Can work intensification be considered an emerging risk among teachers?

The changing landscape of work is shaped by social, technological, economic, environmental, political, and legal changes. Work intensification (WI) has been a long-standing concern for researchers and policymakers due to its adverse impact on the health and well-being (HWB) of workers, supported by evidence across industries, occupations, and countries. The multi-faceted nature of WI affects numerous professionals in both public and private sectors. The complexity of work effort is prevalent in the educational context, particularly among teachers, making teaching a highly stressful profession. Findings on WI are controversial. An issue-centred horizon scanning was conducted to identify and synthesize evidence to deepen the understanding of WI among teachers across different time scales. The scanning identified substantial evidence of the current risk of WI among teachers. Key drivers of WI, such as technological change, upskilling needs, and organizational change, were discussed in light of forces affecting its future development or decline. Computer use and ICT pose medium-term risks but are expected to have less impact in the long term due to changing forces. The extent of WI varies based on contextual factors; further research is needed as its extent cannot be accurately estimated due to methodological and measurement challenges. Key drivers of change are centred around technology, which has the highest transformative impact on teachers’ work. While global impacts can be forecasted based on current evidence in the medium term, in the longer term, benefits in countries with higher technology adoption levels may outweigh disruptive impacts, potentially reducing work demands on teachers.