Report finds only 45 per cent of Australian teachers were prepared for class, student management

A major international study has revealed Australian teachers feel under prepared when it came to classroom management and student behaviours compared to other educators around the world.

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New teachers in Australia are under prepared to manage classrooms compared with their counterparts around the world, a major international study shows.

According to education experts, the teacher education degrees offered in Australia are “inconsistent” and some are simply not equipping novice teachers with enough skills.

The Organisation for Economic co-operation and Development (OECD) report, released in Paris on Monday night, found Australian teachers were also more likely to have a problem with paperwork.

Under half of Australian teachers said they were “well prepared” or “very well prepared” to manage their class and students.

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The global survey of 48 industrialised nations, including 4000 teachers from Australia, found only 45% of Australian teachers said they were “well prepared” or “very well prepared” for student behaviours and classroom management, compared to an OECD average of 53%.

In England, 68% of teachers were well prepared, in New Zealand it was 57% and in the US the figure was 61%.

“The problem of managing disciplinary issues is particularly pressing and an impediment to instructional quality in schools,” the report said.

The Talis report also showed Aussie teachers struggled with handling disruptive classrooms with 60% “frequently calming’’ disruptive students and 29% losing “quite a lot of time’’ because students interrupt their lessons.

The report also revealed teachers struggled to handle disruptive students.

“It appears new teachers in Australia are significantly more under prepared,” Centre for Independent Studies education research fellow Blaise Joseph said.

“They are less prepared than new teachers in other countries and that’s quite concerning ... we need to improve the quality of teacher education degrees, to ensure new teachers are well prepared.”

Australian teachers worked an average of 45 hours a week — including 20 hours in the classroom and 25 hours preparing lessons, marking or running extra-curricular activities. In comparison, the OECD average working week for teachers was 40 hours.