Few international studies paint as complete a picture of teaching as the OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). The 2024 edition was published last night, just past midnight, and is based on data from more than fifty countries. The report arrives at a moment when the profession is both under pressure and in transition. What emerges is not a story of crisis, but of resilience under strain.
A profession that keeps believing
Across the world, teachers remain remarkably committed to their work. Nearly nine out of ten say they are satisfied with their jobs. In many countries, that figure is even higher. Despite mounting workload, administrative burdens, and a constant flow of reforms, the professional identity of teachers endures. They continue to believe in what they do, but they long for more recognition, autonomy, and time to keep learning.
Subtle shifts, big implications
The profession is changing in subtle but important ways. The average age of teachers is 45, and in many systems, ageing has become a structural issue. Countries are increasingly turning to second-career entrants. These are professionals who join teaching later in life. That brings fresh experience and perspectives, but it also requires sustained support and mentoring.
AI enters the classroom
Artificial intelligence makes its first real appearance in this edition of TALIS. About one in three teachers reports having used AI in their work over the past year, from lesson planning to summarising content. Use is highest in Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, and lowest in France and Japan. Most teachers, however, still feel unprepared to use AI responsibly in the classroom. TALIS thus captures a familiar pattern in the history of educational technology: rapid adoption, slower understanding.
Workload and well-being
Teacher well-being remains a concern. Nineteen per cent of teachers worldwide report high levels of stress, with wide variation across countries. The main culprits are predictable: paperwork, behavioural issues, and reform fatigue. Some countries show improvement, others a decline. The global message is clear: workload and administrative demands continue to erode the energy teachers need to sustain good teaching.
Learning to keep learning
Professional learning is one of the brighter stories. Participation in induction and mentoring programmes has grown steadily, and more teachers report that professional development makes a real difference in their teaching. Yet time remains the scarcest resource. Around 60 per cent of teachers across the OECD say that lack of time prevents them from engaging more often in professional learning. In other words, willingness is not the problem — capacity is.
The content of professional learning has also evolved. Ten years ago, teachers primarily requested support with ICT and differentiation. Today, they cite AI, digital pedagogy, and classroom management as top priorities. TALIS suggests that professional learning is becoming more relevant, but the structural conditions for learning — time, stability, continuity — have not necessarily improved.
Valued or undervalued?
Perhaps the most sobering finding is that only about one in four teachers believes their profession is valued in society. That number has remained virtually unchanged since the previous survey. And yet, paradoxically, job satisfaction remains exceptionally high — often above 90 per cent. Teachers may feel undervalued, but they still love what they do.
Beyond rankings and reforms
Looking across these findings, TALIS 2024 offers a nuanced picture: a profession that combines deep commitment with growing fatigue, and optimism with constraint. Teachers worldwide are adapting to new realities, including demographic shifts, digital transformation, and the integration of AI into classrooms. However, they require conditions that enable them to continue developing.
The real message of TALIS is not about new technology or rankings. It is about time, trust, and the quiet infrastructure that sustains learning for both teachers and students. Education systems that understand this will not only have better teachers — they will have teachers who can continue to believe that their work matters.