Articles

A US study has explored the different reasons why pre-service teachers (PSTs) decided to pursue a teaching career. Researchers analysed roughly 2,800 essay responses and identified 10 ‘supertopics’. The most common supertopic, appearing in nearly 60% of essays, was ’altruism’, followed by ‘intrinsic motivation’. This infographic gives an overview of the results.

We know the global teacher shortage is impacting many different school contexts, and that encouraging young people to consider a career in teaching is an important part of the long-term picture. Dr Tracy Woodroffe joins us to discuss her 12-month research project that gathered perspectives from Aboriginal students and teachers. These perspectives informed recommendations to encourage more Aboriginal young people in the Northern Territory to consider teaching.  

In our latest reader submission Rebecca J Collie, Andrew J Martin and Dragan Gasevic share an update from their work into teachers’ use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek. They discuss the findings of a new Australian study, and the implications for schools.

Megan Gilmour is the CEO and Co-founder of MissingSchool, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to raising awareness of the educational and social needs of children who miss school because of serious illness or injury. In today’s Q&A we hear more about her work to help students stay connected to their classmates. 

The Australian Bureau of Statistics release data on schools, staff and students in Australia each year. The latest data for 2024 show increases from 2023 in student retention, full-time equivalent teaching staff, and student enrolment.

As a teacher, knowing the words your students frequently use in their writing can help you understand where to extend their spelling and vocabulary skills. The 2024 Oxford Children’s Word of the Year report reveals words frequently used by primary aged children in their writing. 

‘By fostering empathy, critical thinking, and cultural awareness, drama plays a vital role in shaping the next generation of global citizens ...’ Lauren Backhouse – Phase Leader, Upper Primary at the Budapest British International School in Hungary – shares how she has incorporated drama into her own classroom practice to teach Global Citizenship Education.

In this episode of Teacher Staffroom, we share highlights from our podcasts this month, including our episodes with Professor John Munro and Dr Claire Scoular. We also delve into our archive to share some of our most popular content of all time, some with over a quarter of a million views. 

The latest annual Youth Survey by national charity Mission Australia received responses from 17,480 young people (aged 15-19) around the country on issues important to them in 2024. Here, we look at the top personal challenges they are facing.

Last term, the 2024 recipients of the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Excellence in Science Teaching were announced. In this episode, Alice Leung and Daniel Edwards join us to share some of their favourite learning activities to run in the classroom, discuss why STEM is for everyone, and share how they use social media to connect with experts.