An important pre-condition for implementing quality teaching practices is maximising time in the classroom. According to TALIS 2018, teachers report spending 78% of classroom time on teaching and learning, on average across the OECD, 13% on maintaining order and 8% on administrative tasks. There has been an overall decline in classroom time spent on actual teaching and learning since 2008 in roughly half the countries surveyed. This underlines the importance of supporting teachers – especially those new to the profession – in classroom management. Indeed, TALIS data indicate that older and more experienced teachers tend to achieve a higher share of classroom time spent on teaching and learning activities.
Teacher practices
Effective classroom teaching is central to the work of teachers and crucial for student learning. It is important to develop policies that help understand and support effective teaching practices.
Key messages
While everyone agrees on the need to promote high-quality teaching, instruction is complex and the debate on what constitutes good practice is far from resolved. There are two clearly defined orientations in education philosophies and empirical research: direct instruction and constructivism, and it is safe to say that virtually all teachers rely on both approaches at some point in their teaching, moving between the two depending on context and needs. TALIS 2018 data have revealed that during a typical lesson, practices centred on managing the class and ensuring clarity of instruction are widely applied in OECD countries. In contrast, practices involving student cognitive activation are less prevalent despite their significant potential to enhance student learning. This highlights the need for greater efforts to mainstream high-impact practices.
Schools appear to be recognising the value of innovative teaching to respond to the challenges of the 21st century. According to TALIS 2018 data, the vast majority of teachers say that their schools are open to innovative practices and have the capacity to adopt them. However, teachers in Europe and millennial teachers are less likely to report such openness to innovation. Moreover, the effectiveness of any teaching practice depends on how teachers implement it in the classroom. School-level practices that help teachers work together to improve student learning and that transform the school into a professional learning community have received great attention as a way to spread and foster the use of innovative practices.
Context
Use of classroom time
On average across the OECD, teachers report spending 78% of classroom time on actual teaching and learning, with the remaining classroom time spent on keeping order (13%) and administrative tasks (8%).
Time spent on actual teaching and learning, by teacher and school characteristics (2018)
Teaching practices
In 2018, on average across OECD countries and economies, almost all teachers frequently use practices pertaining to clarity of instruction. Cognitive activation practices seem to be less widespread.
Teaching practices (2018)
