OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey

Project description

TALIS is the first international study focusing an analysis of the learning environment of schools and the working conditions of school teachers. The study aims to close information gaps regarding international comparisons of education systems. TALIS offers teachers and school managers an opportunity to contribute to analysing education and education systems as well as to the development of educational policy measures. The international comparison allows for an identification of countries facing similar challenges, and for learning from other education systems. TALIS is conducted in 24 countries across four continents: Australia, Austria, Belgium (Flemish population), Brazil, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Korea, Lithuania, Malta, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway,  Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, the Czech Republic (observer), Turkey.

Objectives

The first assessment round focused on  determining three central aspects of learning environments:

1.School management: This priority area targets the role of school managers particularly regarding the growing demand for accountability and their increasing autonomy. Moreover, the correlation between management styles and aspects of school environments and teachers' work is analysed.

2. Assessment and feedback: The frequency, forms  and types of feedback to teachers are analysed for assessing this core area, focusing on the use of feedback for professionalising teachers. This analysis is connected to the topic of further teacher training and evaluation systems.

3. Instructional practice: This focal area investigates country profiles regarding self-reported instructional practice, other professional activities and the convictions and attitudes of teachers. Furthermore, this implies an analysis of the correlations between these aspects and other characteristics of teachers and schools.

Method and international references

The population analysed in TALIS comprehends teachers from lower secondary schools and their school managers. A teacher and a school management questionnaire were compiled subject to a cooperation with teacher organisations, particularly the  Trades Union Advisory Council at the OECD (TUAC), and subsequently administered in 24 countries involving more than  4,000 participating schools.

Project milestones

In the past and at present, DIPF has participated in different phases of the TALIS project. On the one hand, its participation has emphasised the field of professional convictions as well as teacher practices and on the other hand, the work has highlighted the international comparability of questionnaire scales.

In 2009, the first TALIS report was published, i.e. Creating Effective Teaching and Learning Environments: First Results from TALIS, accessible for download on the internet”: OECD. The technical report was published in 2010 and it is likewise accessible for download: OECD. In both cases, DIPF has contributed a chapter to the report.

In 2011, DIPF has been commissioned with compiling a thematic report on the topic of "innovation in school education" based on the TALIS 2008 data.

Moreover, Professor Eckhard Klieme is also engaged in TALIS 2013 as a member of the TALIS Development Expert Group for devising a questionnaire instrument.

Co-operations

The OECD-Direktion Education monitors the TALIS study on behalf of the participating countries. The IEA DPC acts as an "International Study Center (ISC)“ for TALIS 2008 and TALIS 2013. In both assessment rounds, it receives support from IEA Amsterdam and Statistics Canada. Each of the questionnaires is prepared by an international expert group in close collaboration with the OECD. In the case of TALIS 2008, the OECD, the IEA DPC, DIPF and the Pennsylvania State University were involved in the assessment and reporting.

Project Management

Project Details