Survey: Nearly half of teachers work on weekends to keep up

A recent survey conducted by Teacher Tapp revealed that nearly half of teachers spend their weekends working, engaging in activities such as lesson planning, grading, and administrative tasks. The findings were announced on the Teacher Tapp website on March 7.

According to the survey, lesson planning is the most common weekend task for teachers, with 29% dedicating time to it. Additionally, 19% focus on other work-related responsibilities, while 17% concentrate on grading. A smaller percentage, around 3%, attend in-person events as part of their weekend workload.

MyPayMySay reports that teachers are experiencing increasing workloads that often extend beyond the standard 40-hour week to 60 hours or more. This situation has led many educators to take on additional jobs to supplement their income. The workload includes responsibilities such as lesson planning, integrating new technologies, managing classroom behavior, communicating with parents, and maintaining mental health. These demands contribute significantly to teacher burnout and highlight the need for systemic changes to support educators' well-being.

As per the UK Government's website, a Workload Reduction Taskforce has been launched in the UK with the goal of reducing teachers' working hours by five per week within three years. This initiative aims to make teaching a more sustainable career by incorporating insights from education professionals, teaching unions, and academics. It seeks to recommend strategies that reduce unnecessary administrative tasks and allow teachers to focus on student outcomes. Additionally, the UK government has allocated £1.5 million for mental health and well-being support for school leaders, complementing flexible working initiatives and recruitment incentives.

Teacher Tapp is a survey tool that collects real-time insights from educators across the country through brief, anonymous daily surveys. It captures valuable data on the teaching experience and fosters informed discussions among policymakers, researchers, and school leaders to support evidence-based decision-making.