Research released ahead of World Teachers’ Day reveals the lasting influence teachers have on career choices, confidence and attitudes towards learning.
Nearly one in three Australians (31 per cent) say a teacher influenced their current job or profession, highlighting the impact teachers can have well beyond the classroom.
Research released by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) on 29 October, ahead of World Teachers’ Day on Friday 30 October, also found that four in 10 Australians (40 per cent) say a teacher changed how they felt about a subject.
The influence is particularly strong among younger generations. Almost half of Gen Z respondents (49 per cent) say a teacher significantly or somewhat shaped their career, while 48 per cent of Millennials count a teacher among the two biggest influences on their career choices.
For Gen Z, teachers are more than twice as likely to be named as the biggest career influence as celebrities or social media influencers (18 per cent compared with 7 per cent).
Almost three in 10 Australians (28 per cent) say a teacher made them fall in love with a particular subject. Beyond academic outcomes, increased confidence is another significant contribution, with 44 per cent identifying a teacher making them feel confident in their abilities as the most impactful thing a teacher did for them.
Award-winning author Jaclyn Moriarty, whose latest novel is Time Travel for Beginners, said her teachers helped turn her lifelong love of writing into a career.
“I always loved writing stories, but it was my English teachers – Mrs Watts and Mrs Mullally – who made me believe I could truly become a writer. They read my stories to the class and encouraged me to enter writing competitions, helping me believe that something I loved could become a career.
“When I was in Year 12 and unsure about what to do next, my next-door neighbour, Mrs Robinson, who was a school principal, asked me about my dream career. When I told her I wanted to be a writer, she encouraged me to pursue it,” said Jaclyn.
Despite the influence teachers can have, almost one in four Australians (23 per cent) feel their impact on students’ lives is not fully recognised today.
While 31 per cent have thanked a teacher for the difference they made, a further 22 per cent would still like the opportunity to do so.
Tim Bullard, CEO of AITSL, said teachers could shape more than what students learn in schools and early childhood settings.
“Teachers can shape more than what we learn in schools and early childhood settings. They can spark an interest or give someone the encouragement to pursue a path they may not have otherwise considered.
“This World Teachers’ Day, we want Australians to Shine a Light on the teachers who helped shape who they are and where they are today. We are urging Australia to come together and recognise the great work teachers do across the country.”
The research also found that 45 per cent of Australians can still recall a specific “lightbulb moment” with a teacher, even years later.
To mark World Teachers’ Day on 30 October, AITSL is inviting Australians to Shine a Light on teachers across the country.