The changing role of teachers

Malta is the only European country in which school heads decide on whether a student should repeat a year, even if they usually consult their deputy and teaching staff first. On the other hand, Maltese schools join other European countries in enjoying autonomy as to the teaching methods adopted at school.

The autonomy and educational responsibilities of teachers was the subject of a comparative study - Levels of Autonomy and Responsibilities of Teachers in Europe - conducted by Eurydice, the European information network on education, published on August 26.

The study looks into the impact of reforms that took place during the past 20 years, and the way certain factors, including the curriculum, teaching methods, and assessment, have changed or extended the responsibilities of teachers.

The comparative study looks at teachers from 30 countries, teaching in primary and lower secondary schools.

With regards to teaching, the study measures autonomy by looking at three areas "with a crucial bearing on the nature of their work": decisions on the curriculum, the choice of teaching methods, textbooks and how students are grouped together, and pupil assessment.

In the majority of European schools, including Malta, teachers do not enjoy autonomy in determining the content of the compulsory minimum curriculum. In fact, there are only a few schools which enjoy full autonomy in this area, and in these schools the task is entrusted to the head of school.

With regards to choosing teaching methods, schools in every European country are free to decide what methods to use, even though a monitoring mechanism is in place. However, it is only in Malta, Belgium, UK, Ireland and Norway that the choice of teaching methods is shared between the teacher and the head of school - in all other countries, the teacher enjoys full autonomy.

Malta is among four countries in which schools do not choose their own textbooks, with the exception of a limited number of subjects for which schools may choose textbooks from a predetermined list.

On the other hand, schools are generally granted greater autonomy in determining how students should be organised into classes for teaching and learning. In Malta's case, as well as in the case of Spain, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal and Slovenia, the autonomy is shared: In Malta, "school heads have to consult the Ministry of Education to see whether it is possible to offer the chosen optional subject in accordance with the number of students in each group setting".

With regards to the basis on which pupils are assessed internally, the decision is either in the hands of teachers, or shared between teachers and the school head. On the other hand, very few countries involve schools and teachers in setting out the content of written examinations for certified qualifications.

Other factors which the study looked into were teachers' working time, tasks besides teaching that teachers may be required to perform, the requirements and opportunities in relation to continuing professional development, the teachers' contribution to educational reform and innovation, and the countries' individual and collective incentives to motivate teachers. "In Malta, the expanded range of activities undertaken by teachers has also led to better working conditions including a general rise in salaries," the study says.

EU Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth Ján Figel referred to the Commission's communication to the Council and the European Parliament of August last year, which had identified the quality of teaching as an important element in achieving the goals of the Lisbon agenda: "As schools become more autonomous and open learning environments, teachers assume ever greater responsibility for the content, organisation and monitoring of the learning process, as well as for their own personal career-long professional development." Mr Figel added that in many countries, these new expectations have been accompanied by an increase in autonomy.

While this autonomy allows teachers the flexibility to carry out their duties, it often goes hand in hand with increased accountability, "which is no longer based solely on teachers' abilities to follow the institution's operational procedures but also on the evaluation of their results".