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Teachers were given a series of statements about the resources available to them and were asked to indicate how much they agreed or disagreed with them. Reponses could be ‘Strongly agree’, ‘Agree’, ‘Disagree’, or ‘Strongly disagree’. These statements were focused around two key resources: the space and the time available to teachers to teach and to manage learning.
Space available for teachers
Teachers were asked to indicate their agreement with two statements about the availability of space: ‘I have adequate space in my classroom for all my students’; and ‘I have a space to do my work in the school’. Both touch on crucial issues for teachers, their ability to deliver effective learning and their ability to perform supporting activities, such as marking, lesson planning and administration.
Table TT2.3 shows the proportion of students with teachers in Tonga who agreed with each statement about the amount of space available to them (‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’).
The results show that, across both year levels, most students (about 88%) had teachers who agreed or strongly agreed they had adequate space in their classroom for their students, and most students across both year levels, 98%, had teachers who agreed that they have a space to do their work in school. These are high proportions, but they still show that around 10% of the students in Tonga had teachers who thought they did not have adequate classroom space.
Teacher’s time
Teachers were asked to indicate their agreement with five statements related to the adequacy of time they had available for defined areas of their work. Table TT2.4 details the results of these questions by the year level of the students.
Approximately four out of five students in Tonga, had teachers who agreed they had enough time to complete the required mathematics, reading and writing lessons.
More than one out of four students in Tonga had teachers who indicated they did not have enough time to work with students who are slow learners. This was the area with the lowest proportion of students with teachers in agreement.
On average, across both year levels, about 90% of students in Tonga had teachers who agreed that they spent an appropriate amount of time on administrative work.
What does this mean?
Most students in Tonga have teachers who agree they have enough space in their classrooms for all students and a space at school to do work. However, the results also imply that a minority of teachers are experiencing potential challenges with the space they have in their classrooms.
The PILNA 2021 programme also collected information about school leaders’ perceptions of school resources. These are found in the school leaders’ section.
Regarding teachers’ time, most students in Tonga have teachers who agree they have enough time to complete lessons in mathematics, reading and writing. An area of concern is, however, teachers’ ability to accommodate slow learners. A large proportion of students in both year levels have teachers who think they do not have enough time to work with slow learners. More than one out of four students in Tonga schools may not get the teacher support they need if they fall behind or are slow to absorb new concepts.
