Teachers’ academic achievement: evidence from Swedish longitudinal register data

Abstract

The difficulty recruiting competent teachers is widespread, and the status of the teaching profession is on the decline. Sweden is just one country with these problems. Using longitudinal register data for every teacher in Sweden born between 1972 and 1998, the present study investigates changes in teachers’ own school grades to clarify patterns of recruitment to the teaching profession. The main methods were regression analysis and descriptive statistics. Results showed a significant decline in teachers’ grade average between 1996 and 2016, with certified teachers having a higher grade average than uncertified teachers throughout this period. Grades of primary school teachers were lower compared with those of secondary school teachers. Higher grade average for secondary school teachers of natural science subjects compared with teachers of other subjects was also observed. The decline in teachers’ grades is a factor characterising changed recruitment patterns and one likely to affect teacher quality.