Estonian minister urges teachers to participate in intl study on teaching, learning

TALLINN - From Monday until the end of March, teachers and school principals are invited to participate in the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2024, and in Estonia, nearly 4,000 teachers and 200 school principals will have the opportunity to express their opinions.

A PISA study has placed Estonian education among the best in the world. This is due to the professional teaching staff and school leaders.

"We are making a lot of effort in Estonia today to agree jointly on teachers' working conditions, career opportunities, and dignified salaries. The voice of teachers is being heard in society, and now it is possible for them to express their positions in an international study as well," Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas said.

Kallas urged all teachers and school principals included in the sample to participate. 

"This is our chance to contribute to educational issues both in Estonia and on an international level, where interest in our education system is growing. The results of the survey will be a valuable input for making further decisions regarding education," she said.

TALIS is an international OECD survey that collects information about the learning environment and teachers' working conditions. The survey is being conducted for the fourth time, and Estonia has participated in all previous occasions, namely in 2008, 2013, and 2018. The number of participating countries has reached 50.

The last survey, TALIS 2018, showed that Estonian teachers and leaders are open to changes and ready to learn throughout their careers.

This time, teachers of grades seven to nine in basic schools and the principals of the schools that have been selected for the survey are asked to complete an online questionnaire. Filling out the questionnaire takes about 45-60 minutes and it explores the relevance of opportunities for supporting teachers' professional development, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction, teaching practices and beliefs related to teaching, feedback and recognition at work, the learning environment and relationships, work-related attitudes, and their connections with school leadership.

The Estonian coordinator for the TALIS 2024 survey is the Education and Youth Board. The survey is conducted in cooperation with the European Social Fund.