In Brief: Teacher duties

The average reported weekly hours spent on teacher duties were similar across primary and secondary full-time classroom teachers in 2023. Since 2021, the reported average hours spent per week across each of the teacher duties has remained fairly stable.

The teacher duties outlined in this In Brief do not cover all of the duties that teachers undertake. Further, some teacher duties may be performed simultaneously (for example, marking student work while planning for a lesson or while working in a team) and so the hours spent on each duty may not necessarily be unique. Consequently, hours across different duties cannot be added together to derive total hours.

1. Lesson planning and preparation

Full-time primary and secondary classroom teachers reported spending a notable amount of time per week on lesson planning and preparation each week. While a small proportion reported completing their lesson planning in 0-4 hours per week, the majority of both primary and secondary classroom teachers reported spending at least 5 hours each week planning their lessons.

Figure 1: Average weekly hours spent on lesson planning and preparation, full-time classroom teachers, 2023

While there are potential opportunities to ease teacher workload through reducing time spent on teacher duties, given that lesson planning forms a core and vital component of classroom teaching, the time spent on this task may be difficult to reduce.

2. Administrative work

More than half of primary and secondary classroom teachers reported spending 5 or more hours on general administrative work per week, on average. Around one-third of primary and secondary teachers reported spending 5-9 hours on general administrative work, while one-fifth reported working 10 or more hours per week, on average.

Figure 2. Average weekly hours spent on general administrative work, full-time classroom teachers, 2023

Administrative work helps to support the wider school environment, but it may considerably add to teachers’ workload. The time spent by classroom teachers on general administrative work has generally increased over the period from 2021-2023. Data on teacher duties over time is available in the Data Portal.

3. Marking/assessment of student work

Time spent on marking student work was one duty that notably differed between primary and secondary classroom teachers in 2023.

Most primary teachers reported completing their marking in less than 5 hours per week, with only 11% spending 10 or more hours. For secondary teachers, a smaller proportion reported spending less than 5 hours marking per week, with nearly a quarter marking for 10 or more hours per week.

Figure 3. Average weekly hours spent on marking student work, full-time classroom teachers, 2023

4. Teamwork and dialogue with colleagues

Classroom teachers frequently work and collaborate with their school colleagues each week. While most classroom teachers reported spending less than 5 hours per week engaging in teamwork and dialogue with their colleagues, around one-quarter of classroom teachers reported spending 5-9 hours on collaboration each week. Very few reported spending 10 or more hours per week on this duty.

Figure 4. Average weekly hours spent on teamwork with colleagues, full-time classroom teachers, 2023

5. Communication with parents or carers

Most classroom teachers reported spending between 0-4 hours per week communicating with parents/carers, with around one-tenth reporting spending between 5-9 hours on this duty. Only a small proportion of primary and secondary classroom teachers reported spending 10 or more hours per week communicating with parents/carers.

Figure 5. Average weekly hours spent communicating with parents or carers, full-time classroom teachers, 2023

6. Extracurricular activities

A smaller number of hours per week is spent engaging in extracurricular activities. The majority of primary and secondary teachers reported spending between 0-4 hours per week on extracurricular tasks. Around one-tenth of primary and secondary teachers reported spending 5-9 hours per week on extracurricular tasks, falling to 3% and 5% respectively for 10+ hours per week.

Figure 6. Average weekly hours spent engaging in extracurricular activities, full-time classroom teachers, 2023

In total

Comparing the number of hours Australian full-time classroom teachers typically report spending on various teacher duties can be helpful for teachers and policymakers alike. Teachers may like to consider how long they spend on duties, and how that compares with other teachers across Australia. Policymakers can use the information to determine which initiatives could be best suited to reduce teacher workload.

Figure 7: Average weekly hours spent on teacher duties, full-time classroom teachers, 2023

Various teacher workload reduction initiatives have been implemented over time, which could help to reduce the time spent on teacher duties. For example, a key focus of the National Teacher Workforce Action Plan (NTWAP) is to reduce teacher workload and maximise the value of teachers’ time. As a result, a $25 million Workload Reduction Fund was established under NTWAP, which has generated a wide range of targeted initiatives aimed at reducing teacher workload.¹

Additionally, many states and territories are also implementing a range of their own policy initiatives and measures to help reduce the workload associated with teacher duties.

The ATWD will continue to monitor the time that classroom teachers are spending on teacher duties. To read more about teacher (and leader) duties, see the latest edition of the National Trends: Teacher Workforce publication.

Footnotes