Long reads

What should Australian schools and teachers focus on in order to improve students’ general understanding of mathematics and science? In her final Teacher column of the year, Dr Sue Thomson explores newly released TIMSS 2019 data to highlight some of the strengths and weaknesses of Australian students at the national level.

One-to-one and small-group tutoring have emerged as a catch-up strategy for schools to address student learning gaps as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with government funded programs announced here in Australia and overseas. Dr Pauline Ho and Dr Tanya Vaughan look at the evidence and give five key takeaways for school leaders and teachers.

Researchers at the University of Wollongong in New South Wales have been working with teachers and school leaders around Australia to better understand what motivates them to be involved in school-university partnerships. Here they share some of their study findings.

You and your students may have access to lots of technology in your classroom, but are you making the most of it? The Digital Pedagogies Lighthouse Project at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School has seen staff make the shift from using tech tools for productivity and presentations to embedding them in authentic mathematics learning.

‘Being reflective by collaborating with colleagues, committing to improvement, building on current skills and knowledge and sharing with others is vital for all educators.’ Here, we speak to school leaders about the importance of and skills needed for reflection.

An industry report from the University of Melbourne says deeper, more systemic change is needed to help ‘future-proof’ students. Researchers say this must start with altering what and how we assess when it comes to the general capabilities, particularly the skills which relate to employability.

‘This alternative paradigm is more than a different way of structuring the curriculum; it invites new ways of thinking about teaching, learning, assessment and reporting—in a sense, a redefinition of “normal” practice,’ Professor Geoff Masters AO writes in a new Teacher article.

The annual Youth Survey Report from Mission Australia shows young people in Australia are becoming increasingly concerned about equity and discrimination, and remain affected by stress levels and mental health. Here, we look at the survey findings which detail the experiences of over 25 000 young people in 2020.

‘Through careful reflection, design and planning of daily learning activities, teachers can identify opportunities for teaching resilience in their classroom.’ Dr Sarah Tillott and Dr Michelle Neumann discuss learning activities that foster resilience in the classroom.

Dr Pauline Ho and Dr Katherine Dix share the findings of a systematic review investigating the impact of wellbeing-related interventions on student academic and wellbeing outcomes, including four ingredients for effective implementation and three recommended actions for schools.