TALIS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is the first international survey that provides a voice to teachers and school principals, who complete questionnaires about issues such as the professional development they have received; their teaching beliefs and practices; the assessment of their work and the feedback and recognition they receive; and various other school leadership, management and workplace issues. TALIS relies on teachers' and school leaders' expertise as professionals to describe their work situation as accurately as possible, as well as their experiences in and feelings about their schools and working conditions. It is not an assessment, but a self-reported survey.

TALIS is the outcome of a collaboration between its participating entities (countries and territories), the OECD, an international consortium, Education International (representing teacher unions) and the European Commission. It also benefits from the input of other social partners, such as UNESCO. TALIS is a periodic survey: after its first three successful cycles in 2008, 2013 and 2018, the fourth cycle of the TALIS is currently taking place. The next cycle will take place in 2030. Find out how to join TALIS.

TALIS aims to contribute to the debate about teaching as a profession. In the previous cycle in 2018, nine main themes were selected for inclusion in the TALIS survey: teachers’ instructional practices, school leadership, teachers’ professional practices, teacher education and initial preparation, teacher feedback and development, school climate, job satisfaction, teacher human resource issues and stakeholder relations, and teacher self-efficacy. Two cross-cutting themes were added to this list: innovation, and equity and diversity. More information on the conceptualisation of the eleven themes can be found in the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018 Conceptual Framework.

Volume I of the TALIS 2018 results, Teachers and School Leaders as Lifelong Learners, are related to the knowledge and skills dimension of teachers’ and school leaders’ work. It looks at how teachers apply their knowledge and skills in the classroom in the form of teaching practices, the demographic makeup of classrooms shaped by student diversity and the demographic and experience profiles of teachers and school principals. It also looks at the initial training provided to teachers and school leaders, as well as the activities they undertake for continuous professional development. Volume II of the TALIS 2018 results, Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, focused on prestige and job satisfaction, career opportunities, collaborative culture, and professional responsibility and autonomy.

Three further volumes, on the TALIS-PISA link module, the primary and upper secondary modules (ISCED 1-3 modules), and on equity, were produced. For a full list of published materials, check the publications page.

Consult the list of participants for an overview of participation over the previous and current cycles.

The first cycle of TALIS was conducted in 2008 in 24 countries. The second cycle, TALIS 2013 – included 38 participants (34 participants in 2013 and 4 additional participants in 2014 and 2015). The previous cycle of the study, TALIS 2018, expanded to include additional countries, bringing the total number of participants to 48 countries and territories. TALIS 2018 was answered by over 260 000 teachers and 15 000 school leaders from lower secondary, primary and upper secondary education levels.

In 2024, the main survey (ISCED level 2) will be conducted in 33 OECD countries and territories – Alberta (Canada), Australia, Austria, Belgium (the Flemish and French communities), Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye and the United States. Non-OECD member countries who are participating – Albania, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus,[1],[2],[3] Kazakhstan, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Shanghai (China), Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam.
Additionally, 14 countries and territories will survey teachers and school leaders in their primary (ISCED level 1) schools, 8 in their upper secondary (ISCED level 3) schools, 16 will participate in the Starting Strong module (ISCED 0, with 7 of them participating in the Under 3 option) and 8 will conduct the Teacher Knowledge Survey optional module.

[1] Note by Türkiye: The information in this document with reference to “Cyprus” relates to the southern part of the Island. There is no single authority representing both Turkish and Greek Cypriot people on the Island. Türkiye recognises the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Until a lasting and equitable solution is found within the context of the United Nations, Türkiye shall preserve its position concerning the “Cyprus issue”.
[2] Note by all the European Union Member States of the OECD and the European Union: The Republic of Cyprus is recognised by all members of the United Nations with the exception of Türkiye. The information in this document relates to the area under the effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus.
[3] Participation through the IEA International Study Centre.

Apart from participating entities and the OECD, TALIS data is available for download to anyone who is interested in exploring the data. Usually, TALIS data is used by interested researchers and data analysts working in the disciplines of social science and education. In addition to the TALIS international and national datasets, researchers and data analysts can use TALIS online tables available on OECD.Stat, the TALIS 2018 Technical Report, the OECD Education GPS and Compare your country as an aid to pursuing further research using the TALIS data.

Compared to previous cycles, TALIS 2024 has expanded in terms of scale, depth and scope.

• Scale: Increment in the number of participating countries and territories, with a special focus on expanding the coverage of OECD member countries and making the survey relevant for the contexts of developing countries and territories.
• Depth: Go deeper with those questionnaire items that address particular policy relevant topics, such as teachers’ pedagogical practices, the use of technology in the classroom, professional development opportunities and education for students with special education needs.
• Scope: The core survey will incorporate contingent issues such as the socio-emotional learning of students and practices linked with education sustainability and climate change. In addition to the two optional populations (i.e. primary schools and upper secondary schools), the scope includes, on an optional basis, a survey module on staff members and leaders of early childhood education and care centres, and an assessment module on teachers’ general pedagogical knowledge.