Teacher’s Day is celebrated in Russia on October 5. Since 1994, the Russian observance has coincided with World Teachers’ Day. Before that, the professional holiday of teachers was celebrated on the first Sunday of October. In 2026, the occasion takes on special significance, marking the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, a 1966 document that, for the first time at the international level, established guidelines concerning teachers’ rights and responsibilities, their training, working conditions, and professional development.
The theme of World Teachers’ Day 2026 is “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures”. UNESCO draws attention to the new challenges facing the profession, including the development of digital technologies, inclusion, migration, climate change, high workloads, professional autonomy, and teachers’ participation in decision-making.
What do we know today about teachers themselves and their professional well-being? Let us take a look at the research findings.
Teachers demonstrate high levels of work engagement. A study of 1,018 school teachers from 37 regions of Russia showed that their overall level of psychological well-being is comparable to that of the Russian sample as a whole, while teachers demonstrate higher levels of engagement in their work. At the same time, teachers rate their physical health lower. Well-being is associated with vigor, enthusiasm, autonomous motivation, self-efficacy, and school organizational culture. (Study “Psychological Well-Being of School Teachers”)
Students’ interest in a subject also matters for teachers’ own well-being. In a study of teachers from 19 schools, students’ interest in the subject was associated with lower levels of emotional exhaustion and burnout and, at the same time, with greater vigor, enthusiasm, and professional engagement among teachers. Poor work organization, by contrast, may contribute to burnout. The risk factors identified by the researchers include having to perform tasks outside teachers’ professional responsibilities, scheduling problems, suboptimal class sizes, insufficient teaching resources, and additional duties. Dissatisfaction with the information systems used in the educational process was also associated with higher levels of burnout and lower professional engagement. (Study of Organizational Factors in Teacher Burnout and Engagement)
Autonomy is one of the resources of the teaching profession. An analysis of recent research shows that teachers with greater autonomy in their work are more likely to intend to remain in the profession. Safety, school organizational culture, and access to high-quality professional development are also important. (Review of the Determinants of Teachers’ Professional Longevity)
Age in itself does not imply a decline in professional resources. In a study of teachers’ psychological age, educators who subjectively felt younger than their biological age demonstrated higher levels of psychological well-being, including a stronger sense of environmental mastery. Experience, meanwhile, can become a resource for the education system in its own right. A review of research on professional longevity highlights the dual potential of mentoring: it makes it possible to recognize and draw on the expertise of older teachers while also passing accumulated professional practices on to other generations of educators.Age in itself does not imply a decline in professional resources. In a study of teachers’ psychological age, educators who subjectively felt younger than their biological age demonstrated higher levels of psychological well-being, including a stronger sense of environmental mastery. Experience, meanwhile, can become a resource for the education system in its own right. A review of research on professional longevity highlights the dual potential of mentoring: it makes it possible to recognize and draw on the expertise of older teachers while also passing accumulated professional practices on to other generations of educators. (Study of Teachers’ Psychological Age and Health)
Finally, data from a large Russian survey of 9,799 teachers from 75 regions show that professional longevity is not simply the number of years spent in the profession. It is associated with maintaining an interest in one’s work, professional engagement, cognitive activity, and the ability to pass on accumulated experience. (Analytical Report “Myths About Age”)
The PsyJournals.ru editorial team congratulates teachers and educators on their professional holiday!
May your work always leave room for curiosity — both your own and your students’ — for sharing experience, discovering new ideas, and feeling that what you do truly matters. And may you have colleagues by your side with whom you can discuss difficult issues, share discoveries, and seek solutions together.
Happy Teacher’s Day!