Taking stock of research on teachers' time: Themes, methods and theoretical perspectives

The intensification of teachers’ work has elevated temporality to a critical lens for educational research. This systematic review synthesizes 98 empirical studies on teachers’ time. Findings indicate that research in this field has increased rapidly since 2009, delineating two distinct phases and marking a shift in teachers’ temporality from linear scarcity to fragmented complexity. Drawing on variations in research interests, methodological orientations, theoretical perspectives, and conceptualizations of time, we identify six interrelated themes: time allocation, time management, time perspective,time experience, time politics, and time intra-action. Building on this synthesis, we propose an integrated model that delineates relationships among multilevel antecedents, the six themes, and teacher- and student-related outcomes across educational contexts. There are two key implications for educational scholarship and practice: first, teachers’ work is situated within temporal maps at both classroom and profession levels; second, temporal complexity, not just intensification, has become a central barrier to teacher professionalism.