Constructing Scenarios for the Future of Teaching in Austria

The New Professionalism and the Future of Teaching project has devised a theoretical framework that allows stakeholders in education to construct a shared vision on what the teaching profession could look like in the future. This study in Austria seeks to anticipate and increase deeper, structured thinking about medium- and long-term scenarios for teacher professionalism and empowerment. Potential benefits for the system include long-term strategic thinking regarding the Austrian teacher workforce and finding solutions to issues that transcend the short-term. The results of the study point to a focus on collaborative school cultures, teacher autonomy and professional identity, leadership (on various levels) and an innovation culture with a diversity of roles within the teacher workforce, as elements of specific importance in thinking about the possible future of the teaching profession in Austria.