When trying to decide upon criteria for how we answer the question of where the best places for teachers to work are, the most important factor to consider is teacher satisfaction. This can give you a pretty accurate idea of the experiences that those in the profession have, but besides this area; teacher pay, opportunities for career development, work environment and the average hours worked can all give you added context.

Arguably the most important factor in a teacher’s degree of satisfaction is how their role is perceived in the context of the wider society. Countries where teachers are seen as part of the elite, or at the very least are respected as important members of society, generally show much higher teacher satisfaction. This is borne out in places like China, where teachers are seen as highly important, and Luxembourg, where teachers are seen as the elite.

Another important part is the remuniation teachers receive. This, in many ways, is not just about ensuring that a teacher can afford a high quality of life as it can play a big role in how teachers perceive the amount of respect they receive in society. If they see that other graduate level professions receive far larger pay packages, dissatisfaction will quickly follow.

Work environment; the day to day grind of what teachers go through, can vary a lot depending upon the country/education body in question. Research shows that respect in the classroom is very important in this area. In addition, not having too much administrative work to do can have a big bearing on how good the work environment is.