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THE TEACHING AND LEARNING INTERNATIONAL SURVEY

Sharing knowledge to improve Australia's teaching environments

The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is the largest international survey about principals, teachers and their work.

6603 teachers and 453 principals from a representative sample of primary and secondary schools across Australia participated in TALIS 2018

Improving teaching environments

TALIS produces internationally comparable data about teachers and teaching. It encourages teachers and principals to share their opinion on a range of issues. This data is used by governments, unions and think tanks to support policy development and research.

Collecting the data

TALIS 2024 is already underway with early testing in 2023 and the main survey in 2024

A teacher’s guide to participating in TALIS

  1. Step 1
    three pages offset

    Selected schools receive information pack

  2. Step 2
    a human with a checkmark next to it

    Schools nominate central contact

  3. Step 3
    a clipboard with a list

    Teachers and principal complete 30-60 minute survey

Previous survey results

Snapshot of results from TALIS 2018 for Australian school teachers compared to the international average.

Arrows indicate if the result has gone up or down compared to results from five years earlier

a comparison of male to female teachers
a comparison of employment status
a comparison of job satisfaction

In 2018, 38% of Australian teachers were male (a lower proportion than in 2013) and 62% were female (a higher proportion than in 2013). Internationally on average, 32% of teachers were males and 68% were female.

The proportion of Australian teachers employed full time and the proportion on permanent contracts has remained stable between 2013 and 2018, at 84% and 86% respectively. Internationally on average, the proportion of teachers employed full time fell to 79% in 2018 and the proportion on permanent contract fell to 82%.

The proportion of Australian teachers reporting high job satisfaction remained stable between 2013 and 2018, at 90%, while the proportion that think teaching is valued in society increase to 45%. Internationally on average, the proportion of teachers reporting high job satisfaction fell to 90%, while the proportion that think teaching is valued fell to 26%.

Reports and data

line drawing of australia
 line drawing of the globe

Take a look at TALIS from an international perspective

OECD logo

Australia's participation in TALIS is supported by

  • Australian Government Department of Education
  • NSW Department of Education
  • Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
  • Queensland Department of Education
  • WA Department of Education
  • SA Department for Education
  • Tasmanian Department for Education, Children and Young People
  • ACT Education Directorate
  • NT Department of Education
  • National Catholic Education Commission
  • Independent Schools Australia
  • Australian Council for Educational Research
  • Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership

Get in touch

Katherine Dix

  talis2024@acer.org
  1800 290 554