How Top Dog Together With Secondary Teachers Differ Together With Why It Matters

by Marie-Helene Doumet, 
Senior Analyst, Directorate for Education in addition to Skills

Learning needs vary equally nosotros evolve through life. The early on years of teaching prepare the phase for children’s well-being, cognitive in addition to social-emotional development; immature children starting out inwards the footing require stability, reassurance, in addition to encouragement, in addition to postulate a warm in addition to caring teacher. At master copy school, teachers deal the class, learn all subjects, in addition to assist children develop non alone basic competencies, merely also emotional in addition to social awareness. While this setting silent requires a wide cognition of many subjects, dealing straight alongside students’ social in addition to emotional evolution also helps teachers bond alongside their class, which is essential to learning at such a immature age. However, equally children progress to high school, learning becomes to a greater extent than nearly the subject: secondary teachers focus on i or several subjects which they learn to a let out of unlike classes. Their functioning volition hold out to a greater extent than strongly evaluated past times how good their students perform on these subjects, rather than on how their students develop emotionally in addition to socially.

Other differences be betwixt the ii levels of education. While the entire profession is mostly plagued alongside an ageing workforce, secondary schools are peculiarly affected past times the ascension average historic stream of teachers. On the other hand, piece it is truthful that men lead maintain ever been outnumbered past times women inwards teaching, this tendency is much to a greater extent than hitting at master copy than at secondary level. Both trends lead maintain worsened inwards the past times 10 years in addition to create non demonstrate signs of slowing down.

In spite of these differences betwixt teachers at unlike teaching levels, teaching policy is all also frequently determined past times a “one size fits all” approach. This month’s Education Indicators inwards Focus examines precisely inwards which ways master copy in addition to lower secondary teachers differ across a attain of system-level indicators in addition to why it matters, non alone for the character of teaching inwards the classroom, merely also for the attractiveness of teaching equally a profession.  

Let’s get-go start alongside what it takes to travel out a teacher. While the type of score needed to learn master copy or lower secondary flat is the same inwards most countries, the content of the preparation programme differs: master copy teachers lead maintain to a greater extent than pedagogical in addition to practical preparation than lower secondary teachers, who are considered to hold out to a greater extent than “subject thing experts”. However, secondary flat has its ain prepare of pedagogical challenges, alongside teachers having to bargain alongside moody teenagers in addition to pitiable behaviour. Putting teachers inwards the classroom without the proper pedagogical or practical cognition is akin to getting doctors to operate without clinical practice. We would hold out aghast if this were to lead identify inwards hospitals, yet nosotros seem to bring it inwards the classroom. 

Certification is non everything, in addition to teaching character stems from much to a greater extent than than the means teachers deliver lessons. It is also strongly affected past times their working conditions. Both master copy in addition to secondary teachers run around the same let out of statutory hours, merely they allocate their fourth dimension differently. The figure higher upwardly shows that lower secondary teachers pass on average 10% less fourth dimension teaching than their master copy colleagues, though inwards countries such equally French Republic in addition to Turkey, this tin flame accomplish 30% less. The fourth dimension truly spent teaching matters less if teachers are good trained in addition to deliver effective classes; however, alongside the long hours required, at schoolhouse in addition to at home, teachers are finding less in addition to less fourth dimension to invest inwards their ain continuous evolution in addition to other activities that would create goodness learning. 

Finally, the perception of a fair salary tin flame hold out pivotal inwards attracting in addition to retaining teachers. While master copy in addition to lower secondary instructor salaries are comparable, secondary teachers concur an border inwards to a greater extent than than one-half of OECD countries. In contrast to many other professions, those alongside a higher score are non necessarily paid more: teachers inwards Republic of Finland concur a master’s degree, merely earn less inwards relative damage than Korean teachers alongside a bachelor’s degree. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 fairer compensation compared to other tertiary-educated workers would assist attract a to a greater extent than sex balanced workforce in addition to attract novel talent that would renew the profession alongside innovative ideas.

Policy decisions to better the attractiveness in addition to effectiveness of the teaching profession volition ever involve a trade-off betwixt these unlike factors.  Although many efforts lead maintain traditionally focused on reducing the size of classes, commonly a pop mensurate for the wide public, null plant to a greater extent than to heighten the character of learning than the teachers themselves. However, striving for higher character is non probable to hold out the outcome of i policy alter or reform, merely requires an agreement of all the factors that conduct upon the profession holistically, from instructor preparation to long-term support, to actual teaching conditions, including working hours in addition to pay. Recognizing the specific working weather condition of master copy in addition to secondary teachers would Pb to a to a greater extent than targeted policy response. Teachers at each flat appear upwardly unlike challenges.  Let’s non assume they lead maintain the same solution.  

Links

Education Indicators inwards Focus No. 58 - How create master copy in addition to secondary teachers compare?
Education at a Glance 2017: OECD Indicators

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