Countries reporting data: England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Scotland, Russian Federation, United States
The amount of time teachers spend teaching in a country reflects the working environment of teachers in that country. Teaching hours and the extent of nonteaching duties are also elements of teachers’ working conditions. The average number of net teaching hours, the time directly associated with teaching, varies widely across countries. Teachers at both primary and secondary education levels in the United States reported spending more time teaching in 2001 than teachers in the other six countries with data present (figure 1). On average, net teaching hours for primary education ranged from 635 hours in Japan to 1139 hours in the United States. Average teaching hours for lower secondary school teachers followed a similar pattern to that of primary school teachers, ranging from 557 hours in Japan to 1127 hours in the United States. Lower secondary as well as upper secondary school teachers in the United States had higher net teaching hours than in the other reporting countries. In all seven countries with data, primary school teachers taught for more hours than lower and upper secondary teachers, but the degree varied widely between countries. The smallest differential was in the United States, where primary school teachers reported teaching 12 more hours per year than lower secondary school teachers. France had the greatest differential, where primary school teachers had 296 more hours with students on average than upper secondary school teachers. The regulations governing teachers’ working time vary across the countries. (Data not shown. Please see OECD
Figure 1. Average number of net teaching hours over the school year in public institutions, by level of education and country: 2001
Definitions and Methodology
Teaching staff refers to professional personnel directly involved
in teaching students. This classification includes classroom teachers,
special education teachers and department chairpersons
whose duties include some teaching, but excludes teachers’ aides
and teaching/research assistants.
Net teaching hours refers to the number of teaching hours per
year. This excludes break periods between lessons and days when
schools are closed for public holidays and festivities. In primary
education, however, short breaks that teachers spend with the
class are typically included.
Working time in school refers to the working time teachers are
supposed to be at school, including teaching time and nonteaching
time. It differs from net teaching hours in that it includes
nonteaching hours.
Statutory working time refers to the normal working hours of a
full-time teacher. According to the formal policy in a given country,
working time can refer only to the time directly associated with
teaching (and other curricular activities for students such as assignments
and tests, but excluding annual examinations); or to
time directly associated with teaching and to hours devoted to
other activities related to teaching, such as lesson preparation,
counseling students, correcting assignments and tests, professional
development, meetings with parents, staff meetings and general
school tasks. Working time does not include paid overtime.
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