Teacher job satisfaction: International stability over 16 years and associations with school climate changes

Abstract

In response to growing international attention to teacher retention and workforce sustainability, organizations such as UNESCO have identified teacher shortages as a major policy issue, with declining job satisfaction as a potential contributing factor. Using data from TALIS cycles 2008‒2024, this study investigates (1) if average teacher job satisfaction has changed internationally over the past 16 years, and (2) if teacher job satisfaction changes are associated with changes in school climate at the country level. Such associations with school environmental factors could help explain changes in job satisfaction. Utilizing country-fixed effects regression, the analyses account for time-invariant between-country differences and isolate international and country-specific trends. The results indicate that internationally, teacher job satisfaction increased between 2008 and 2013 and remained relatively stable thereafter. Improvements in certain aspects of school climate, especially relationships between students and teachers, are associated with increasing teacher job satisfaction at the country level.