Study: Majority of teachers experience declining academic levels among students

A new membership survey from the Danish Union of Teachers (DLF), conducted in collaboration with DR, shows that a majority of teachers believe that students in primary and lower secondary school have become academically weaker over the past five years.

According to the survey, 62 percent of teachers say that students’ academic level has declined compared to five years ago, while 22 percent do not perceive a decline, and 16 percent respond “don’t know.”

The survey also indicates that teachers often have to adjust their teaching to a lower level than they consider necessary. 32 percent state that this happens daily, while 36 percent experience it weekly.

Teachers also describe challenges in meeting the needs of both academically weaker and stronger students. 74 percent report that they have two or more students with academic difficulties whom they are unable to provide with the necessary support. At the same time, a large proportion say they are not sufficiently able to challenge the academically strong students.

Chairman of the Danish Union of Teachers, Gordon Ørskov Madsen, calls the results serious.

-“It is a serious problem. It concerns both the students’ opportunities later in life—and the fact that Denmark relies on having a well-educated population. Right now, we are not adequately preparing either the weakest or the strongest students,” he says.

He points out that the development is putting pressure on the purpose of the public school system and on teachers’ working conditions. According to him, many teachers feel they do not have the necessary framework to raise students’ academic level, which may lead some to leave the public school system.

According to DLF, the survey should be seen in connection with other developments in the area, including a growing proportion of teachers without formal teaching qualifications, a doubling of substitute teaching hours over the past 15 years, and the perception that teachers’ time is increasingly spent on tasks such as meetings, conflict resolution, and documentation.

DLF points to the need to strengthen the framework for teaching, including more time for preparation, more qualified teachers, and increased use of co-teaching arrangements.