Release
Australia values teachers much more than they know - Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership
19 Oct 2020 9:00 AM
Australia values teachers much more than they
know
19 October 2020
Today, the
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) launches a
two-week campaign encouraging the community to show their support for the work
of teachers. The campaign will culminate on Friday 30 October, the day
Australia celebrates World Teachers’ Day.
The campaign
kicks off with the launch of a new report that highlights the important link
between teachers feeling valued and positive outcomes for students.
The Spotlight
report, Teaching: A valued profession, reveals that although the
community supports teachers, they are much more circumspect about feeling
valued. Ensuring teachers feel valued in society and are satisfied with their
jobs is integral to teachers having positive attitudes about their work and
ability to influence student achievement. They are more likely to engage in
continuous professional development, improve confidence and satisfaction, and
remain in the profession.
The report
highlights a 2019 Monash University study which found that while 82 per cent of
the public felt teachers were respected and 93 per cent of the public felt that
teachers were trusted, only 29 per cent of teachers felt that the Australian
public appreciated them. Similarly, the 2018 OECD Teaching and Learning
International Survey (TALIS) shows only 45 per cent of Australian teachers in
lower secondary schools believe that the teaching profession is valued by
society.
The difference
between what the public thinks and what teachers think comes down to several
factors, including the negative portrayals of teaching that dominate the media.
For example, an analysis of newspaper headlines and articles between April 2017
and March 2018 in Queensland, found that over half of the 270 relevant articles
expressed a negative attitude toward the teaching profession, while only 31 per
cent were positive and 14 per cent were neutral.
“This year has
shown us just how agile, committed and dedicated our teachers can be in the
face of tremendous stress and upheaval,” AITSL CEO Mark Grant said.
“Now, more than
at any time, we have the opportunity to better understand what is involved in
successful teaching, and to recognise the fundamental value that teachers
provide to the community.
“As we approach
World Teachers’ Day in 2020 this report is an important reminder of the
incredible value that the community sees in our teachers. In a year unlike any
other let’s join together to celebrate our amazing teachers,” Mark Grant said.
“World
Teachers’ Day on 30 October is the perfect opportunity to show our teachers how
much we value them, we support them, and we acknowledge the brilliant work they
do every day to advance the learning lives of students across Australia,” Mark
Grant said.
To read the Spotlight
report visit: https://www.aitsl.edu.au/research/spotlight/teaching-a-valued-profession
Find out how you can get involved in thanking teachers this World Teachers’ Day at www.aitsl.edu.au/wtd
-ENDS-
Media enquiries: David Grant / 0421 187 894 / david.grant@aitsl.edu.au
Notes
for Editors - The
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) provides
national leadership for the Australian, State and Territory Governments in promoting
excellence in the profession of teaching and school leadership. AITSL is funded
by the Australian Government.