Teachers’ working time from time-use data: Consequences of the invalidity of survey questions for teachers, researchers, and policy

• Published in: Teaching and teacher education 2022-01, Vol.109, p.103536, Article 103536
• Main Authors: te Braak, Petrus, Van Droogenbroeck, Filip, Minnen, Joeri, van Tienoven, Theun Pieter, Glorieux, Ignace
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Measurement error; Teachers' working time; Teachers' workload; Time allocation; Time use; Time-diary
• ISSN: 0742-051X; 1879-2480
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2021.103536

How teachers spend their working time is crucial for the quality of teaching and teachers’ well-being. For this reason, teacher surveys generally measure the number of hours worked. By comparing estimates from survey questions and time-diaries, we argue that commonly used survey methods are prone to bias. We use results of a unique, large-scale study where 7,486 teachers kept a diary for seven days resulting in 1,250,000 hours of registered activities. Large differences in the accuracy of estimating working time exist in sub-activities (e.g., school organisation) and job characteristics (e.g., part-time versus full-time). Implications for research and policy are discussed. •7486 teachers kept a time-diary for seven days resulting in 1,250,000 h of registered activities.•A literature review reveals measurement errors on survey questions about teachers' working time.•Large differences in estimation accuracy of working time exist in sub-activities and teachers' job characteristics.•Core activities are severely overestimated in survey estimates, while peripheral activities are underestimated.•Time-diary methods reveal that part-time teachers spend a disproportionate amount of hours on peripheral activities.