‘By focusing on future-orientated education, we can find innovative solutions to the megatrends our planet faces.’ In his first Teacher column for 2025, OECD Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher shares finding from the latest Trends Shaping Education report, and the implications for teachers, school leaders, students and policymakers.

A US study has explored the different reasons why pre-service teachers (PSTs) decided to pursue a teaching career. Researchers analysed roughly 2,800 essay responses and identified 10 ‘supertopics’. The most common supertopic, appearing in nearly 60% of essays, was ’altruism’, followed by ‘intrinsic motivation’. This infographic gives an overview of the results.

We know the global teacher shortage is impacting many different school contexts, and that encouraging young people to consider a career in teaching is an important part of the long-term picture. Dr Tracy Woodroffe joins us to discuss her 12-month research project that gathered perspectives from Aboriginal students and teachers. These perspectives informed recommendations to encourage more Aboriginal young people in the Northern Territory to consider teaching.  

In our latest reader submission Rebecca J Collie, Andrew J Martin and Dragan Gasevic share an update from their work into teachers’ use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek. They discuss the findings of a new Australian study, and the implications for schools.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics release data on schools, staff and students in Australia each year. The latest data for 2024 show increases from 2023 in student retention, full-time equivalent teaching staff, and student enrolment.

‘By fostering empathy, critical thinking, and cultural awareness, drama plays a vital role in shaping the next generation of global citizens ...’ Lauren Backhouse – Phase Leader, Upper Primary at the Budapest British International School in Hungary – shares how she has incorporated drama into her own classroom practice to teach Global Citizenship Education.