The phenomenon of teacher shortage affects almost all German states to varying degrees and is increasingly discussed in both public as well as academic discourse. In order to counteract the current need for teachers, various measures are being taken to find ways to alleviate the existing shortage, at least in the short term: For example, special programs are launched to recruit lateral entrants, retirees are activated or additional financial incentives are created. However, the shortage of teachers does not only affect the German school system but also plays a role in an international perspective.
The international research project WATS UP (What About Teacher Shortage) aims to investigate the phenomenon of teacher shortage from an international comparative perspective. The project, funded by the Swedish Research Council, is a cooperation between researchers from Mid Sweden University (Sweden), Åarhus University (Denmark), and Bergische Universität Wuppertal. In the first year of the project (2021), the focus was initially on the exploration, explanation, and comparison of the current situation(s) and, in particular, the causes and explanations of the shortage of teachers (short- and long-term perspective).

Duration of the project: January 2021 until June 2024

Funded by: Swedish Research Council