Strengthening teaching in Europe. New evidence from teachers compiled by Eurydice and CRELL, June 2015

Transcription

1 Strengthening teaching in Eurpe New evidence frm teachers cmpiled by Eurydice and CRELL, June 2015

2 Intrductin Tw new reprts, by the Eurydice netwrk 1 and by the Eurpean Cmmissin s Centre fr Research n Educatin and Lifelng Learning (JRC-CRELL) 2, lk at evidence frm large-scale internatinal surveys and the latest EU data t give an verview f teachers wrking cnditins, prfessinal develpment and classrm practice acrss Eurpe. This nte summarises sme f the key findings f the reprts and their implicatins fr educatin and training plicies in Eurpe. Key findings frm the reprts Cuntries are taking measures t raise the quality f teaching by enhancing Initial Teacher Educatin prgrammes The findings cnfirm a knwn trend acrss Eurpe twards requiring higher levels f qualificatins (MA/BA) fr Initial Teacher Educatin. There is als a trend twards increasing the amunt f practical training, including schl-based practice, within prgrammes. The gender imbalance in teaching is striking and set t increase In lwer secndary educatin, teaching is a jb largely exercised by wmen: at EU level, less than a third f the teaching frce (32.2%) are men, while in sme cuntries (BG, EE, LV, LT) as few as ne in five teachers are men. The Eurydice reprt fund that n average, the gender imbalance in the prfessin is greatest amng the yungest teachers (nly 28.8% male teachers in the <30 age grup), which suggests a trend twards an verall mre prnunced gender imbalance in future 3. The Eurydice reprt als fund that certain aspects f prfessinal develpment shw significant differences between male and female teachers. Fr instance, sme f the perceived barriers t prfessinal develpment, such as the csts f Cntinuing Prfessinal Develpment (CPD) and family respnsibilities, are mre ften referred t by wmen than men. Als, in sme cuntries (BE nl, CZ, DK, FR, NL, PL and SK) men are mre likely t g abrad fr prfessinal purpses than wmen and such mbility ften has a psitive influence n career develpment. 1 The Teaching Prfessin in Eurpe. Practices, Perceptins and Plicies prvides a cmprehensive verview f the status f lwer secndary teaching in Eurpe. The reprt analyses key cmpnents f teacher initial educatin and early career supprt, examines needs and prvisin f cntinuus prfessinal develpment, prvides an verview f teachers' transnatinal mbility, and analyses the link between jb satisfactin, perceptin f value f the prfessin, and wrking cnditins. 2 Teaching Practices in Primary and Secndary Schls in Eurpe: Insights frm Large-Scale Assessments in Educatin' builds n literature review and evidence frm internatinal educatin surveys such as TIMSS/PIRLS, PISA and TALIS t investigate the frequency f different teaching practices and their relatinships with ther characteristics f the schl envirnment in Eurpean cuntries. 3 The Netherlands is the nly cuntry with an almst perfect gender balance at secndary level. Hwever, as there are significantly higher shares f male teachers in the lder age grups, clser t retirement, this balance is expected t be lst in future. 2

3 Mbility fr teacher prfessinal develpment is nt widespread The Eurydice reprt includes new data, gathered thrugh the TALIS 2013 survey, n the transnatinal mbility f teachers fr prfessinal purpses. It fund that at EU level, nly ne in fur teachers (27.4 %) say they have been abrad at least nce fr prfessinal purpses. This includes all types f visits including very shrt nes. Teachers mst ften referred t accmpanying visiting students as well as learning languages and studying abrad as part f teacher educatin. The reprt als fund that mre than half f teachers f mdern freign languages have been abrad fr prfessinal purpses. On average, prfessinal mbility remains much lwer amng teachers f ther subjects. Overall, while sme significant schemes exist at natinal r reginal level, EU-funded activities make up a large share f this mbility in Eurpe. Teachers say they need mre prfessinal develpment linked t tailring, diversifying, and innvating teaching practices Analysis f TALIS data shws that mre than nine ut ten teachers in Eurpe have cmpleted Initial Teacher Educatin (91.2 %). A large majrity f these teachers (80%) say that their studies included the three essential elements f cntent, pedaggy and practice. Italy (53.3%), Spain (63.2%), France (74.8%) and Serbia (75.5%) are ntable exceptins in this respect. The same analysis shws that at EU level, teachers feel better prepared fr the different aspects f their jb if they have cmpleted an Initial Teacher Educatin prgramme. 4 ITE appears t make a difference, in particular with respect t the teachers reprting that they feel very well prepared fr their jb. Hwever, the verall feeling f preparedness is higher in relatin t the cntent f teaching (subject knwledge) than t its pedaggy (understanding f teaching and learning) and practice (classrm-based training). There is a mismatch in terms f tpics between teachers stated needs 5 and the cntent f the prfessinal develpment they participate in. Fr instance, while ver 60% f teachers say that their prfessinal develpment activities cvered Knwledge and understanding f my subject, less than 30% expressed a mderate r high need in this area. Furthermre, the reprt fund that in cuntries where CPD is predminantly defined by a tp level educatinal authrity the teachers' stated need fr CPD remains high. This des nt necessarily mean that a bttm-up apprach will lwer teachers' needs, but may mean that tp-level interventin needs t be finetuned t teacher's needs. Accrding t the Eurydice reprt, there are several areas fr which teachers say they have mderate r high levels f needs fr Cntinuing Prfessinal Develpment (CPD) that are ften nt matched by participatin, including: Teaching crss-curricular skills Teaching in multilingual and multicultural settings Student career guidance and cunselling Teaching students with special educatinal needs 4 In France, Finland and Iceland the prprtin f teachers feeling very well r well prepared fr their jb, despite having cmpleted an Initial Teacher Educatin prgramme, is lwer than in ther cuntries. 5 This may be due t a lack f pprtunities as much as a psitive attitude t career-lng learning 3

4 New technlgy in the wrkplace Appraches t individualised learning Fr example in relatin t 'student career guidance and cunselling' the reprt fund there is a psitive crrelatin between the share f teachers expressing a need fr prfessinal develpment in this field and the percentage f early schl leavers in a cuntry. Teacher cllabratin t share and diversify teaching practices is varied Based n the TIMSS/PIRLS perfrmance assessment f primary schls children, the CRELL reprt finds that cllabratin between teachers varies widely acrss the 17 EU cuntries cvered. While discussins n teaching generic and cntent-specific activities may be mre frequent, cmmn planning and preparatin f instructinal material, as well as visiting ther classrms t learn mre abut teaching are less widespread practices. Wide variatins have als been fund in the degree f teachers' peer-review f lessn-plans, assessment instruments and lessns in secndary schls. Accrding t the CRELL reprt, whilst there is a cnsensus amngst schl leaders that mst teachers are willing t try new methds and adapt t student needs, there is a wide variatin acrss EU cuntries in the extent t which students are expsed t different teaching strategies t fster learning. Cllabratin between teachers increases jb satisfactin The presence f cllabrative practice in schls is als psitively linked with teachers levels f satisfactin - bth their satisfactin with the prfessin and with their wrk envirnment (Eurydice). Amng the different aspects f cllabratin, jb satisfactin is fund t be mst strngly linked t a cllabrative schl culture which is characterised by mutual supprt with ther teachers and with the schl leader, fllwed by the pprtunity fr staff t actively participate in schl decisins. In additin, in 12 EU cuntries students learn in schls where the presence f peer review practices is assciated t the likelihd that teachers 'try new methds'. Cllabrative practice at schl is psitively linked with teachers perceptin f hw their prfessin is valued in sciety. In this respect, teachers appreciate a decentralised system where staff, parents and students have a rle t play and a vice regarding the running f the schl, and where teachers and leaders can cperate t mutually supprt each ther. A diversity f frms f prfessinal develpment activities is emerging Lking at different frmats f teachers prfessinal develpment, the Eurydice reprt fund that frmal and traditinal frms f in-service training, such as curses, wrkshps, and cnferences prevail in almst all educatin systems. Hwever, there is a diversity f frms f prfessinal develpment activities emerging. This culd be an pprtunity fr cuntries t learn frm each ther t prmte less traditinal frms f CPD such as netwrks f teachers, mentring r peer learning. 4

5 Main plicy implicatins Many Member States are taking actins t imprve the quality and status f teaching, fr instance by upgrading qualificatins required fr Initial Teacher Educatin. These plicies recgnise the highly cmplex and challenging tasks teachers face and the need fr each f them t develp high-level expertise in teaching and learning and an understanding f what it takes fr yung peple t succeed in their educatin. The evidence presented in the reprts pints t a number f avenues which culd be cnsidered fr further plicy actin by gvernments and stakehlders. Overall, such plicy actins culd respnd t the need t break the islatin f the classrm and the "ne teacher ne classrm" dctrine. Building n the necessity t establish a culture f cllabratin, these actins can result in imprving the quality f educatin. This is based n new insights int hw and where learning takes place, and the recgnitin that effective teaching requires the invlvement f teams f prfessinals rather than that f individual teachers. Mst imprtantly, the actins presented belw can at the same time assist in making the teaching prfessin mre attractive t a wider pl f candidates, an imprtant challenge in mst EU Member States that is ften cmbined with shrtages f qualified teaching staff. Transfrming the teaching prfessin int ne based n prfessinalism, aspiratin, teamwrk and a diversity f career pprtunities (e.g. t becme a leader, mentr r researcher) can help attracting mre candidates, bth female and male. Therefre, breaking the sils f the classrms and intrducing a new dynamic with brader pprtunities fr prfessinal and career develpment can increase the attractiveness f the teaching prfessin and mitigate the gender imbalance. In this cntext, educatinal stakehlders and plicy-makers can take int accunt the fllwing suggested plicy actins, gruped int fur inter-cnnected areas: Gender imbalances Mbility Imprve teachers wrking cnditins and career pprtunities in rder t raise the attractiveness f teaching t a wider pl f candidates, and t achieve better gender balance; Cnsider flexible pathways int teaching with a view t addressing teacher shrtages and the need fr diversificatin f the teaching frce. Prvide mre pprtunities fr mbility and remve existing barriers, bth fr student teachers and serving teachers, with a view t supprting effective prfessinal develpment and increasing mtivatin fr taking up teaching; Increase mbility fr the prfessinal develpment f all teachers, nt just teachers f mdern freign languages. Prfessinal develpment Imprve prgrammes f Initial Teacher Educatin (ITE) thrugh regular reviews t identify ptential deficits (e.g. teachers feeling less well prepared fr particular aspects f teaching, such as pedaggical expertise r teaching practice). Balance ITE prgrammes with a mix f subject knwledge, pedaggical educatin and teaching practice and integrate partnerships 5

6 between the ITE prviders and schls. Supprt a culture f cllabratin and team-wrk in ITE prgrammes and ffer the same t all beginning teachers; Increase the efficiency f investments in Cntinuing Prfessinal Develpment (CPD) by addressing mismatches between the specific needs f schls and teachers and the CPD teachers really fllw, and by intrducing a diversity f frmats (including schl-based, cllabrative CPD r digital curses). In particular, fcus CPD n the needs as identified in evaluatin and feedback prcesses in rder t imprve pedaggical practices and cmpetences that better address the needs f pupils and help tackling such issues as early schl leaving. Invlve teachers mre actively in the definitin and planning f CPD activities thrugh fr example schl develpment plans; Ensure flexible prgrammes t enter the prfessin prvide fr sufficient cmpnents fcusing n practice and pedaggical skills; Critically examine gvernance prcesses fr teacher educatin with a view t establishing a cntinuus develpment prcess where each stage builds n the previus nes. Mrever, lk at teacher educatin in cnjunctin with brader plicies n the rganisatin f schls t strengthen the rles f teachers as experts in learning and teaching, allwing them t perate in new rles (e.g. mentr, cach, researcher, liaisn fficer). This culd make the prfessin mre dynamic and attractive. Invlve relevant stakehlders and partnerships, which can supprt such cmplex prcesses. Cllabratin Increase teacher cllabratin by supprting netwrks, prviding physical and virtual spaces, and develping a cllabrative schl culture between teachers, students and the wider cmmunity; Include leadership training and cllabrative-based appraches in teachers' prfessinal develpment and learning, additinally reducing gender-specific barriers; Against the backdrp f schl cnslidatins and teacher shrtages, imprve resurce efficiency in schl management and gvernance by increasing cllabratin between schls which wuld allw fr a pling and sharing f resurces. Help schls engage with lcal rganisatins and businesses in cmmunity develpment, preventin f radicalisatin and fr prmting diversity. The evidence frm the tw reprts will als guide and supprt EU-level c-peratin t mdernise educatin systems thrugh peer exchanges between cuntries n educatin plicies and the Erasmus+ prgramme. The etwinning cmmunity fr schls in Eurpe 6 and the newly launched Schl Educatin Gateway 7, which prvide supprt and tls t teachers and schls, can be further develped in light f these new findings