.agta.asn.au/files/News/2022/toof/AustralianNationalSummitReport-PART%20A-D4.pdf">estimates</a> show 29% of science classes are taught by someone who is not trained as a science teacher. </p>
<p>The lack of suitably science qualified teachers is a big problem. Not only is science a huge part of the education system, scientific skills lie at the heart of some of our <a href="https://www.dewr.gov.au/newsroom/articles/stem-jobs-growing-almost-twice-fast-other-jobs">most in-demand jobs</a>, from engineering to agriculture and information technology. </p>
<p>They are also necessary to understanding and finding solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems, like climate change. </p>
<h2>Our survey</h2>
<p>In June and July 2022, we <a href="https://www.stansw.asn.au/common/Uploaded%20files/Organisation%20Documents/2022/NSW%20Parliament%20Inquiry%20on%20Teacher%20Shortages%20-%20Submission%20(3).pdf">surveyed</a> more than 300 primary and high school science teachers about their work and workloads. </p>
<p>The research was done with the Science Teachers Association of NSW and respondents came from a mix of government, private and Catholic schools. We found: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>48% of respondents said there was at least one permanent vacancy for a science teacher in their school </p></li>
<li><p>84% said science classes had been taught by a non-science teacher in the previous week</p></li>
<li><p>57% said their school had at least one science teacher with less than one year of teaching experience.</p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thinking-of-choosing-a-science-subject-in-years-11-and-12-heres-what-you-need-to-know-164778">Thinking of choosing a science subject in years 11 and 12? Here's what you need to know</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>‘We need more time’</h2>
<p>Teachers also reported they were burnt out, saying they were “exhausted” by all the administration involved in their jobs. As one teacher told us: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Our roles are added to regularly and nothing is taken away to compensate for the extra requirements. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>They reported not having time for a recess or lunch break and working out of hours during at home in the evening. As another reported: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We need more time to plan, review and improve effective and engaging lessons NOT more administrative tasks.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Research has already shown teachers work long hours due to an <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-research-shows-nsw-teachers-working-long-hours-to-cope-with-administrative-load-99453">increasing administrative burden</a>. To meet regulatory requirements, teachers have to document things including detailed professional development, maintaining their <a href="https://education.nsw.gov.au/about-us/careers-at-education/roles-and-locations/roles-at-education/teaching/nesa-accreditation">accreditation</a> and student records. Some of this is necessary but the volume has become unmanageable.</p>
<p>On top of this general administration burden, science teachers also also need to manage science supplies, test experiments and submit risk assessments for them. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/its-great-education-ministers-agree-the-teacher-shortage-is-a-problem-but-their-new-plan-ignores-the-root-causes-188660">It's great education ministers agree the teacher shortage is a problem, but their new plan ignores the root causes</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>‘There will be gaps’</h2>
<p>Science teachers lamented that there was no back-up for their skills of expertise in schools. </p>
<p>More than 80% of those surveyed said they had difficulty in finding science teachers to cover their classes when when they are sick, on leave or need to attend compulsory professional development. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>It is not just that classes are being covered by non-science teachers but that we have to cover classes in other faculties […].</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Respondents reported concern for students as some classes were not being taught by qualified science teachers and schools were merging classes, to cope with staff absences. As one teacher warned:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>There will noticeable gaps in the level of skills and critical thinking required of senior science students because of the disruption of teacher shortages.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>What will keep science teachers teaching?</h2>
<p>If we want to attract and retain talented science teachers we need to reduce teachers’ administrative workload to give them more time to plan and teach. </p>
<p>Real actions to help science teachers would include funding lab technicians and administrative staff to support non-teaching duties.</p>
<p>We should also give science teachers access to compliance and risk assessment technologies. These will make it easier for science teachers to meet regulations around health and safety.</p>
<p>Science teachers need extra support to do their jobs because providing real science experiences that foster deep learning needs complex planning to keep students safe. </p>
<p>Our science teachers are passionate and enthusiastic professionals who love what they do. As one teacher told us: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I adore my job, I adore my kids [but] we now are so bogged down in paperwork and bloody reporting that our passion and enthusiasm for the job is burning out faster than a candle in a wind tunnel.</p>
</blockquote><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/190921/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tracey-Ann Palmer is affiliated with the Science Teacher's Association of NSW.</span></em></p>A new survey finds science classes are frequently being taught by non-science teachers.Tracey-Ann Palmer, Lecturer, Initial Teacher Education, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1907242022-09-20T12:37:56Z2022-09-20T12:37:56ZStressed out, burned out and dropping out: Why teachers are leaving the classroom<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/484697/original/file-20220914-11733-ybu2z4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5114%2C3412&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">High teacher turnover hurts students and negatively affects learning.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/asian-teacher-teaching-math-to-students-in-royalty-free-image/135205438?adppopup=true">Ariel Skelley/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Many school districts across the United States are in the midst of a crisis: a teacher shortage. Part of the problem is due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are other reasons why teachers are leaving their jobs at higher rates than before. On Aug. 29, 2022, <a href="https://www.sciline.org/social-sciences/teacher-turnover/">SciLine</a> interviewed <a href="https://tuan-d-nguyen.github.io/home">Tuan Nguyen</a>, an assistant professor in the College of Education at Kansas State University, about why teachers are quitting and what can be done to slow or stop the trend.</em></p>
<figure>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Tuan Nguyen talks to SciLine about teacher burnout.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>Below are some highlights from the discussion. Please note that answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.</em> </p>
<p><strong>Can you share some data on typical rates of teacher turnover?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Tuan Nguyen:</strong> Before the pandemic, about 15%, 16% of teachers turn over every year. About half of that is teachers switching from one school to another, and then the other half, about 7%, 8%, is teachers leaving the profession every year. </p>
<p><strong>What is known about why teachers leave their jobs?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Tuan Nguyen:</strong> Generally, there are three main buckets, or categories, as to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100355">why teachers leave their jobs</a> for other schools or leave the profession. </p>
<p>One is what’s known as the personal factors … things related to the teachers, their characteristics, such as their age, race, ethnicity and gender, their qualifications. </p>
<p>Another bucket is related to schools, such as … school characteristics and school resources, working conditions. </p>
<p>And the last area is known as external factors. These are things that are happening at the national or state level that are somewhat beyond the school control. We think about NCLB – <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/12/08/458844737/no-child-left-behind-an-obituary">No Child Left Behind</a>. </p>
<p><strong>How does teacher turnover affect student learning?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Tuan Nguyen:</strong> We know that teachers are the most critical factor of student learning, and that when we have high teacher turnover, that is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858420905812">detrimental to student learning</a>. </p>
<p>What you have here is the loss of teaching knowledge and expertise. Districts also have to spend additional resources in order to recruit and train new teachers … usually a novice teacher or a teacher who is underqualified. And we know from research that underqualified teachers and novice teachers are <a href="https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/why-teachers-leave-or-dont-a-look-at-the-numbers/2021/05">more likely to leave the profession</a>. </p>
<p>So then what you get is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2021.102079">this cycle of churn</a>, where you have teachers leaving, replaced with new or underqualified teachers, who themselves are more likely to leave. And that leads to more turnover next year.</p>
<p><strong>What makes teachers likelier to stay in their jobs?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Tuan Nguyen:</strong> There are many things that we can actually do to help teachers stay where they are.</p>
<p>One is <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/teachers-paid-covid-retention-bonuses-staff-shortages-covid-19-pandemic-1666872">retention bonuses</a>, so that if they stay for one or two years, then they get an additional bonus on top of their salary. </p>
<p>Many teachers <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d17/tables/dt17_211.60.asp">are not paid very well</a>. They have to moonlight. They have to have a second or a third job. And now they’re asked to <a href="https://www.marketplace.org/2022/08/25/inflation-means-teachers-who-buy-their-own-supplies-have-to-spend-more-or-ask-for-help/">buy equipment and resources from their own pocket</a> in order to do that job. That doesn’t really incentivize teachers to stay. </p>
<p><strong>Is there any research on how the pandemic – including health risks, the switch to remote learning and new pressures from parents – has affected teachers’ job satisfaction?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Tuan Nguyen:</strong> National surveys have shown that a significant portion of teachers – 55% – said that they would like to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/02/01/1076943883/teachers-quitting-burnout">leave teaching as soon as possible</a>. So even if those 55% do not leave their job, and we haven’t seen evidence of that, what that tells me is that teachers are stressed out and they’re burnt out. </p>
<p><strong>What policies can make teaching a more attractive long-term career and reduce teacher turnover?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Tuan Nguyen:</strong> We have to think about making salary competitive so that it’s comparable to other professions, but also make targeted policy decisions and incentives for hard-to-staff schools and subjects. </p>
<p>For instance, we know that economically disadvantaged schools tend to have <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/why-do-high-poverty-schools-have-difficulty-staffing-their-classrooms-with-qualified-teachers/">a really hard time attracting teachers</a>. </p>
<p>We also know that STEM teachers, special education teachers and bilingual education teachers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1063/PT.3.4959">are in high demand</a>. We need those folks. So we need to make targeted incentives to get those folks into teaching, right?</p>
<p>We also need to raise the prestige and respect of teachers and the teaching profession. You know, thinking about how we can provide career ladders or promotions to teachers so that they can continue and build on their craft. There are many, many things that we can do. And I’m optimistic that … we can do some of those if we can align our interests and think about policy solutions that can solve some of these problems.</p>
<p><em>Watch the <a href="https://www.sciline.org/social-sciences/teacher-turnover/">full interview</a> to hear about the teacher shortage crisis.</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://sciline.org/">SciLine</a> is a free service based at the nonprofit American Association for the Advancement of Science that helps journalists include scientific evidence and experts in their news stories.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/190724/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tuan D. Nguyen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It’s not just COVID-19. Low salaries, subpar working conditions and lack of resources in the classroom are three of the reasons why teachers are abandoning the profession.Tuan D. Nguyen, Assistant Professor of Education, Kansas State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1906462022-09-14T06:10:14Z2022-09-14T06:10:14ZThe Productivity Commission says Australian schools ‘fall short’ on quality and equity. What happens now?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/484460/original/file-20220914-4942-sonkk7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=13%2C13%2C4542%2C2978&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Taylor Flowe/Unsplash</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Productivity Commission has just released a <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/school-agreement/interim">review</a> of school standards in Australia. It finds we “persistently fall short” when it comes to providing a high quality and equitable education for all students. </p>
<p>Coming in at 253 pages, there is a lot to read. And a lot we already know. </p>
<p>But this report comes at a crucial time for Australian education. Outcomes are slipping, despite repeated attempts to improve them. And teacher shortages mean we need urgent measures as well as long-term changes. </p>
<h2>Why do we have this review?</h2>
<p>In April this year, former treasurer Josh Frydenberg asked the Productivity Commission to review the <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/quality-schools-package/national-school-reform-agreement">National School Reform Agreement</a>. This sets out nationally agreed initiatives for the next five years between the federal government, states and territories. </p>
<p>It is focused on three main areas: supporting students, supporting teaching and improving the data we have on schools in Australia. The next agreement is due to be signed in late 2023.</p>
<p>On Wednesday, the commission released its interim findings ahead of the final report to be delivered in December, when education ministers will begin hashing out a new agreement for the next five years.</p>
<h2>What’s in the report?</h2>
<p>There is little in this report we have not seen before. But the interim report certainly raises many key issues. </p>
<p>The report found too many students are falling behind. Every year, between 5% and 9% of Australian students do not meet year-level expectations in literacy or numeracy.</p>
<p>Student wellbeing is of significant concern, with one in five young people aged 11-17 reporting high levels of psychological distress, even before the pandemic.</p>
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<p>Despite talk about improving results for Aboriginal students and those in rural and remote areas, and students with disabilities, it says, “governments are yet to demonstrate results in improving equity”. It calls for new strategies, developed with students, parents and communities, to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. </p>
<p>We already know teacher shortages are an issue – and state and federal governments are working separately on a new workforce plan for teachers, also due in December. </p>
<p>Additionally, the report found teachers are overworked with “<a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/school-agreement/interim">low-value tasks</a>” and burned out. Work-life balance and wellbeing were the key reasons why teachers wanted to leave the profession. </p>
<h2>What can we do?</h2>
<p>There are no quick or easy fixes. But here are three practical solutions government can adopt now to improve the school system for teachers and students. </p>
<p><strong>1. Quality teaching rounds</strong></p>
<p>The commission’s report says quality teaching is key to improving student outcomes. It recommends teachers are given more time for planning and professional development.</p>
<p>The report also highlighted my work with colleagues on “<a href="https://qtacademy.edu.au/what-is-qtr/">quality teaching rounds</a>” professional development. This approach brings teachers together to learn from each other, improve their teaching and lift student outcomes.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-parents-should-and-shouldnt-say-when-talking-to-their-child-about-naplan-results-189636">What parents should and shouldn't say when talking to their child about NAPLAN results</a>
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<p>It is centred on three big ideas: a deep understanding of important knowledge, positive classrooms that boost learning, and connecting learning to students’ lives and the wider world. </p>
<p>Our evidence shows this approach has positive effects on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.08.007">teaching quality</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-020-09386-z">teacher morale</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X21000214?via%3Dihub">student achievement</a>, with greater impact in disadvantaged schools. This shows clear potential to narrow equity gaps and genuinely support teachers.</p>
<p><strong>2. Support throughout teaching careers</strong></p>
<p>The report acknowledges that school leadership roles are becoming more complex and demanding. It calls for the creation of a specific stream for aspiring school leaders. </p>
<p>This would see potential principals and other leaders (such as year-level and subject leaders) identified early in their careers and given specific support. </p>
<p>We also need a clear pathway from teaching degrees at university to induction in schools and ongoing development throughout teachers’ careers. This would mean teachers and school leaders are better equipped to do their jobs – and want to stay in the profession. </p>
<p><strong>3. More funding for research</strong></p>
<p>The report highlights the need for more evidence about what is working and what is not. It points out that previously agreed reforms for national data systems have stalled.</p>
<p>More than just creating systems of data, true reform requires rigorous research into all aspects of education.</p>
<p>Yet education does not receive the research dollars it deserves. For example, in the most recent round of the Australian Research Council’s <a href="https://rms.arc.gov.au/RMS/Report/Download/Report/a3f6be6e-33f7-4fb5-98a6-7526aaa184cf/230">discovery project grants</a>, education received less than 1% of approved funds – some A$2.5 million of the A$258 million allocated.</p>
<p>If the government wants change, investing in educational research must be part of the next agreement.</p>
<h2>What happens now?</h2>
<p>Education in Australia has a history of reviews, reports, plans and great intentions. </p>
<p>But we are constantly let down by implementation of recommendations. Partly it’s due to organisational complexity. Not only do the federal and state governments have different responsibilities in education, but there is a gap between policy and what happens on the ground in classrooms. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-spends-5-billion-a-year-on-teaching-assistants-in-schools-but-we-dont-know-what-they-do-187918">Australia spends $5 billion a year on teaching assistants in schools but we don't know what they do</a>
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<p>But with a new government and universal attention to the problem of teacher shortages, there is a rare opportunity now for Australian schools. We have a chance to make changes that genuinely support teachers and lift student outcomes. </p>
<p>The commission is now asking for comments on its interim report by October 21.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/190646/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jenny Gore receives funding from the Australian Research Council, Paul Ramsay Foundation and NSW Department of Education. </span></em></p>A new report comes at a critical time. Every year, between 5% and 9% of Australian students do not meet year-level expectations in literacy or numeracy.Jenny Gore, Laureate Professor of Education, Director Teachers and Teaching Research Centre, University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1894672022-09-07T20:07:25Z2022-09-07T20:07:25ZYes, some students are dropping out of teaching degrees, but not at the rate you think<p>We know Australian schools are in the grip of a teacher shortage. Federal and state education ministers are currently <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-great-education-ministers-agree-the-teacher-shortage-is-a-problem-but-their-new-plan-ignores-the-root-causes-188660">putting together a plan</a> to fix it, which is due in December. </p>
<p>One of the key planks so far is making sure more students finish their teaching degrees. </p>
<p>Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has regularly cited <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/quality-initial-teacher-education-review/resources/quality-initial-teacher-education-review-2021-discussion-paper">Education Department data</a> which shows people are <a href="https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/we-need-to-get-more-young-people-to-want-to-be-teachers/video/5d8a9a879277bca41665dbf86a91c093">not finishing their teaching degrees</a> at higher rates than other fields of study. This is based on looking at student cohorts over a six-year period. As he said <a href="https://www.jasonclare.com.au/media/transcripts/5167-radio-interview-with-patricia-karvelas-rn-breakfast-friday-12-august-2022">last month</a>: </p>
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<p>50% of young people who go into a teaching degree finish it. On average it’s about 70% of people who go into any other degree finish it. Now what’s going wrong there? </p>
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<p>At first glance these figures are alarming. But they are also an overly simple and misleading way to look at the issue. In fact, completion rates for teaching degrees are comparable to other similar programs.</p>
<h2>What are university completion rates?</h2>
<p>University completion rates are worked out using the total number of students who start a degree for a given year and then calculating the percentage of this group who graduate four, six or nine years later. </p>
<p>For example, assume 100 students start a teaching degree in 2012. A 50% completion rate translates to 50 students completing that degree by 2018 (six years post commencement is the generally noted range). </p>
<p>Comparatively, the average for other programs is noted as 70% – meaning that in the same time frame and with the same commencing number of students, 70 students completed their degree by 2018.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/too-many-people-drop-out-of-teaching-degrees-here-are-4-ways-to-keep-them-studying-189233">Too many people drop out of teaching degrees – here are 4 ways to keep them studying</a>
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<h2>Three year degrees vs four year degrees</h2>
<p>While the figures for teaching degrees look grim, it is important to note that degrees are not all of the same duration. </p>
<p>Three-year degrees are most common at the undergraduate level, but there are also four and five year bachelor degrees. </p>
<p>Undergraduate, teaching (education) programs are four years. This means a student doing part-time study will take eight years to graduate. This muddies the calculations. </p>
<p>For example, let’s compare a three-year bachelor of science degree with a four-year bachelor of education. Let’s assume they each have 100 students and the retention rate is 90% for each year of study. In this example, the completion rate for the three year program is 73%. For a four-year program with the same retention rate that figure drops to 65%. </p>
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<img alt="Students walking on campus." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482865/original/file-20220906-25-2kgepi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482865/original/file-20220906-25-2kgepi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482865/original/file-20220906-25-2kgepi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482865/original/file-20220906-25-2kgepi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482865/original/file-20220906-25-2kgepi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482865/original/file-20220906-25-2kgepi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/482865/original/file-20220906-25-2kgepi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">When looking at completion rates, it is important to also look at how long the degree with take to complete part-time.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dean Lewins/AAP</span></span>
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<p>The retention rate is the same in both examples, but the completion rate changes because the degree takes one year longer. </p>
<p>So, if we are going to look at completion rates over a six-year period (as Clare is doing with that headline figure), it would be to more accurate to compare teaching degrees with other four-year undergraduate courses.</p>
<p>For example, the four-year social work undergraduate degree has a six-year completion rate of 50%, like teaching degrees.</p>
<p>And if you look at the Education Department’s <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/higher-education-statistics/resources/completion-rates-higher-education-students-cohort-analysis-20052020">data</a> over a nine-year period (which gives people plenty of time to complete the degree part-time), the difference between teaching and other degrees is much smaller. There is a 69% completion rate for primary and secondary teacher undergraduate education compared to 73% for all other programs.</p>
<p>When comparing postgraduate masters-level teacher education programs, which typically take 18 months to two years full-time, the teaching qualifications have much higher completion rates. Postgraduate completion rates over a four-year time period for primary and secondary teaching are 76% compared to 71% for all other <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/higher-education-statistics/resources/completion-rates-higher-education-students-cohort-analysis-20052020">postgraduate programs</a>.</p>
<h2>What is ‘going wrong’?</h2>
<p>While there are always improvements that can be made to teaching degrees, a more complete understanding of “what’s going wrong” is critical before planning further reforms within a discipline that has been in constant reform for most of the past decade.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/teacher-shortages-are-a-global-problem-prioritising-australian-visas-wont-solve-ours-189468">Teacher shortages are a global problem – 'prioritising' Australian visas won't solve ours</a>
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<p>This is particularly the case when Clare is talking about <a href="https://www.jasonclare.com.au/media/transcripts/5167-radio-interview-with-patricia-karvelas-rn-breakfast-friday-12-august-2022">allocating funding</a> to universities based on the “highest completion rates”. </p>
<p>The new national plan to tackle teacher shortages must consider how Australia can increase the number and diversity of teachers graduating and entering the workforce. At the same time, there is a dire need to address issues linked to retaining quality teachers within the profession.</p>
<p>The use of data to make sweeping generalisations will do little to help. </p>
<h2>Clare’s comment</h2>
<p>A spokesperson for Clare told The Conversation: </p>
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<p>There is a shortage of teachers in Australia and the data shows that the graduation [rate] is still too low. </p>
<p>That is why the Minister has asked University of Sydney Vice Chancellor Mark Scott to lead a review into Initial Teacher Education [degrees which qualify teachers for the classroom], the details of which will be announced shortly.</p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shane Dawson receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anna Sullivan receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is Board Chair and Director of the Media Centre for Education Research Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Barney Dalgarno has received research grant funding from the Australian Research Council. He is a Board member of the Australian Council of Deans of Education and of the ACT Teacher Quality Institute. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Donna Pendergast is a Director of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership.</span></em></p>Education Minister Jason Clare says completion rates for teaching degrees are 50% compared to 70% for other degrees. This sounds alarming but there is a different way to look at the figures.Shane Dawson, Executive Dean UniSA Education Futures, University of South AustraliaAnna Sullivan, Professor and Director, Centre for Research in Educational and Social Inclusion, University of South AustraliaBarney Dalgarno, Executive Dean, Faculty of Education, University of CanberraDonna Pendergast, Professor, Griffith Institute for Educational Research and School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1894682022-08-30T20:05:19Z2022-08-30T20:05:19ZTeacher shortages are a global problem – ‘prioritising’ Australian visas won’t solve ours<p>Australia is facing an “<a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/teacher-workforce-shortages-issues-paper">unprecedented</a>” teacher shortage. The federal government projects a shortfall of more than 4,000 high school teachers by 2025, but shortages are being felt across the board, especially in <a href="https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/can-incentives-address-the-teacher-shortage-in-rural-and-remote-schools/280807">rural and remote schools</a>, and in <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/teacher-shortage-risks-stunting-students-in-maths-science-researchers-warn-20220706-p5azfw.html">maths and science</a>. </p>
<p>One of the possible solutions being touted by politicians is bringing in more teachers from overseas. This has happened before: in response to teacher shortages in Australia in the 1970s, teachers were brought in from the United Kingdom, United States and Canada. </p>
<p>Education Minister Jason Clare <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/government-flags-fast-tracked-visas-for-overseas-teachers-in-bid-to-fix-workforce-crisis/bhs4de0er">has asked</a> Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil to fast-track visas for those with teaching qualifications. As he said earlier this month: </p>
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<p>One of the things that we’ve got to do is prioritise visas for teachers from overseas who want to come and work here.</p>
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<p>New South Wales Education Minister Sarah Mitchell has even proposed <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/education-new-south-wales/fasttracked-citizenship-could-lure-overseas-teachers-to-australian-classrooms/news-story/36b10828a3ba8cbc1b8631b6900c0a8b">fast-tracking citizenship</a> for teachers. But how realistic is this strategy when similar countries have their own teacher shortages? </p>
<h2>How does it work?</h2>
<p>Teachers from New Zealand have automatic recognition of their qualifications. But those from other countries need to meet conditions imposed by state teacher registration boards, or similar bodies. </p>
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<p>For urgent cases, employers can apply for limited registration, for individuals who do not (yet) meet such requirements. The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership also provides <a href="https://www.aitsl.edu.au/migrate-to-australia/frequently-asked-questions">skills assessment</a> for overseas trained teachers, and it is also possible to do a <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2021/01/21/migrant-teachers-offered-path-to-australian-accreditation.html">bridging course</a>. </p>
<h2>Teachers want to quit in the UK</h2>
<p>The signs from overseas, where COVID made pre-existing shortages worse, are not encouraging. </p>
<p>In England, a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/apr/15/seven-in-10-teachers-in-england-thought-of-leaving-in-past-year-poll-shows">recent survey</a> revealed 70% of teachers had considered resigning, with poor pay cited as a key factor by more than half of respondents. Another <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/21/long-hours-pay-cuts-abusive-parents-headteachers-quitting">survey</a> showed almost 50% of head teachers or principals planned to resign after the COVID pandemic, citing crushing workloads, poor pay and difficulties recruiting staff. </p>
<p>Lack of staff has already lead the UK to combine classes and it is now <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teach-in-england-if-you-qualified-outside-the-uk/teach-in-england-if-you-qualified-outside-the-uk#:%7E:text=The%20main%20visa%20route%20for,search%20for%20available%20teaching%20roles.">looking to recruit</a> foreign teachers, including from Australia.</p>
<h2>Extreme measures in the US</h2>
<p>The US is following a similar trend: widespread teacher shortages compounded by the COVID pandemic. A pre-pandemic <a href="https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/product-files/A_Coming_Crisis_in_Teaching_REPORT.pdf">survey</a> in 2018 estimated the shortage at 112,000, particularly in maths, science and special education. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.edweek.org/leadership/how-bad-are-school-staffing-shortages-what-we-learned-by-asking-administrators/2021/10">2021 survey</a> has since revealed 75% of school principals and districts were having trouble finding enough substitute staff to cover teacher absences. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-most-recent-efforts-to-combat-teacher-shortages-dont-address-the-real-problems-188184">The most recent efforts to combat teacher shortages don't address the real problems</a>
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<p>States are having to resort to extreme measures to fill teaching positions during the pandemic. One school district in Texas asked <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/mar/07/pandemic-unqualified-substitute-teacher-new-york">parents to work as substitutes</a> to fill the shortage. Some Texan schools have also moved to a <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/07/19/texas-schools-four-day-weeks/">four-day week</a>.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, New Mexico has used <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-mexico-guard-members-teach-covid-hit-schools-governor-next-2022-01-25/">National Guard members</a> and state employees as volunteer substitute teachers to cover COVID shortages. Arizona now allows <a href="https://www.fox13now.com/arizona-teachers-no-longer-need-college-degree">people without a college degree</a> to begin teaching (as long as they’re enrolled in a degree). </p>
<p>Several states are already <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/06/us/international-teachers-us-shortage/index.html">working with job agencies</a> to find qualified foreign teachers. </p>
<h2>Retired teachers back in Canadian classrooms</h2>
<p>Canada is also suffering from a significant teacher shortage, especially in special needs, early childhood and at the upper secondary level. </p>
<p>High levels of teacher attrition (as much as 40% in the first five years of service in some provinces) is <a href="https://theconversation.com/provinces-should-act-fast-to-avert-a-teacher-shortage-now-and-after-covid-19-154930">blamed</a>. </p>
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<img alt="NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481526/original/file-20220829-16-l1czz6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481526/original/file-20220829-16-l1czz6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481526/original/file-20220829-16-l1czz6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481526/original/file-20220829-16-l1czz6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481526/original/file-20220829-16-l1czz6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481526/original/file-20220829-16-l1czz6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481526/original/file-20220829-16-l1czz6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell wants more overseas teachers to help fill teacher shortages in her state.</span>
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<p>The pool of substitute teachers has also shrunk. In Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario, school boards are contacting retired teachers and instructors without certification to fill gaps. Saskatchewan and Ontario are offering final year education students temporary permits as substitute teachers. </p>
<p>Manitoba has introduced a “<a href="https://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?item=50203">condensed training program</a>” of 30 hours, that promises to teach basic classroom skills to those with a limited teaching permit. </p>
<p>Canada is also <a href="https://www.educationcorner.com/are-teachers-in-demand-in-canada/">searching internationally</a>. Somewhat like the priority accorded to skilled workers in Australia’s migration scheme, Canada’s Federal Skilled Worker program allocates substantial points to those with foreign education credentials, including teachers.</p>
<h2>Migration unlikely to work</h2>
<p>So, if migration is seen as a solution to Australia’s teaching shortage, the question needs to be asked: where are they going to come from?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/its-great-education-ministers-agree-the-teacher-shortage-is-a-problem-but-their-new-plan-ignores-the-root-causes-188660">It's great education ministers agree the teacher shortage is a problem, but their new plan ignores the root causes</a>
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<p>Although poor pay in the UK and some states in the US might make Australia seem attractive, current teacher shortages in England, the US and Canada make it unlikely that many will be found there. </p>
<p>While it is possible teachers can be found in other countries, such as India, Malaysia and Singapore, they are unlikely to be found in significant numbers, partly due to lengthy <a href="https://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=13838">registration procedures</a> and some discrimination when seeking employment. </p>
<p>A more likely scenario is of <a href="https://whichschooladvisor.com/uae/school-news/warning-competition-for-best-teachers-intensifying-ex-ofsted-chief">intensifying international competition</a> for a shrinking pool of qualified teachers around the world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189468/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anthony Welch does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says migration is one ‘practical’ solution to get classrooms staffed. But there are also signification teacher shortages in the UK, US and Canada.Anthony Welch, Professor of Education, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1892332022-08-29T20:02:52Z2022-08-29T20:02:52ZToo many people drop out of teaching degrees – here are 4 ways to keep them studying<p>Australia’s state and federal education ministers recently agreed to work on a plan to <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-great-education-ministers-agree-the-teacher-shortage-is-a-problem-but-their-new-plan-ignores-the-root-causes-188660">fix the country’s teacher shortage</a>. </p>
<p>The plan is due in December and one of <a href="https://www.jasonclare.com.au/media/portfolio-media-releases/5170-national-action-plan-on-teacher-shortage">five priority areas</a> is “strengthening initial teacher education”.</p>
<p>Initial teacher education is the university degree students undertake to become registered classroom teachers. Worried that too many students are <a href="https://www.jasonclare.com.au/media/transcripts/5167-radio-interview-with-patricia-karvelas-rn-breakfast-friday-12-august-2022">not completing</a> their teaching degrees, federal Education Minister Jason Clare has asked Sydney University vice-chancellor Professor Mark Scott to report back on the issue by the end of the year. </p>
<p>We draw on our experience as teacher educators and educational researchers to suggest four ways to help increase the pace and rate of students completing their teaching degrees. </p>
<h2>But first: what is the problem?</h2>
<p>It looks like there is no shortage of people wanting to be a teacher – at least to begin with. </p>
<p>Figures from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership <a href="https://www.aitsl.edu.au/research/australian-teacher-workforce-data/key-metrics-dashboard">show</a> there is actually a modest increase in students signing up to initial teacher education courses. Between 2005 and 2019, numbers rose from 24,285 students to 28,694. </p>
<p>Even accounting for some natural attrition, these numbers are enough to sustain the teaching workforce. But the figures for program completion are significantly lower. </p>
<p>In 2005, 16,526 teachers graduated and in 2019 it was 16,644. We also know that while the number of students graduating from all fields of study at university <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/quality-initial-teacher-education-review/resources/next-steps-report-quality-initial-teacher-education-review">increased</a> by 40% from 2009 to 2019, the number of students graduating from teacher education declined by 5%. </p>
<p>Why might this be so? </p>
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<h2>1. Unreasonable testing demands</h2>
<p>LANTITE is the national Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education. It’s a two-hour literacy test and a two-hour numeracy test, undertaken in formal exam-like conditions. All student teachers must pass both components in order to graduate. </p>
<p>There are logistical challenges with undertaking LANTITE. Opportunities to sit the test are limited to four testing windows a year, with in-person testing centres in a relatively small number of locations. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/it-hurt-my-heart-and-my-wallet-the-unnecessary-test-stressing-teachers-before-they-even-make-it-to-the-classroom-187860">'It hurt my heart and my wallet': the unnecessary test stressing teachers before they even make it to the classroom</a>
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<p>This forces student teachers from regional and rural areas who prefer to attend a physical test centre to bear the extra effort associated with time away from home, including travel and accommodation costs. </p>
<p>The test is in addition to other university courses and costs A$196 per attempt. Research has <a href="https://theconversation.com/it-hurt-my-heart-and-my-wallet-the-unnecessary-test-stressing-teachers-before-they-even-make-it-to-the-classroom-187860">found</a> the test is not only highly stressful, but also expensive and not an accurate indicator of teacher quality. </p>
<p>It’s time to find more convenient and less costly ways to assess student teachers’ literacy and numeracy skills. </p>
<h2>2. Costs of getting qualified</h2>
<p>Student teachers must undertake uninterrupted blocks of professional experience in schools in each year of their degree. While this is a critical part of the degree, it comes at great personal cost. </p>
<p>The intensity of the professional placement, including full days in schools and time spent in the evenings gathering resources, planning lessons and marking students’ work, means student teachers can’t do other paid work.</p>
<p>It may mean they can’t earn an income for up to six weeks at a time. On top of this, there are also travel expenses to get to school each day. They may also need to buy stationery and resources to use in their lessons. </p>
<p>A guaranteed stipend that takes into account the real costs of undertaking a teaching placement is essential.</p>
<h2>3. No guarantee of a permanent job</h2>
<p>Despite the media talk about the teacher shortage, many student teachers are unable to secure permanent employment in their preferred subjects, especially in city areas. The greatest need for teachers, and the greatest opportunity for permanent employment, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-25/rural-teacher-shortage-hits-new-lows/100861556">is in rural and remote areas</a>. However, it is not possible for all graduates to relocate for work.</p>
<p>Many new teachers seeking a job close to home are forced to cobble together a series of part time or short-term contracts, across a range of schools, year levels and subjects. Teaching out of their field of expertise is not unusual. </p>
<p>This means student teachers face uncertainty around their careers and the links between their studies and job prospects. High-performing student teachers need to know at the outset that there will be fair and reasonable opportunities to get a secure job close to home in their areas of expertise. </p>
<h2>4. Declining status</h2>
<p>In March 2022, when he was acting federal education minister, Stuart Robert <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/education-minister-blames-dud-teachers-for-declining-education-results-20220317-p5a5k6.html">blamed </a>
“dud public school teachers” for the decline of academic results of Australian students. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/no-wonder-no-one-wants-to-be-a-teacher-world-first-study-looks-at-65-000-news-articles-about-australian-teachers-186210">No wonder no one wants to be a teacher: world-first study looks at 65,000 news articles about Australian teachers</a>
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<p>Recent <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-wonder-no-one-wants-to-be-a-teacher-world-first-study-looks-at-65-000-news-articles-about-australian-teachers-186210">research</a> that looked at media reporting on teachers in Australia for the past 25 years also found “teacher bashing” to be the norm. The media also made out that teachers’ work was simple, and easy. </p>
<p>This reporting devalues the profession and weighs heavily on students when they are considering their commitment to their teaching studies (which are already costly and don’t guarantee a job close to home and in their area of expertise). </p>
<p>We need to make sure student teachers know they are doing important and complex work and that it is valued by the schools and communities where they teach.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189233/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Beryl Exley is an AITSL Accreditation Panel Chair and interstate panellist. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Donna Pendergast is a Director of AITSL and Chair of the Queensland Council of Deans of Education.</span></em></p>Two teacher educators look at how we can keep students in teaching degrees. Reimbursing them for professional placements in schools would be a start.Beryl Exley, Professor, Griffith Institute for Educational Research, Griffith University, Griffith UniversityDonna Pendergast, Professor, Griffith Institute for Educational Research, Griffith University, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1886602022-08-13T06:41:34Z2022-08-13T06:41:34ZIt’s great education ministers agree the teacher shortage is a problem, but their new plan ignores the root causes<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/478999/original/file-20220813-25-99ol54.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C24%2C8231%2C5450&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Federal Education Minister Jason Clare and his state colleagues met in Canberra on Friday.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lukas Coch/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Last Friday, Australia’s state and federal education ministers met with emotional teachers, who spoke of working on weekends and Mothers’ Day to cope with unsustainable workloads – and how they were thinking about leaving the profession. </p>
<p>This was part of their <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-13/education-ministers-jason-clare-teacher-shortage-conditions/101327776">first meeting</a> hosted by the federal minister Jason Clare. The top agenda item was the teacher shortage. </p>
<p>The issue has certainly reached crisis point. Federal education department <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/teacher-workforce-shortages-issues-paper">modelling</a> shows the demand for high school teachers will exceed the supply of new graduate teachers by 4,100 between 2021 to 2025. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, a 2022 Monash University <a href="https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/submissions/79454/0125%20Faculty%20of%20Education%20Monash%20University.pdf">survey found</a> only 8.5% of surveyed teachers in New South Wales say their workloads are manageable and only one in five think the Australian public respects them. </p>
<p>Ministers say they are working towards a plan to fix the crisis. But are they addressing the right issues?</p>
<h2>What happened at the meeting?</h2>
<p>On a positive note, all ministers agreed Australia has as problem and it is national one. As NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said, “no matter which state minister would be speaking to you […], we’re all dealing with the same issues and challenges”.</p>
<p>Clare told reporters the ministers had tasked their education departments to develop a national plan to address the problem. This will be brought back to the ministers’ next meeting in December for tick off.</p>
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<p>The “National Teacher Workforce Action Plan” will focus on five areas: “elevating” the teaching profession, improving teacher supply, strengthening teaching degrees, maximising teachers’ time to teach, and a better understanding of future workforce needs. </p>
<p>In the post-meeting press conference, Clare particularly emphasised the need for more opportunities for student teachers to get practical experience, more focus on how to teach maths and English and encouraging more teachers to mentor their colleagues. </p>
<h2>Key questions are missing</h2>
<p>Before the election, <a href="https://www.alp.org.au/policies/labors-plan-to-fix-teacher-shortages-and-stop-the-slide-in-school-results">Labor promised</a> to fix teacher shortages by attracting high-performing school graduates into teaching, paying additional bonuses to outstanding teachers, and importing experts from other fields to teaching. </p>
<p>Not surprisingly, these same ideas appear in the media release for the forthcoming national action plan.</p>
<p>But together Labor’s ideas and the new national plan don’t adequately address the root causes of teacher shortages: <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-education-minister-jason-clare-can-fix-the-teacher-shortage-crisis-but-not-with-labors-election-plan-184321">unproductive working conditions and noncompetitive pay</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-teacher-shortage-wont-be-solved-until-we-treat-teaching-as-a-profession-not-a-trade-188441">Australia's teacher shortage won't be solved until we treat teaching as a profession, not a trade</a>
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<p>One priority in the proposed new plan is to “maximise” teachers’ time to teach. In fact, Australian teachers already teach for more hours than their peers in <a href="https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/education-at-a-glance-2020_69096873-en#page415">other OECD countries</a>. </p>
<p>What would improve teachers’ working conditions is not more time to teach per se, but enough time to plan and work with their colleagues to find more productive ways of teaching.</p>
<p>Workload is the most common reason for intending to leave the teaching profession. In the 2022 <a href="https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/i-cannot-sustain-the-workload-and-the-emotional-toll-reasons-behi">Monash University</a> survey, teachers reported their workloads were intensifying and difficult to fit into a reasonable working week. This is due to overwhelming administration, reporting and paperwork for compliance purposes. </p>
<p>The detail we have so far from ministers is silent on how to fix current teacher workloads.</p>
<h2>What about pay?</h2>
<p>Another reason for teacher shortages is <a href="https://www.nswtf.org.au/files/gallop_inquiry_report_2021.pdf">non-competitive pay</a>, especially when it comes to salary progression over a teaching career. </p>
<p>So far, ministers are talking about “rewarding” high-performing teachers.
International studies show <a href="https://theconversation.com/performance-pay-for-teachers-will-create-a-culture-of-fear-and-isolation-59736">unexpected things can happen</a> when teachers strive for “excellence” to receive monetary bonuses. Performance-based pay can lead to declining creativity and collegiality in schools when test scores become the dominant driver of teachers’ work. </p>
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<p>This also takes away from the main issue. Instead of paying some teachers more, every teacher in Australia deserves fair compensation that reflects the work they do. </p>
<h2>A plan to have a plan</h2>
<p>Australia is a Promised Land of action plans and working groups. But we are not so good at implementation. </p>
<p>For example, we have declarations and reviews about what school education should be (the <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/alice-springs-mparntwe-education-declaration/resources/alice-springs-mparntwe-education-declaration">Mparntwe Declaration</a>), how schools should be funded (the <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/school-funding/resources/review-funding-schooling-final-report-december-2011">Gonski Review</a>), and what <a href="https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-text">rights our children</a> have. </p>
<p>But we struggle to turn these into practice. There is a real risk the new “National Teacher Workforce Action Plan” will just see more good intentions and little concrete action.</p>
<h2>Australia can learn from other countries</h2>
<p>The good news is, Australia is not alone. The United States and England have suffered from chronic shortage of teachers in their schools for some time. </p>
<p>Even in <a href="https://news.err.ee/1608643294/sde-thousands-more-teachers-needed-for-transition-to-estonian-schooling">Estonia</a> and <a href="https://www.oaj.fi/en/news/news-and-press-releases/2021/increasing-shortage-of-teachers-in-finland/">Finland</a> – the OECD’s highest-performing countries in education – teaching is not as attractive profession as it used to be. So, there is an opportunity to learn how other countries deal with the teacher workforce challenge. </p>
<p>Every year since 2011 the OECD and Education International have organised the <a href="https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/international-summit-on-the-teaching-profession_23127090">International Summit on the Teaching Profession</a> with the world’s top-performing education systems. Here education ministers and education leaders from 20 countries explore current issues in the teaching profession. Collaboration between ministers and teachers’ unions is the key principle of the summit.</p>
<p>Australia has been invited to these summits since 2011 but has never attended. So, a decade of opportunities to work with other countries has been wasted. </p>
<p>But it is not too late, Clare could attend in the 2023 summit that will be held in Washington DC. Not only to see what others do, but to learn what might be improved in governments’ action plan and teacher policies.</p>
<p>This is what all “education nations” do. Why don’t we?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-spends-5-billion-a-year-on-teaching-assistants-in-schools-but-we-dont-know-what-they-do-187918">Australia spends $5 billion a year on teaching assistants in schools but we don't know what they do</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188660/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pasi Sahlberg does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Australia’s education ministers have asked their departments to come up with a new plan to address the teacher shortage by December.Pasi Sahlberg, Professor of Education, Southern Cross UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1884412022-08-11T20:05:25Z2022-08-11T20:05:25ZAustralia’s teacher shortage won’t be solved until we treat teaching as a profession, not a trade<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/478684/original/file-20220811-23-18oqco.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C26%2C5982%2C3826&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/blur-image-empty-classroom-657496108">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Today, state and federal education ministers <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/education-ministers-focus-teacher-shortage">will meet in Canberra</a> to discuss the teacher shortage. </p>
<p>In their first in-person meeting for more than a year, they will also speak to principals, teachers and education experts about the crisis. Not only do we need more people to take up teaching as a career, experienced teachers are leaving the profession, or saying they plan to.</p>
<p>A recent survey found <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/crisis-building-for-years-half-of-teachers-plan-to-leave-profession-as-shortages-bite-20220802-p5b6pw.html">almost 60%</a> of teachers in New South Wales plan to quit in the next five years.</p>
<p>Ahead of the meeting, numerous solutions have been offered by experts and advocates, including a teaching “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/08/we-need-to-fix-this-australian-education-ministers-to-address-nationwide-teacher-shortages">apprenticeship</a>”, and fast-tracking <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/university-students-to-ease-teacher-shortage/news-story/8ce974b2ad55b104ffe56bdec18671dc">students</a> or <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/minister-jason-clare-backs-push-for-careerchange-teachers/news-story/ce693b90db476041cda1f3cdc98ed957">mid-career professionals</a> in other fields into the classrooms. </p>
<p>As education academics researching the future of teacher education in Australia, we are concerned the current debate is missing the bigger picture. </p>
<p>While well-intended, the ideas on offer address the symptoms, rather than the complexity of the cause. We need a coherent and comprehensive plan to address the real problem: teaching is not being treated like a profession.</p>
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<h2>A teaching apprenticeship?</h2>
<p>Ahead of today’s meeting, Universities Australia <a href="https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/media-item/abc-perth-radio-interview-with-catriona-jackson/">proposed</a> a “teaching apprenticeship”. This would see student teachers get to do more time in schools with a job at the end of it.</p>
<p>Research <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02607476.2015.1105537">shows</a> it is very important for students to have practical experience. But calling it an “apprenticeship” implies teaching is simply a trade to be learnt on the job, rather than a complex profession that requires university study. </p>
<p>On top of this, getting teaching students to fill the growing shortage of teachers is not addressing the need for qualified teachers to be in classrooms.</p>
<p>This plan also optimistically assumes schools and teachers under pressure will be able to provide the support an increased number of “apprentice” teachers would need. Given universities are already finding it difficult to secure teaching placements, this seems unrealistic. </p>
<h2>Fast-tracking to the classroom</h2>
<p>Other suggestions include <a href="https://www.vic.gov.au/accelerated-learning-program">fast-tracking people</a> through their teacher education, particularly if they are coming to teaching mid-career from a different profession.</p>
<p>While we need to welcome other skills and people’s commitment to become teachers, this is worrying. </p>
<p>For one thing, the strategy has <a href="https://epaa.asu.edu/index.php/epaa/article/view/316">not worked</a> in the United States, because it does not address the conditions and unsustainable workloads of teachers. It also discounts teachers’ knowledge of complex teaching methods and approaches.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/growing-numbers-of-unqualified-teachers-are-being-sent-into-classrooms-this-is-not-the-way-to-fix-the-teacher-shortage-186379">Growing numbers of unqualified teachers are being sent into classrooms – this is not the way to 'fix' the teacher shortage</a>
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<p>Teachers need to be able to plan lessons and units, secure good resources for these lessons, engage their students, engage students who need additional support, assess what they have learned, manage behaviour and look after young people’s wellbeing (among other skills).</p>
<p>We would not assume a high-school legal studies teacher, for example, would be able to become a lawyer without undertaking the appropriate tertiary study. So why do we imagine a lawyer can short-cut the education required to become a legal studies teacher? </p>
<p>This strategy implies content knowledge, rather than knowledge of how to teach and how best to teach particular students, is the core business of teaching. It also feeds the unhelpful myth that “anyone can teach”. </p>
<h2>So, what is the way forward?</h2>
<p>We need solutions that go beyond bespoke schemes and incentives. </p>
<p>The root of this issue is not the quality of education new teachers experience or their readiness to teach. We already have professional teaching standards, standards for teaching courses and entry and exit testing for student teachers. The education of beginning teachers is arguably the most regulated and measured part of the profession.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/no-wonder-no-one-wants-to-be-a-teacher-world-first-study-looks-at-65-000-news-articles-about-australian-teachers-186210">No wonder no one wants to be a teacher: world-first study looks at 65,000 news articles about Australian teachers</a>
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<p>We know the circumstances that contribute to the teacher shortage are complex and include teacher workloads, the status of teaching and resourcing. So we need solutions that look at the profession as a whole. Here are two big picture approaches to address the current crisis.</p>
<p><strong>1. Teaching must be treated as a profession</strong></p>
<p>Other professions – such as medicine, law or engineering – value expertise, reward the development of new knowledge, and the contribution of those who lead others.</p>
<p>In teaching, there has been so much focus on the initial preparation of teachers (before they are registered and teach independently in the classroom) that we don’t have a “whole-of-career” approach. </p>
<p>Teachers already in the classroom are often reluctant to take on student teachers because it means they have more work and little recompense for it. There is a token amount of money available for it, but this may not go directly to the teacher.</p>
<p>We know <a href="https://www.vic.gov.au/supporting-graduate-teachers-their-first-years-classroom">mentoring is critical</a> to support teachers and keep them in the profession. So let’s make it a desirable thing to do for all teachers. If you mentor and do it well, this should be recognised through career progression and remuneration.</p>
<p>In professions such as medicine, you develop specialist knowledge and expertise. Or you specialise as a generalist. But in teaching, teachers are largely required to develop expertise in all teaching methods, assessments and all aspects of student health and wellbeing. </p>
<p>If we could rethink the work of teachers, and teachers could specialise in areas they are more interested in and are needed, this would provide them with new career pathways.</p>
<p><strong>2. We need different approaches for different schools</strong></p>
<p>Policies for teachers and their work often assume all education systems across all parts of the country are largely the same. </p>
<p>In a country as diverse as Australia, this is problematic. An analysis of NAPLAN data shows schools can be grouped into five distinct socio-economic bands. This means some schools are more demanding or complex to teach in than others.</p>
<p>We know the impacts of staff shortages, and teachers teaching out of their fields of expertise are more likely to be felt outside capital cities. </p>
<p>If we want to retain excellent teachers in all schools, then we need to acknowledge the demands on those working in rural, remote, and isolated communities are different from metropolitan schools. </p>
<p>Not only do these schools need to adequate resources and funding but teachers working in hard-to-staff schools should be paid and supported accordingly. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-spends-5-billion-a-year-on-teaching-assistants-in-schools-but-we-dont-know-what-they-do-187918">Australia spends $5 billion a year on teaching assistants in schools but we don't know what they do</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188441/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Today, state and federal education ministers will meet in Canberra to discuss the teacher shortage. It will be their first in-person meeting for more than a year.Larissa McLean Davies, Professor of Teacher Education, The University of MelbourneJim Watterston, Dean, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1878602022-08-08T20:02:55Z2022-08-08T20:02:55Z‘It hurt my heart and my wallet’: the unnecessary test stressing teachers before they even make it to the classroom<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477973/original/file-20220808-90374-rohu21.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C38%2C5150%2C3309&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>There is no shortage of articles about how teachers are <a href="https://theconversation.com/teachers-are-more-depressed-and-anxious-than-the-average-australian-117267">stressed</a>, due to their complex jobs and <a href="https://theconversation.com/this-is-like-banging-our-heads-against-the-wall-why-a-move-to-outsource-lesson-planning-has-nsw-teachers-hopping-mad-188081">high workloads</a>. </p>
<p>But what is happening before they make it to the classroom? </p>
<p>There are lots of reasons why Australia has a <a href="https://theconversation.com/growing-numbers-of-unqualified-teachers-are-being-sent-into-classrooms-this-is-not-the-way-to-fix-the-teacher-shortage-186379">teacher shortage</a> and my new research sheds light on one deterrent that is not often talked about. </p>
<p>This is the high-stakes Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education, known as <a href="https://teacheredtest.acer.edu.au/">LANTITE</a>.</p>
<h2>What is LANTITE?</h2>
<p>Introduced in 2017, LANTITE is made up of two separate computer-based tests: one for numeracy, and one for literacy. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/this-is-like-banging-our-heads-against-the-wall-why-a-move-to-outsource-lesson-planning-has-nsw-teachers-hopping-mad-188081">'This is like banging our heads against the wall': why a move to outsource lesson planning has NSW teachers hopping mad</a>
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<p>The multiple-choice tests are administered independently of universities by the Australian Council for Educational Research. Universities have no visibility of the tests, or how students perform, even after results are released. </p>
<p>It costs A$196 to sit both tests, or A$98 to sit just one of them.</p>
<p>Students must find time to prepare for and attempt LANTITE on top of their theory and practical study in a teaching degree. They must pass both the literacy and numeracy components of LANTITE in order to graduate.</p>
<p>The pass rate is <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2020/07/22/student-teacher-test-graduation/">more than 90%</a>. </p>
<h2>A stress test</h2>
<p>For my doctoral research, I surveyed 189 student teachers about their experience with LANTITE through an online questionnaire. They came from 33 universities across Australia. From this group, 27 students also completed in-depth interviews to further describe their experiences. I also spoke to 41 teachers and teacher educators.</p>
<p>Among the many stories and experiences were students like Monique* who described the test as “fun” and “just like doing an IQ test”. However, it was far more common for interviewees to report <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.747070367787061">negative experiences</a>, with a particular emphasis on the impact on mental health and wellbeing. As Suraya told me: </p>
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<p>I ended up having a really bad panic attack, where I blacked out. I could not comprehend anything that was going on in front of me.</p>
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<p>Suraya was not alone. My research uncovered other alarming accounts of panic attacks and even suicidal ideation from students after they had sat the test. For some students who did not pass, the stress and pressure of having to reattempt the tests resulted in prolonged mental health conditions.</p>
<p>Any test or exam creates a certain amount of stress. But for student teachers, LANTITE comes on top of existing study and practical teaching pressures as they finalise their degrees. For those students who need to reattempt one or more component of LANTITE, the stress escalates, as was the case for Vince. </p>
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<p>My journey has been a nightmare. I was panicking when it came to the last questions. I was running out of time and some of the words I didn’t understand because I was panicked.</p>
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<h2>It is expensive</h2>
<p>I also found students are paying a high price to become a teacher. While the cost to sit both components of LANTITE is just under $200 per attempt, many students purchase professional study materials and pay tutors or attend workshops to help them prepare.</p>
<p>One student in the study reported spending $6,000 on private tutoring. These costs have to be paid upfront, unlike HECS loans which can be deferred.</p>
<p>Teacher educators I interviewed echoed concerns about these costs and pressures. As Wynette said: </p>
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<p>As a student you already have time pressures, you already have stressors and financial demands […] and to have this extra thing on top is a bit more stressful.</p>
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<p>Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, culturally and linguistically diverse students, and students with disability were more likely to emphasise how harsh the LANTITE experience can be. This suggests it may hindering a more diverse workforce. As Mary, another teacher educator, explained: </p>
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<p>If they are coming from a background or environment where they have not done a lot of high-stakes testing that will also mean that they don’t have the same experiences that your mainly more mainstream white-Anglo students do.</p>
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<h2>We don’t need this test</h2>
<p>Yes, teachers need to have certain levels of literacy and numeracy going into the classroom. But we don’t need LANTITE to determine this. </p>
<p>Student teachers already have a wide range of assessments throughout their courses. These are both practical and theory-based and implicitly assess numeracy and literacy. For example, prior to graduating, students complete a nationally mandated individual <a href="https://www.aitsl.edu.au/deliver-ite-programs/teaching-performance-assessment">teacher performance assessment</a>, which looks at the practical skills and knowledge of a graduating teacher.</p>
<p>Teacher education programs also have ongoing accreditation requirements to ensure “<a href="https://research.acer.edu.au/aer/15/%20Bahr%20and%20Mellor">quality</a>” of graduates.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/student-teachers-must-pass-a-literacy-and-numeracy-test-before-graduating-its-unfair-and-costly-140059">Student teachers must pass a literacy and numeracy test before graduating – it's unfair and costly</a>
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<p>Standardised assessments in timed situations are also becoming less common in university studies, as programs seek more nuanced ways to assess the complex skills graduates need to teach.</p>
<p>A more sensible approach, which trusts the profession and universities to do their jobs training new teachers, is needed.</p>
<p>As other <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2020.1832061">studies</a> have argued, LANTITE is an ineffective quality control mechanism anyway, as you can resit the test multiple times if you fail. It does little to change who becomes a teacher and who does not. </p>
<p>If anything, LANTITE has only served to teach our future teachers how to sit a standardised test and pass. In the meantime, students’ graduation is delayed, resources are wasted and students are even more stressed. </p>
<p>As student Michael, summed it up, “it hurt my heart and my wallet”.</p>
<p><em>*All names have been changed</em></p>
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<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187860/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alison Hilton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>New research finds students are having panic attacks and losing money on a test they must pass to qualify as teachers.Alison Hilton, Academic Chair Secondary Education, Murdoch UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.