72% trust teachers, study finds

Research from Monash University for World Teacher’s Day shows that the vast majority trust teachers to act in the best interests of students.

The report, titled ‘Perceptions of Australian schooling: What matters in 2021’, examined the perceptions of over 1000 Australians to develop a deeper understanding of effective teaching and schooling, while taking into consideration the current challenges faced by teachers and schools.

The nationwide study, led by Dr Amanda Heffernan from the School of Education, Culture and Society in Monash University’s Faculty of Education, found a substantial majority of the nationally representative sample of respondents — 72% — trusted that teachers’ work was in the best interests of students.

The increase in public appreciation of teachers’ work was a direct result of COVID-19 and the shift to remote learning. Australian families reported merit in exploring more flexible learning arrangements into the future.

The report also found that 76% of respondents agreed that teachers in Australia cared for the wellbeing of their students.

Around half of the 1012 respondents agreed that teachers were respected by parents (55%) and students (51%). In addition, 58% of respondents agreed with the statement that teachers in Australia prepare students well for life after school.

“The findings from the study reflect a high level of public trust for Australian teachers and an awareness that teachers care for the wellbeing of their students. It’s also clear that teachers continue to play an influential role in developing the social and emotional skills of students and this aspect of a teacher’s role should continue to shape the discussions around the teaching profession more broadly,” said Dr Heffernan.

The report identified that 74% of the public valued their past teachers and were able to articulate a positive influence that a teacher had on their lives. Efforts to continue to acknowledge the broad positive influences of teachers’ work will be important to support overall teacher retention.

When asked about what skills should be taught in school, 76.5% of the public felt that problem-solving skills were most valued, followed by social and emotional intelligence (67.2%), critical information literacy (65.8%), future career preparedness (65.6%) and resilience (65.5%).

“The findings show that the public’s emphasis on skills that would prepare young people for a changing world is reflective of the importance of preparing young people for a rapidly changing future,” said Heffernan.

Responses also showed that members of the public were aware of the complexity of teachers’ work and the many challenges faced by teachers. The majority of responses recognised these challenges in the form of student disengagement with learning (80%), mental health and wellbeing of selves or colleagues (85%), complex student needs and diverse needs in classrooms (84%), and administrative demands on teachers’ time (88%).

When looking at the impact of COVID-19 on the public perceptions of Australian schooling, 41.6% of respondents said their perceptions of teachers’ work had improved as a direct result of COVID-19.

A substantial majority of respondents, 91.9%, also indicated the importance of students from low socio-economic households to be provided with subsidised or free access to laptops and other devices necessary to complete their schoolwork at home.

The study also found there was perceived merit in a hybrid or more flexible approach to schooling, with 76.6% of participants in support of rethinking the way schools operate in the future by creating a more flexible model where students attend school but have the option to take some classes online.

Over half of the respondents, 56.7%, believed the shift to remote learning during COVID-19 was successful in Australia.

For more information and to download a copy of the report, visit https://www.monash.edu/thank-your-teacher.

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