Teachers around the world are feeling more confident, reveals Tes’ International School Wellbeing Report

Figures show teachers have a more optimistic outlook despite the major ongoing issues within the profession, according to Tes’ latest International Wellbeing Report.

Over 2,100 responded to Tes’ annual international survey, now in its fourth year, making this report the most comprehensive yet. Key themes emerged around teacher confidence and how regions perform comparatively.

Some of the standout findings from the report were:

• 85% of respondents said they feel confident performing their roles, up 9% from last year.
• 51% found their workloads manageable, compared to 39% in the UK.
• Staff in the Middle East and North Africa report more enjoyment in their roles and find their workload more manageable than other regions.
• Respondents from Europe and the Americas are struggling with funding, communication, and feedback, yet saw the most significant improvements around engagement and pride and confidence in their leadership teams.

Rod Williams, CEO of Tes, said;

“Although there are still many challenges, there are some real signs of optimism in the international teaching community as confidence levels are rising and teachers are feeling more empowered to make decisions. It’s also great to see so many report they’re throwing themselves into their work and a majority finding it fulfilling.”

There are several stats that show positive signs for international education. 85% of teachers reported feeling confident in performing their roles, up 9% from last year, 54% of international school staff believe their schools are well-funded, Asia Pacific region polled high levels of satisfaction around resources, with 61% saying they are well-funded, up 7% from last year, and respondents from the Middle East and North Africa had the most positive stats for enjoyment in their role and confidence in leadership.

In contrast, there are still many areas where teachers are struggling. For example, only 28% of respondents said their school had invested in resources to support teachers. The report also highlighted areas of concern for middle leaders, where they appeared disadvantaged compared to other roles in areas such as having a voice, feeling well funded, and workload satisfaction.

Despite the many issues affecting teachers globally, this year’s International Wellbeing Report researched by Tes showed positive swings in areas that give a sense of optimism for the international education sector.

For more information on the International Tes Wellbeing Report 2024, please visit: https://www.tes.com/for-schools/content/tes-wellbeing-report. If you see the UK report instead of the international one, please set the region to ‘International schools’ at the top right corner of the webpage