big question report 2017 (scotland) - nasuwt€¦ · the big question 2017, carried out in february...
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An opinion survey of teachers and school leaders
Introduction The Big Question 2017, carried out in February and March 2017, is theseventh annual national survey of teachers and headteachers conducted bythe NASUWT.
Over 300 teachers in Scotland responded to the survey.
The Big Question 2017 highlights the views of teachers and school leaderson a range of subjects including pay, pupil behaviour, empowerment andprofessionalism, work/life balance, and mental and physical wellbeing.
The Big Question time series offers the only nationally available data set totrack trends in teachers’ and school leaders’ opinions over time,demonstrating the developing views of teachers and school leaders and theissues impacting on their work.
Pay and Cost of LivingOver four fifths (87%) of teachers do not believe that teachers’ salaries arecompetitive when compared with those of other professions, an increaseof 16% since 2011. Almost three quarters (73%) believe that people are putoff teaching because of levels of pay.
When asked about the impact of the cost of living crisis on their spendingin the last year, the survey revealed that: • almost half (48%) of teachers had to cut back on spending on clothing; • almost a third (31%) had to cut back on expenditure on food; • almost a fifth (18%) had to cut back on essential household items; • over a quarter (27%) have had to increase the use of credit; • 12% had to extend their overdrafts; and • 7% had to delay the paying of bills.
3
Do you think that teachers’ salaries are competitive with those of other professions?
n Yesn No
13%
87%
Over three quarters of teachers (79%) believe that they are not paid at a levelthat is commensurate to their skills and experience and over half (52%) havenot received the pay progression to which they are entitled.
More than a third (41%) of teachers are not paid for the full range ofresponsibilities they undertake.
More than two thirds (69%) of teachers would not recommend teaching asa career.
Pupil BehaviourOver four fifths (85%) of teachers said that they think there is a widespreadbehaviour problem in schools today and over half (51%) said they believethere is a behaviour problem in their particular school.
4
How have you been affected by the pay freeze/real-terms cut in pay?
Can
cel h
olid
ay p
lans
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
24%18%
31%
48%55%
34%
12%
27%
60%
33%
2%
31%
7%10%
Cut
bac
k on
exp
end
iture
on
food
Cut
bac
k on
exp
end
iture
on
clot
hing
Cut
bac
k on
exp
end
iture
on
esse
ntia
l hou
seho
ld it
ems
Cut
bac
k on
soc
ial a
ctiv
ities
Can
cel s
ubsc
riptio
ns
Incr
ease
ove
rdra
ft
Incr
ease
use
of c
red
it
Not
ab
le t
o sa
ve
Red
uce
cont
ribut
ions
to c
harit
y
Mor
tgag
e/re
nt a
rrea
rs
Del
ay h
ouse
hold
rep
airs
Del
ay t
he p
ayin
g of
bill
s
Take
a s
econ
d jo
b
Percentage of teachers who believe that there is a behaviour problem in their school
52%
50%
48%
46%
44%
42%
40%
38%
43%
51%
2011 2017
More than four fifths (88%) of teachers said that there is an issue of low-level disruption amongst the pupils they teach.
When examining the causes of poor pupil behaviour, the top five causesthat teachers identified were lack of parental support (52%), pupils notready to learn (38%), low aspirations (38%), lack of support staff (42%) andlack of back-up from the senior management team (45%).
The issues of lack of back-up from senior management, low aspirations andpupil readiness have been a feature since 2011.
Almost three fifths of teachers (59%) said that they were not given theappropriate training to deal with poor pupil behaviour, 51% said that theywere not given the appropriate advice and information to deal with poorpupil behaviour and 42% said that they needed additional powers. Aquarter of teachers stated that curriculum and assessment policies in theirschool have contributed to poor behaviour.
The top five causes of day-to-day behaviour problems that were cited byteachers were chatter in class (63%), failure to complete work (68%),inability to follow rules (60%), backchat (53%) and pupils with irregularattendance (51%). With the exception of pupils with irregular attendancepatterns, the other causes have appeared regularly in the top five since thefirst Big Question in 2011.
When asked to identify the types of low-level disruption experienced, thetop three issues for teachers were pupils:• talking or chatting out of turn (85%);• being slow to start work (78%); and• calling out (75%).
Teachers were asked to indicate whether they were subject to various formsof abuse and bullying behaviour by pupils and parents in the last year. Overhalf of all teachers (56%) stated that they were subject in the last year toverbal abuse by pupils and 14% were subject to threats of physical assaultby pupils. Three per cent of teachers said that they were threatened andabused on social networking sites by pupils and 12% said that they werephysically assaulted by pupils.
Almost a fifth of all teachers (19%) stated that they were subject in the lastyear to verbal abuse by parents and 4% were subject to threats of physicalassault by parents. Four per cent of teachers said that they were threatenedand abused on social networking sites by parents.
Almost a third of teachers (32%) said that they do not feel supported bysenior management teams when dealing with issues of pupil indiscipline.
5
Workload and BureaucracyTeacher assessment systems, and the processes associated with recordingpupil data, are now a massive workload burden, with inspection alsocontinuing to be a workload burden.
When asked about their key concerns about their job, almost four fifths ofteachers (77%) cited workload as their number-one issue.
In order to determine the drivers of workload, teachers were asked aboutthe causes of workload in schools. The top five causes cited wereassessment and marking policies (50%), administration tasks (35%),curriculum and qualification changes (48%), school self-evaluation (32%)and pupil record-keeping (30%).
Empowerment and ProfessionalismTeachers continue to feel disempowered, with concern being expressedabout a lack of respect for teachers and unreasonable expectations beingplaced upon them.
Fifty-seven per cent of teachers stated that they believe they are notempowered as a teacher.
When asked to identify the factors that lead to disempowerment, the topfive factors identified were constant change (77%), a culture of blame orcriticism (55%), a lack of respect for teachers’ professional judgement(63%), teachers’ views not being listened to (49%), and a lack ofunderstanding of the nature of their job from decision makers (65%). Thetop three reasons have been cited by teachers since 2011.
When asked a series of questions about their perceptions of their role,concerns were expressed about the nature of the work they are being askedto undertake and the impact it has on their sense of self, professionally.
Over a third of teachers (36%) said that they did not feel they had control
6
Causes of Workload
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Pupil record-keeping
School self-evaluation
Curriculum/qualification changes
Administration tasks
Assessment and marking policies
30%
32%
48%
35%
50%
over their work, over a quarter (27%) said they did not feel trusted to dothe job and the same amount felt they were not given the freedom to teach.
Furthermore, almost three fifths of teachers (58%) felt constantly evaluatedand judged and over three quarters (79%) felt they were held responsiblefor problems that they had no control over. It is unsurprising, therefore, thatalmost half of teachers (45%) stated that they do not look forward to goingto work.
Six per cent of teachers have been threatened with capability proceduresin the last year and 2% have been subject to capability procedures. Fourper cent of teachers have either been offered or have been put on supportprogrammes.
Over a quarter (27%) of teachers said that they have not accessedcontinuing professional development (CPD) in the last 12 months. Four fifthsof teachers (80%) said that all teachers should have a contractualentitlement to CPD in working time.
Buildings and ResourcesTeachers remain concerned about the nature and quality of the resourcesthat they have available to them.
Almost two fifths of teachers (38%) stated that their buildings were not fit toteach in, and almost half (48%) said that their buildings were not fit for pupils.
Over half of teachers (54%) said that they are not provided with the resourcesto allow them to teach and the same number (54%) said that they did nothave high-quality ICT provision to allow for appropriate use of the technology.
Work/Life BalanceFor the first time, the Big Question survey asked a series of questions aboutteachers’ perceptions about their work/life balance and the impact ofworkload on their family life.
7
Are your school buildings fit to teach in?
n Yesn No
38%62%
Over three quarters of teachers (77%) stated that they frequently worriedabout work problems when not at work, and only 18% stated that they wereable to relax at home.
Over three quarters of teachers (78%) said that they felt too tired to enjoydoing the things they like to do and only 12% said they had enough timeand energy for hobbies.
Additionally, the job had an impact on their families, as more than half ofteachers (55%) said that their job prevents them from giving the time theywant to their partner, family or friends. Five per cent of teachers said thatthe impact of their job had led to a relationship breakdown.
Teachers expressed concern that work/life balance was impeding the qualityof their work as two fifths (40%) said that they are often too worn down togive the job their best effort. This has in turn led to serious dissatisfactionwith the recognition they receive for the time they give, as over four fifths ofteachers (81%) said they work too hard for too little reward.
Health and WellbeingWhen teachers were asked about how their school views their wellbeing,over half of teachers (55%) reported that their wellbeing is not consideredimportant by the school and three quarters (75%) said that their job hasimpacted negatively on their wellbeing.
Over four fifths of teachers (69%) stated that they have experienced moreworkplace stress in the last 12 months, and this is following a number ofyears in which teachers have also recorded increased levels of stress foreach year, cumulatively.
8
Perceptions of work/life balance and family life70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%The job prevents me from giving the
time I want to my partner/family/friendsI have the space to devote time to my
partner/family/friends
55%
12%
More than half (56%) of teachers stated that the job had adversely affectedtheir mental health in the last 12 months, and over half (55%) said that thejob had adversely affected their physical health. Furthermore, teachersreported a range of negative mental/physical problems as a result of work,including: loss of sleep (79%), anxiousness (75%), low energy levels (71%)and irritability/mood swings (50%). Almost one in ten teachers (9%) statedthat they had started using antidepressants in the past 12 months. Two percent of teachers said that they had self-harmed in the past year.
Consequently, where the job had affected teachers’ physical and mentalhealth in the last 12 months, more than a third (35%) had seen a doctor anda quarter had been forced to take medication. Almost one in ten (8%) hadundergone counselling and 2% had been admitted to hospital.
Respect and Job SatisfactionTeachers feel that they are not respected by their school management andover half of teachers do not feel valued.
Over a third of teachers (36%) said that they do not feel respected asprofessionals and 34% said that they do not believe their classroomexpertise is valued.
9
In the last 12 months, have you experienced any of the following because of work?
Anx
ious
ness
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
75%79%
13%
44% 46%
71%
50%
5%2%
26%
12%
19%
2%
9% 9% 9%
Loss
of s
leep
Loss
of a
pp
etite
Low
er c
once
ntra
tion
leve
ls
Lack
of i
nter
est
in o
ther
activ
ities
Low
ene
rgy
leve
ls
Irrit
abili
ty/m
ood
sw
ings
Rel
atio
nshi
p b
reak
dow
n
Sel
f-ha
rm
Poo
r he
alth
Incr
ease
d u
se o
f alc
ohol
Incr
ease
d u
se o
f caf
fein
e
Incr
ease
d u
se o
f tob
acco
Use
/incr
ease
d u
se o
fan
tidep
ress
ants
Use
/incr
ease
d u
se o
fp
resc
riptio
n d
rugs
Poo
r or
err
atic
tim
ekee
pin
g
Over two fifths of teachers (41%) stated that they believe their opinions arenot valued by school management. A quarter (25%) of teachers said theirwork is not valued by parents and over a third (37%) said that they believetheir work is not valued by school management.
Teachers were asked what they like most about their jobs. The responsesare similar to those identified over the last four years – namely, interactingwith pupils (81%), seeing young children progress (83%), teaching (77%),making a positive difference (72%), and support from colleagues (37%).
Two fifths of teachers (40%) stated that they are currently dissatisfied withtheir job, an increase of 9% from 2011. Over half (55%) said that their jobsatisfaction has declined in the last 12 months.
When asked what their key concerns were, teachers identified thatworkload was once more the key concern; this was highlighted by 77%,5% higher than in 2011. The other concerns identified in the top five werepoor pupil behaviour (59%), pay (51%), budget cuts (35%) and schoolinspection (50%). The picture in comparison to 2011 has worsened,although most of the issues remain the same.
It is unsurprising, given the results of the survey, that over two fifths of teachers(45%) stated that they do not look forward to going to work at all.
Over two thirds of teachers are seriously considering leaving their job (60%),and over three fifths of teachers (58%) are thinking of quitting the professionaltogether.
10
What are your biggest concerns as a teacher?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
School inspection
Budget cuts
Pay
Poor pupil behaviour
Workload
50%
35%
51%
59%
77%
In the last 12 months, have you seriously considered leaving the teaching profession?
n Non Yes 58%
42%
Further Research and SurveysThe NASUWT is committed to undertaking a Big Question survey annually.This complements other members’ surveys.
NASUWT-commissioned research and survey reports are available fordownload at www.nasuwt.org.uk.
