Global Report on Teachers 2026

Overview

The 2026 Global Report on Teachers is the second edition of the Global Report on Teachers, jointly produced by UNESCO and the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030.

Entitled Advancing teacher professional development through lifelong learning, the Report explores how teacher professional development can be strengthened through a lifelong learning perspective. It argues that teachers' learning extends across the whole professional journey – from initial teacher education and induction to continuing professional development, career development, and professional learning within schools, communities and wider society.

Drawing on international evidence, research and examples of practice from across regions, the Report examines how education systems can better support teachers' learning, agency and professional growth throughout their careers. It also considers how teacher professional development can respond to emerging opportunities and challenges, including artificial intelligence, demographic change, climate change and evolving learning needs.

The Report provides evidence-informed analysis, policy recommendations and examples of promising practice to support governments and education stakeholders in strengthening teacher professional development and advancing progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4.

At a glance

Theme
Advancing teacher professional development through lifelong learning

Published by
UNESCO and the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030

Launch
15th Teacher Policy Dialogue Forum, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 23–25 November 2026


What does the Report cover?

The Report adopts a lifelong learning approach to teacher professional development and explores how teachers can be supported to learn throughout their careers.

It examines:

  • teacher professional development as a lifelong learning process;
  • strengthening the connections between initial teacher education, induction, mentoring, continuing professional development and career development;
  • teachers' learning within schools, professional communities and wider networks;
  • teacher agency, leadership, well-being and professional identity;
  • the relevance and recognition of learning beyond formal context, including non-formal and informal learning; and
  • financing, governance and policy frameworks that support teacher professional development.

Throughout the Report, particular attention is given to equitable access to professional learning opportunities and to the diversity of teachers, learners and education contexts around the world.


How was the Report developed?

The Global Report on Teachers 2026 has been developed through a collaborative process combining international research, expert guidance and contributions from teachers, partners and education stakeholders from across regions.
 

Editorial Board

The Report has been guided by an international Editorial Board established by the Teacher Task Force Steering Committee. Bringing together representatives from multilateral organizations, international organizations, teacher organizations, donor agencies, independent experts and classroom teachers, the Editorial Board met three times during the development of the Report.

Members helped shape the Report's conceptual framework, thematic focus, chapter structure and policy recommendations. Their discussions strengthened the Report's lifelong learning perspective, reinforced its emphasis on teacher agency and well-being, and ensured that it reflects both international evidence and the realities of teachers and education systems across diverse contexts.
 

Background papers

The Report is informed by a series of commissioned background papers prepared by leading international researchers.

These papers explore topics including:

  • transforming teacher professional development through the lens of lifelong learning;
  • continuing professional development as a lifelong, life-wide and life-entangled learning journey; and
  • educators as lifelong learners, with a focus on joy, well-being and inspiration.

Additional commissioned papers examine teacher learning in, with and from communities, career support, teacher agency and the financing and governance of teacher professional development.
 

Contributions from partners

The development of the Report has also benefited from written contributions from Teacher Task Force members, partner organizations, universities and UNESCO colleagues at Headquarters and in field offices. These contributions have brought additional research, experience and perspectives from different regions and areas of education to inform the Report's analysis.

Contributors include Education International, VVOB – education for development, the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), Programme APPRENDRE, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Erasmus+ Teacher Academies and East China Normal University, alongside contributions from UNESCO entities and field offices.
 

Collaboration with the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning

The Report also benefits from collaboration with the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and its work on Teachers as Lifelong Learners.

Research developed through this initiative includes six country case studies from Chile, China, Finland, Germany, Qatar and South Africa, providing evidence on different approaches to teachers' lifelong learning and professional development. The initiative also includes thematic research on educators in early childhood care and education (ECCE), technical and vocational education and training (TVET), and adult learning and education (ALE), as well as a literature review and synthesis report.

Evidence from the UIL work has informed different parts of the Global Report, including its analysis of flexible pathways into teaching, induction and mentoring, continuing professional development, teachers as knowledge producers and teacher professionalization.
 

Global call for case studies

To complement the research evidence, UNESCO and the Teacher Task Force launched an international call for case studies.

The call generated over 170 submissions from around the world, showcasing innovative approaches to teacher professional development across a wide range of education contexts. The submissions cover themes including communities of practice, artificial intelligence, teacher learning in rural and emergency settings, inclusion, gender equality and teacher professionalization.

Selected case studies inform the Report's analysis and illustrate policies and initiatives that support teachers' lifelong learning across diverse national and local contexts.


Launch

The 2026 Global Report on Teachers will be launched during the 15th Teacher Policy Dialogue Forum, to be held on 23-25 November 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
 

Additional resources

 

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