Short articles

We know that participating in sport and physical activity benefits health and wellbeing. New research has found it also has a small positive effect on students’ academic performance, particularly in mathematics and science.

Phillippa Adgemis is Principal at Coldstream Primary School – one of the six schools highlighted in a recent Australian study exploring the common features of exemplary school playgroups. In this article, she shares more about how the playgroup is run, and the effect it has had on the school.

‘Long gone is the traditional view of a museum as being static and dusty. Contemporary museums promote interactive exhibits, experiential learning experiences and technological “open” accessibility.’ Dr Deb Cohen explains how teachers can use museum education programs to support classroom learning.

‘I put my students’ cultural and social identities at the forefront of my teaching. It’s important to recognise the inequities they face.’ In today’s Q&A, Global Teacher Prize 2021 winner Keishia Thorpe joins us to share more about the work she’s doing to improve student outcomes in her school setting and wider community.

The biennial Narragunnawali Awards recognise Australian schools and early learning services that are implementing outstanding reconciliation initiatives. The 2021 winner in the schools category was St Virgil’s College in Tasmania. In today’s article Bridget Jenkins, the college's Aboriginal Student Support Teacher, shares some of the significant moments in the school’s reconciliation journey.

Season three of award-winning animated series Little J & Big Cuz features the very first Kriol episodes translated by students at Ngukurr School in the Katherine Region of the Northern Territory, as part of a real-world school education project.

Children’s experiences inform the development of their vocabulary and, subsequently, how they view the world around them. As we head into the third year of pandemic challenges and restrictions, interesting themes have continued to emerge through students’ writing.

The transition to primary school is a big step for children and families, and there are many things to consider for educators supporting students in their transition to school. In this article, we outline five further readings that examine successful transitions.

If you’re in a co-education school, look at student enrolments for STEM subjects and participation in STEM-related clubs and extracurricular activities – is there a gender imbalance? A new report shares global examples of effective interventions from primary and secondary education settings.

A majority of teachers have now had experience with online teaching thanks to the pandemic. But, what can we learn from schools who were teaching online long before COVID-19 restrictions? Jeremy Kwok and Su Temlett from Australian Christian College join Teacher to share the advantages.