Monash Education researchers Fiona Longmuir, Beatriz Gallo Cordoba, Michael Phillips, Kelly-Ann Allen, and Mehdi Moharami outline their latest findings.

Teachers have a massive impact on our lives and communities, and play a critical role in shaping our shared future. They deserve respect, trust and to feel safe at work.

Monash researchers conducted a national study of 5,000 teachers, building on research from 2019. The research highlights significant concerns and challenges faced by teachers and key insights into better ways to support and retain them. More than 38,000 comments were recorded, including proposed solutions and ideas for change.

Teachers were clear about what is needed to retain them in the profession: listen to us, support us and trust us. The results clearly show the need for a systemic change and a shift in the way teachers are talked about, especially by politicians and the media.

Full report: Australian Teachers' Perceptions of their Work in 2022 (pdf)

Here are our key findings.

1. Respect and appreciation

The way Australians talk about teachers directly impacts how they feel about their work. 

Our survey showed that 7 in 10 teachers don’t feel respected or appreciated by the Australian public, and these feelings get stronger as their career progresses.

While more than half of the teachers surveyed said that students did respect teachers, only one third of them felt that parents respected their work, less than 20 per cent suggested the media were respectful of teachers, and less than 10 per cent felt that politicians respected teachers.

Teachers cited excessive workload, insufficient salary, and disrespect from students and parents as contributory factors in feeling unappreciated.

Teachers said they felt appreciated when:

• shown support from colleagues,
• offered words of affirmation by the school leadership,
• given professional learning and adequate resources,
• experiencing positive relationships with other teachers,
• given positive feedback by colleagues, students and families, and
• being heard.

Interestingly, previous Monash research, which investigated what Australians thought about teachers, showed high levels of respect for teachers that grew during COVID-19 lockdowns. This reveals what our research team calls an appreciation gap – that is, while Australians say they appreciate teachers, teachers are not feeling it. Our research showed that the way teachers are portrayed in the media and by politicians further contributed to this feeling of being unappreciated.

I feel appreciated by my colleagues and administration and the parents of most of the students in my classes because, like most teachers, I work at building those relationships. However, the constant teacher-bashing in the news and from politicians undermining the work that we do in schools [are] unacceptable.

2. Satisfaction and belonging

Both teacher satisfaction and teacher belonging are critical for their wellbeing, self-efficacy and confidence. Their absence causes feelings of uncertainty and anxiety. Results in this part of our survey offer key insights for school leaders and policy makers.

Our survey revealed a 20 per cent decrease in the percentage of teachers who feel satisfied with their roles in 2022 compared to respondents in 2019. By contrast, 8 in 10 teachers reported feeling a sense of belonging to the profession.

Workload, negative media, disrespect from parents and students, and a lack of recognition were given as reasons for dissatisfaction.

Teachers described experiencing satisfaction in seeing students learn and grow, and in developing positive relationships with their students, as these comments illustrate:

“When I can see I am making a difference. When I have good connections with my students, and I can see they are growing.”

“The work I do with young people in the classroom and the opportunities I have to support them in their aspirations.”

“The kids. It's the best feeling when you see them finally get something they've been struggling with.”

Meanwhile, the survey revealed that a teacher’s sense of belonging was influenced mainly by their relationships and connections with others in the school environment, specifically:

• relationships with colleagues,
• relationships with students,
• supportive school systems.

This strong sense of belonging to the profession could be one of the greatest assets in the current climate, and can potentially be harnessed when considering future educational policies.

“Teachers are usually incredibly warm, passionate, positive people who want the best for their workmates and our shared students.”

3. Intentions to remain in teaching

Only 3 in 10 teachers plan on staying in the profession until retirement, which has long-term implications for teacher retention and tackling workforce shortages. This has been an area of significant focus for the Australian government this year.

Major factors for wanting to leave the profession included workload and work-life balance, as well as health and well-being concerns.

Interestingly though, teachers in their first year of teaching reported they were more likely to stay, than teachers with six to nine years of experience.

We asked the same question in 2019, and figures show 14% more teachers are considering leaving the profession, which demonstrates further impact on potential attrition rates.

I have always wanted to stay teaching forever, however in the last six months, I have seriously started to think about leaving as I am just completely exhausted by the job and the outside expectations on teachers.

4. Workload and working conditions

We asked a series of questions about workload and working conditions. The results are sobering.

• 1 in 4 teachers do not feel safe at work.
• Less than 14% of teachers report their workload as manageable.

Low pay, unpaid hours, a lack of appreciation for their work, an overloaded curriculum, staff shortages, and the behaviour of parents and students were all raised as work condition issues.

Teachers felt they were constantly having to prove they were doing their jobs well, and felt there was a lack of trust in their professional expertise.

One in four teachers said that they did not feel safe at work, and cited student behaviour and violence, parent abuse, and negative relationships with staff as the main reasons for this.

Poor mental health as a result of working conditions was also raised with some teachers feeling anxious about getting things done, meeting deadlines, and handling conflict with parents and peers.

Recommended solutions to the key challenges

Teachers surveyed were asked to suggest possible solutions to their main issues. Here are some of their suggestions:

Workload reduction: Hire qualified specialist staff to reduce workload pressures by helping teachers diagnose students, assist with support plans, and design manageable adjustments.

Reduced administration: Reduce administrative work such as repetitive uploading of plans and the number of meetings held. Employ administration staff to do tasks such as policy creation and occupational health and safety checks. Offer transition roles for new graduates where they take on a smaller load of classes while acting as an administrative assistant to a mentor teacher.

Extra staff/smaller class sizes: Reduce the numbers of students in classes. Increase funding for teaching aids, social workers, school counsellors and other qualified professionals to support children's social and emotional development.

Higher expectations of children and parents: Greater expectations should be placed on students and parents as they interact in education settings. Calls were made for stricter guidelines for parents and students interacting with teachers and more serious consequences for students and parents who breach these guidelines.

Value teachers: Teachers seek more positive media portrayal of their profession. They call for more trust and respect for their work. They also suggest their wages should reflect the hours they actually work, and the important role teaching plays in the community.

A voice in making policy and a seat at the table.

In summary

This study shows that there are many issues facing Australian teachers, and these concerns are complex. They are not the result of sudden or unexpected changes. They are the outcomes of what has been described as ‘intergenerational policy failure’, which has led to an intensification of work.

Teacher voice in policymaking is critical for addressing the challenges and concerns, and to ensure it's aligned with what teaching should be about. Attention to teachers' voices about their work and in their area of expertise will not only contribute to better policy, but symbolise that their experience is valued and appreciated.

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