Student behaviour becomes top burden for German teachers as trend accelerates, survey shows

Student behaviour becomes dominant concern

The rise in classroom disruption is no longer a marginal concern. Forty-six percent of teachers now name student behaviour as their greatest professional challenge, according to the 2026 edition of the German School Barometer, published by the Robert Bosch Stiftung. The figure has climbed sharply: in 2024 it stood at 35 percent, and in 2025 it reached 42 percent. The survey, conducted by Forsa between 11 November and 2 December 2025, questioned 1,547 teachers at general and vocational schools and has a margin of error of three percentage points.

The pattern is more acute in certain school types. Teachers at Haupt-, Real- and Gesamtschulen (55 percent) and at vocational schools (53 percent) report the pressure far more often than their colleagues at Gymnasien or primary schools. The Stiftung’s education expert, Katharina Thoren, linked the findings to a companion survey of pupils released in March, which showed a renewed rise in psychological strain among young people, the first such increase since the pandemic.

A closer look at what troubles teachers

The label “student behaviour” masks a layered set of problems. When asked to specify, 25 percent of teachers point to problematic social behaviour, 13 percent to a lack of motivation and willingness to learn, and 7 percent to psychological problems. Concentration difficulties, aggression, violence, bullying and problematic media use each register at 5 percent. The second- and third-largest overall burdens are classroom heterogeneity (34 percent) and high workload paired with time pressure (27 percent).

Gymnasium teachers cite concentration problems more often, while teachers at non-academic secondary schools report aggression, violence and bullying at higher rates. Several respondents and the Stiftung itself see the influence of social media and broader societal crises as contributing factors.

Job satisfaction remains high, but exit intentions lurk

Despite the daily friction, 83 percent of teachers say they are satisfied with their job, and almost 90 percent agree at least “somewhat” that they enjoy working at their school. Three quarters would recommend their institution as a good workplace. Yet a sizeable minority is restless: 28 percent would leave the profession if a viable alternative presented itself. The authors note that the figures have remained remarkably stable in recent years, even as the perception of student behaviour has worsened.

Teachers demand more training and multidisciplinary teams

The survey reveals a strong appetite for professional development. Forty-seven percent of teachers say they need further training in how to handle psychologically burdened pupils, and 82 percent want more knowledge on fostering soft skills such as empathy, teamwork, independence and critical thinking. Thoren warns that training alone is not enough.

So that teachers can focus fully on what their real task is: good teaching.

She argues that schools urgently need multidisciplinary teams including social workers, school psychologists and IT specialists. More than a third of teachers feel they are left to cope on their own with these new demands.

AI gains ground in the classroom

Alongside the behavioural challenges, the survey documents a quiet technological shift. The proportion of teachers who work with artificial intelligence several times a week has more than doubled year on year, reaching 25 percent. AI is most popular for creating assignments (64 percent) and for lesson planning (58 percent).