The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is the first international survey
programme to focus on the learning environment and the working conditions of teachers in
schools. It aims to overcome significant gaps in international education data and to provide
robust, policy relevant indicators and analysis on teachers and the learning environment for an
international audience. TALIS provides an opportunity to examine best practice from education
systems around the world, to allow countries to identify other education systems facing similar
challenges to their own and to learn from other policy approaches.
Specifically, TALIS aims to provide internationally comparable information in the areas of teacher
demographic characteristics, school leadership, teacher professional development, systems of
feedback and appraisals for the teaching workforce, school effectiveness, and teacher practices
and beliefs.
The inaugural cycle of TALIS was conducted in 2008 with 24 countries, including Australia, taking
part. Now in its second cycle, TALIS 2013 has expanded to include 34 OECD and OECD-partner
countries and sub-national entities1
. The TALIS 2013 participants are shown in Table 1 with those
who participated in TALIS 2008 highlighted.