Education employers 2014-2016
Aim of the study
The aim of this survey was to provide information on the way in which the skills of new contract teaching staff are assessed in preschool, primary and secondary education institutions in the public sector, the private sector and subsidised institutions in Catalonia, and to improve the match between the teaching requirements of schools and the provision of teacher training at university level.
New teachers are defined as having obtained a university qualification within the previous two years, together with those who awarded a degree more than two years previously, but who have very little work experience. |
Quantitative report
Qualitative reports
The main findings were:
- Population and sample
- Recruitment of new teachers
- Skills and competences of new teachers
- Scope for improvement
- Orientation, training and innovation in schools
- University-school collaboration
- Recommended reading
Population and sample
The study consisted of a survey of 281 responses from principals, managers and staff at pre-school, primary and secondary schools in Catalonia. The survey was carried out on-line.
Table 1. Institutional distribution of the population and sample according to the levels of educational provision offered
Population | Sample | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
N | % | N | % | |
Pre-school and primary education | 1.809 | 61,99% | 164 | 58,36% |
Secondary education | 571 | 19,57% | 70 | 24,91% |
Pre-school, primary and secondary education | 538 | 18,44% | 47 | 16,73% |
Total | 2.918 | 100,00% | 281 | 100,00% |
Recruitment of new teachers
- In spite of the economic crisis and budgetary restrictions, 60% of the public schools covered by the survey had contracted recent Education graduates with no experience, whereas in the case of private and subsidised schools the corresponding percentage was up to 91%.
- 83% of public schools were very or quite satisfied with the profile match of recruited teachers.
- Among public schools that had contracted staff, more than 80% considered that having more than one degree or further/additional training, the ability to teach classes in English and prior experience at the same institution were either very or quite important in recruitment.
- Among private and subsidised schools that had recruited staff, more than 90% considered that having more than one degree and the ability to teach classes in English was either very or quite important for recruitment. Over 60% of these schools considered the reputation of a graduate's university to be an important factor in recruitment.
Graph 1. Importance of the various factors in new teacher recruitment at public schools
Skills and competences of new teachers
The skills considered to be most important were responsibility at work (9.4), subject-specific skills in Catalan (9.3) and the ability to promote values and respect in the classroom (9.2).
Overall satisfaction with the skills of new teachers was 6.8 out of 10. The three skills of new teachers that school informants were most satisfied with were responsibility at work (7.5), IT skills (7.5) and the ability to promote values and respect in the classroom (7.5).
Graph 2. Comparison of the mean levels of importance and satisfaction as regards the skills of recent Education graduates with no experience
NB: Subject-specific skills (Catalan, Spanish, foreign languages, mathematics, natural sciences and technology, social and natural sciences, and music, the plastic arts and physical education) only refer to teachers of pre-school and primary education. The ability to teach different subjects only refers to teachers of compulsory secondary education.
Scope for improvement
- In high complexity institutions (with highly complex socio-economic backgrounds), the most highly rated skill was classroom management. This same skill was rated the fourth most important in medium complexity institutions and sixth in low complexity institutions.
- Conflict management was rated the sixth most important skill in high complexity institutions, whereas it was in eighth position for medium complexity institutions and sixteenth position for low complexity institutions.
- The most scope for improvement in teachers' skills was in classroom management (-2.7), conflict management (-2.6), foreign languages (-2.3) and innovation and research (-2.1). In all skills, there was more scope for improvement in public schools than in private and subsidised schools, according to the informants.
Graph 3. Difference between the mean levels of importance and satisfaction as regards the skills of recent Education graduates with no experience
NB: Subject-specific skills (Catalan, Spanish, foreign languages, mathematics, natural sciences and technology, social and natural sciences, and music, plastic arts and physical education) only refer to teachers in pre-school and primary schools. The ability to teach different subjects only refers to teachers of compulsory secondary education.
Orientation, training and innovation in schools
- 77% of schools provided orientation and training for new teachers, ranging from 76% in public schools to 81% in private and subsidised schools.
- 70% of schools provided a mentor to new teachers, 40% had programmed training sessions for specific needs and 16% provided for training in outside institutions.
- Among institutions that had dealt with innovations in education, the most prevalent was innovation in didactic methods and pedagogical skills (98%), followed by important changes in the technology used by the institution (81%) and new forms of association with other education institutions (56%).
Graph 4. Innovation activities in the institution
University-school collaboration
- The most frequent form of university-school collaboration was teaching practice (73%), followed by participation in projects involving innovation in education (63%).
- A less frequent form of collaboration in public schools was curriculum assessment (27%).
- 29% of private and subsidised schools used university careers and employability offices. This was not the case with public schools, where recruitment takes place through the Government of Catalonia's Department for Education.
Recommended reading
BARBER, M.; MOURSHED, M. (2007) How the world’s best-performing school systems come out on top. McKinsey & Co. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-008-9075-9.
COM (2007) Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament: Improving the Quality of Teacher Education. Brussel·les: Commission of the European Communities. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/ES/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52007DC0392&from=EN.
GUTIÉRREZ GONZÁLEZ, J. M. (2011) «La Formación Inicial del Profesorado de Secundaria. Del CAP al Máster». A: CEE Participación Educativa, 17, pàg. 96-107. http://www.ub.edu/obipd/docs/la_formacion_inicial_del_profesorado_de_secundaria__del_cap_al_master.pdf.
JENSEN, B.; SANDOVAL-HERNÁNDEZ, A.; KNOLL, S.; GONZÁLEZ, E. (2012) The Experience of New Teachers: Results from TALIS 2008. París: OECD Publishing.