Sue Thomson

Sue Thomson

Former Deputy CEO (Research) at the Australian Council for Educational Research

Dr Sue Thomson was a former Deputy CEO (Research) at the Australian Council for Educational Research. Dr Thomson managed Australia’s participation in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), the Progress in International Reading Study (PIRLS) and the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Before joining ACER, Dr Thomson lectured at a number of universities in Statistics and Research Methodology and worked as a Mathematics and IT teacher in government secondary schools in Victoria.

19 total results
TALIS: Stress levels among Australian teachers
TALIS: Stress levels among Australian teachers

The OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey shows almost six in 10 Australian teachers say they feel quite a bit or a lot of stress in their jobs, significantly higher than the average across participating OECD countries. In her latest column, Dr Sue Thomson explores the factors that contribute to teachers’ stress at work.

What PISA tells us about our preparedness for remote learning
What PISA tells us about our preparedness for remote learning

Dr Sue Thomson explores how the COVID-19 crisis has propelled schools to an online learning environment, and draws on data from the OECD’s 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) to shed light on students’, teachers’ and schools’ preparedness for the ‘new normal’.

Teachers' priorities for education spending
Teachers' priorities for education spending

In her last column, Dr Sue Thomson examined secondary school teacher and principal views on resourcing issues that hinder quality teaching, as revealed by the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey. What, then, do these teachers see as the spending priorities for Australian education? And are the priorities different in primary schools?

School resourcing: What hinders quality instruction?
School resourcing: What hinders quality instruction?

In her new Teacher column, Dr Sue Thomson discusses some of the latest results from the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), including issues of resourcing and student achievement.

Assessing social and emotional skills
Assessing social and emotional skills

In this edited version of her presentation at ACER’s Research Conference Dr Sue Thomson looks at the assessment of social and emotional skills in an increasingly fast-changing and diverse world.

Feeling safe at school – what does the research say?
Feeling safe at school – what does the research say?

Most people would argue that children should feel safe at school. For some children, school is possibly the only place in which they feel safe. In her first column for 2019, Dr Sue Thomson explores student perceptions of school safety.

STEM: What's holding females back?
STEM: What's holding females back?

Dr Sue Thomson addresses three broad areas that may hold females back from participation in STEM subjects in school and in entering these careers, providing teachers with the knowledge to address the underlying issues.

What sort of schools have the best access to teachers?
What sort of schools have the best access to teachers?

One of the main resources in schools is teachers, and in this column Dr Sue Thomson looks at the provision of teachers to advantaged and disadvantaged students in Australia.

Students who like to read – what does the research say?
Students who like to read – what does the research say?

'Reading is much more than a tool for education or work.' What do Year 4 students think about reading? Is it fun? Do they think they learn anything? Dr Sue Thomson explores these questions in her first Teacher column.