A Cross-National Analysis of Organizational Resources and Structures for Supporting Teachers' Professional Learning

• In Event: Comparative Studies in Teacher Education

Abstract

1. Objectives

The study posed two questions which were explored across countries participating in the 2018 OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS):

1. How do countries vary in the levels of organizational supports for all teachers and mentoring opportunities for beginning teachers to support their professional learning?
2. How are the levels of organizational supports and mentoring opportunities associated with national achievement in reading and math?

2. Perspective(s) or theoretical framework

Teachers in most countries do not receive high income compared to other professions (Dolton et al., 2018), monetary support such as extra payment, reimbursement for learning expenses, and salary increase likely serves as a major incentive to engage in professional learning. Investment in monetary support also communicates the importance of continuous professional learning to teachers, and which will, in turn, promote instructional reform.

3. Methods, techniques, or modes of inquiry

Using the 2018 OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) and OECD PISA student assessment data gathered from over 40 countries, we conducted a cross-national analysis of five types of organizational support for professional development for all teachers and mentoring opportunities provided to beginning teachers.

4. Data sources, evidence, objects, or materials

Five types of professional development support reported by teachers are: (1) release from teaching duties for activities during regular working hours, (2) reimbursement or payment of costs, (3) monetary supplements for activities outside working hours, (4) non-monetary rewards (e.g. classroom resources/materials, book vouchers, software/apps), and (5) increased salary. For mentoring, we computed the percentage of beginning teachers (3 or fewer years of teaching experience) who were assigned a mentor.

5. Results and/or substantiated conclusions or warrants for arguments/point of view

We found that, on average, the level of organizational support for professional development is limited, ranging from less than 20% of teachers receiving monetary or non-monetary rewards to 45% of teachers receiving a release from teaching. Mentoring support was also limited as only 31% of beginning teachers were assigned a mentor on average. However, we also observed major cross-national variations in all of these measures. Our correlation analysis showed that the high-achieving countries tended to provide greater support by providing release from teaching and reimbursement, and they also tend to offer multiple types of support than low-achieving countries.

6. Scientific or scholarly significance of the study or work

Most existing studies on organizational support for professional learning focused on a single country or region, and few comparative or cross-national studies of organizational support have been conducted so far blind citation). Understanding the cross-national variations in the levels of organizational resources and structures allow policymakers and educational administrators in each country to understand where they stand in comparison to other countries and consider whether or not any improvement is needed. Furthermore, a cross-national analysis of how the levels of various organizational supports are associated with national achievement reveals which aspects of organizational resources or structures may be important.

Author

• Motoko Akiba, Florida State University