Abstract:
A large body of literature in the United States shows similarly inequitable teacher distribution patterns in several other states and across the nation (Bacolod, 2007; Clotfleter, Ladd, & Vigdor, 2005, 2006; Darling-Hammond, 2004; Goldhaber, Lavery, & Theobald, 2015). Although substantial evidence from the United States suggests that more qualified teachers are disproportionately concentrated in the schools and classrooms of academically and socioeconomically advantaged children, it is not clear whether the problem of teacher sorting is global in scope.
In this study we exploit cross-national variability in educational contexts and policies to explore the nature and causes of teacher quality opportunity gaps across 32 diverse countries and education systems. We also explore how national educational context and policies interact with teacher characteristics to increase or reduce cross-school and cross-classroom inequities in disadvantaged children’s access to experienced teachers. We use nationally representative data from the 2013 application of the OECD’s 2013 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) to explore the following questions:
Across 32 education systems with diverse political, social, and economic contexts, are less qualified teachers more likely than other teachers to work in schools with greater concentrations of disadvantaged students?
Across these 32 education systems, are less qualified teachers more likely than other teachers to work in classrooms with greater concentrations of disadvantaged students?
Across these 32 education systems, how do national educational context and policy relate to the distribution of teachers across schools and classrooms?
We find that cross- and within-school teacher sorting is common in most countries, but within-school sorting is more pronounced in higher-income countries. We also find that several national policy variables are significantly related to both increases and decreases of within-school teacher sorting. Our findings suggest that education policy makers across the globe must work harder to ensure access of disadvantaged children to qualified teachers. Even countries with relatively high cross-school equity in teacher distribution nonetheless face daunting challenges in terms of cross-classroom inequities. The contrast between cross-school and cross-classroom distribution of teachers raises several important considerations for policy makers.
In this study we exploit cross-national variability in educational contexts and policies to explore the nature and causes of teacher quality opportunity gaps across 32 diverse countries and education systems. We also explore how national educational context and policies interact with teacher characteristics to increase or reduce cross-school and cross-classroom inequities in disadvantaged children’s access to experienced teachers. We use nationally representative data from the 2013 application of the OECD’s 2013 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) to explore the following questions:
Across 32 education systems with diverse political, social, and economic contexts, are less qualified teachers more likely than other teachers to work in schools with greater concentrations of disadvantaged students?
Across these 32 education systems, are less qualified teachers more likely than other teachers to work in classrooms with greater concentrations of disadvantaged students?
Across these 32 education systems, how do national educational context and policy relate to the distribution of teachers across schools and classrooms?
We find that cross- and within-school teacher sorting is common in most countries, but within-school sorting is more pronounced in higher-income countries. We also find that several national policy variables are significantly related to both increases and decreases of within-school teacher sorting. Our findings suggest that education policy makers across the globe must work harder to ensure access of disadvantaged children to qualified teachers. Even countries with relatively high cross-school equity in teacher distribution nonetheless face daunting challenges in terms of cross-classroom inequities. The contrast between cross-school and cross-classroom distribution of teachers raises several important considerations for policy makers.