School Staff Workload Study: Final Report to the Australian Education Union – Victorian Branch

The School Staff Workload Study was commissioned by the Victorian branch of the Australian Education Union (the Union) in March 2016. The study involved the design and delivery of an online survey by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The survey was a census of the Union membership and was open to the majority of members in Term 2, June 2016. The survey targeted three groups: teachers, school leaders (Principal class), and education support staff. The survey was intended to provide a detailed picture of the workload of the Union membership and, by extension, Victorian government school staff. Attention was paid to the hours spent by staff in different aspects of their work. Perceptions of workload and of its effect on staff wellbeing were considered, as were views of the school environment. The Union was particularly interested in the relationship between workload and quality of teaching, on the basis that anything that affects the quality of teaching will be likely to affect student outcomes at some level.