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Key features of TALIS 2018

TALIS uses questionnaires administered to teachers and their school principals to gather data. Its main goal is to generate internationally comparable information relevant to developing and implementing policies focused on school leaders, teachers and teaching, with an emphasis on those aspects that affect student learning. It gives a voice to teachers and school leaders, allowing them to provide input into educational policy analysis and development in key areas.

First, TALIS helps policy makers to review and develop policies that promote the teaching profession and the best conditions for effective teaching and learning. Second, TALIS helps teachers, school leaders, and education stakeholders to reflect upon and discuss their practice and find ways to enhance it. Third, TALIS builds upon past research, while informing the future work of researchers.

Nine main themes were selected for inclusion in the TALIS 2018 survey:

1. teachers’ instructional practices;
2. school leadership;
3. teachers’ professional practices;
4. teacher education and initial preparation;
5. teacher feedback and development;
6. school climate; job satisfaction;
7. teacher human resource issues and stakeholder relations;
8. and teacher self-efficacy.
9. Two cross-cutting themes were added to this list: innovation; and equity and diversity.

The international target population for TALIS is composed of lower secondary teachers and their school leaders in mainstream public and private schools. TALIS 2018 offered three additional options: 15 countries and economies also surveyed teachers and school leaders in their primary schools (ISCED level 1), 11 countries and economies did so in their upper secondary schools (ISCED level 3) and 9 countries and economies conducted the survey in schools that participated in the 2018 OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

In each country, a representative sample of 4 000 teachers and their school principals from 200 schools was randomly selected for the study. Across all survey components, approximatively 260 000 teachers responded to the survey, representing more than 8 million teachers in 48 participating countries and economies.

1. In South Africa, 2 046 lower secondary teachers and 169 principals completed the TALIS questionnaires.

TALIS 2018 findings will be released in two volumes. The first volume, Teachers and School Leaders as Lifelong Learners, published on 19 June 2019, explores the knowledge and skills dimension of teachers and school leaders’ professionalism. The second volume, Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, to be published in early 2020, will focus on prestige, career opportunities, collaborative culture and responsibility and autonomy.

This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of OECD member countries. This document, as well as any data and any map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.