Charlottetown, PEI (October 14, 2010) – A study on the workload and worklife of Prince Edward Island teachers indicates that teachers are spending more time on activities that support teaching, and less time actually instructing their students. The study, “The Workload and Worklife of Prince Edward Island Teachers”, was commissioned by the PEI Teachers’ Federation (PEITF), and researched by members of UPEI’s Centre for Education Research (CER).
More than 40 per cent of teacher members of the PEITF participated in the study, which included a written survey, focus groups, a teacher log of daily tasks over a 30-day period, and a narrative inquiry (stories from the lives of teachers).
“Teachers are working just as many hours as they were in 2002 when an earlier study was conducted,” said Dr. Ronald MacDonald, an assistant professor of Education at UPEI. “But they’re working differently. They’re spending more time preparing for a more diverse mix of students in their classrooms – including students for whom English is an additional language and children with learning challenges. They’re also spending more time doing administrative tasks.”
The study shows teachers work an average of about 48 hours a week during the academic year. While this is similar to earlier studies, teachers report the importance of quality instructional time is being diminished by competition for students’ time from other activities. Teachers are also concerned about the perceptions of public and school officials regarding teachers’ dedication to PEI students.
It has been found that increased pressure to take part in professional development, learning new technologies, and addressing differentiated instructional needs are adding to teachers' concerns about the lack of time to collaborate with colleagues.
The study makes a number of recommendations, including identifying the number and kind of administrative tasks (e.g. completing forms, student modification sheets, entering attendance and grades online) to determine their effectiveness, redundancy, and importance to the enhancement of learning. The study reports that all stakeholders need to recognize that some administrative tasks are too time consuming, and need to be prioritized or eliminated. It also points out the importance of examining how the current amount of instructional hours (2.3 hours per week less than 2002) is affecting student learning.
Read an Executive Summary of the Report
Read the PEI Teacher Workload and Worklife Study
Contact: Dave Atkinson, Research Communications Officer, UPEI
(902)620-5117, datkinson@upei.ca
Contact: Bob MacRae, Executive Assistant, Staff Development Services, PEITF
(902)569-4157, bmacrae@peitf.com
Centre For Education Research
