Ensuring a high-quality teaching workforce is a top priority for effective learning. However, common challenges such as an aging workforce, gender imbalances, lack of teacher diversity, qualified teacher shortages in specific schools, regions or subjects, and high attrition rates pose significant hurdles. Examining the socio-demographic characteristics of the teacher workforce is crucial to estimate the number of teachers needing to be replaced. Alongside student numbers projections, workforce dynamics can help plan recruitment needs strategically. Ideally, recruitment plans should aim to foster gender balance and teacher diversity so that all students are exposed to role models they can relate to.
Teachers and educators
Learning is influenced by many factors: student family background, skills and motivation. But the single most important factor within schools is teaching and quality of teachers and instructors.
Key messages
Given growing demand for teachers world-wide, countries need to make the teaching profession more financially and intellectually attractive to attract top talent and ensure students receive the neccessary skills to thrive. However, there is no magic bullet and one-size-fits all solution. As a result, education systems need to leverage the most appropriate policy levers to their specific context. In some systems, aspects related to work organisation (e.g. high-quality professional development, collaboration, autonomy) may be more powerful than financial elements. Other possible avenues include diversifying pathways into teaching or some degree of career differentiation to provide mid-career teachers with scope for continued professional growth.
To address teacher shortages, countries must not only focus on attracting new teachers but also prioritise the well-being, intellectual fulfilment and job satisfaction of teachers currently in the profession. This entails offering attractive salaries and working conditions, opportunities for professional learning and growth, social status and professional autonomy. TALIS findings suggest that teachers are calling for a reduction in their administrative loads, which is a key source of stress, and leads some to consider leaving the profession prematurely. The findings also suggest that school support and job satisfaction can reduce the association between stress and risk of attrition.
Context
Teacher age
In 2018, the average age of teachers across the OECD was around 44. Over time, several countries have seen the average age of their teachers increase.
Percentage of lower secondary teachers, by age group and average age of teachers (2018)
Teacher gender
In 2018, 68% of all teachers are female, on average across the OECD, and women make up more than half of the teaching workforce in almost all participating countries and economies. Gender patterns in the teaching profession are enduring, and change little over time for most countries and economies.
Change in gender balance among teachers from 2013 to 2018
