ביקוש והיצע של מורים במערכת החינוך: נקודת המבט הבית-ספרית

This study seeks to investigate the teacher shortage from the school perspective. It was guided by the assumption that activities occurring on the micro level, namely, strategies implemented by school principals in order to cope with the shortage, mask the situation. Following this assumption, the study aimed to disclose these strategies and their impact on teaching and learning in schools. The research methodology included surveys of school principals and regional inspectors as well as an examination of job advertisements appearing on Teachers' Union internet sites over a period of two years. Findings reveal an ongoing search for teachers throughout the school year and a balance between supply and demand toward the beginning of the school year. The most common strategies employed by principals to cope with the demand are increasing the teaching loads of existing teachers, hiring under-qualified and uncertified teachers, and employing substitute teachers for extended periods. These findings redirect the problem of a quantitative teacher shortage toward the problem of a shortage that relates to the quality of the teaching force.