Short articles

Australia’s year 4s achieved the country’s best-ever result in the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Alongside the year 4 and 8 assessments, students, teachers and principals at participating schools completed a questionnaire – those findings have been released today.

Students develop their capabilities when they transfer and apply their skills and knowledge to different contexts, including real-world scenarios. In this article we speak to the teacher advisors of the Australian winners of the International Mathematical Modeling Challenge (IM2C) about the benefits for students, and their own practice.

In this edition of Researching education: Five further readings, we’re sharing resources on mathematics education in primary and secondary, including on teaching finance, mathematics anxiety and more. 

Sometimes students make a behaviour choice thinking it will help them fit in with their peers. A new report from ACER and Life Ed explores tobacco and vaping use among secondary students and finds their beliefs about ‘the norm’ don’t reflect reality.

‘… Ukraine’s efforts to reimagine the professional learning journey of its extraordinary teachers is a reminder to us all: the strength of an education system depends on the strength of its teaching profession.’ OECD Director of Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher shares news from an ambitious stakeholder conference in Kyiv.

At ACER’s Research Conference 2025, poster presenter Peter Axford – a Senior Teacher at Malanda State High School and PhD candidate at James Cook University – showcased his research exploring an agency approach to student engagement with the curriculum. Here he shares the impetus for this research and how the findings influenced his own classroom practice.

The largest ever study on the job ambitions of 15-year-olds has revealed a stark mismatch between teenagers’ career expectations, education choices and labour market demands. In particular, the newly released OECD data show more needs to be done to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

How can teachers meaningfully integrate Indigenous perspectives? In this expert Q&A, Indigenous curriculum specialist Melissa Serrurier discusses culturally responsive teaching, making the shift from tokenism, using authentic resources, and the ways schools can respectfully build and sustain genuine partnerships with local communities.

New research from academics at the University of the Sunshine Coast shows that maths and science educators can use visual cues in nature like animal trails and patterns to explore both simple and complex mathematical concepts with students. 

As a teacher, how confident are you when it comes to classroom management? A new report released today explores teacher self-efficacy in classroom management. It’s a great prompt for thinking about your own skills, practices and professional development needs, and if you have a leadership role, those of your team.