Are satisfied teachers better teachers? International evidence from the TALIS video study

Abstract

Theories from occupational wellbeing posit that more satisfied workers perform better in their jobs. We tested this hypothesis by applying regression analyses to TALIS video study data (17,554 pupils; 670 teachers), exploring the association between teacher job satisfaction and lesson quality as judged from multiple perspectives. While more satisfied teachers tend to rate the quality of their lessons more highly, the relationship is much weaker when using pupil reports and those of expert observers. There is no evidence that teacher job satisfaction is related to pupil outcomes. Policymakers should focus instead on the importance of job satisfaction for teacher retention.