Columnists articles

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Assessment reform: Insights from New Zealand
Assessment reform: Insights from New Zealand

In his first Teacher column of 2024, Professor Geoff Masters AO discusses assessment reforms proposed in New Zealand to reverse that country’s declining student performance.

NAPLAN to stop reporting students’ progress
NAPLAN to stop reporting students’ progress

‘A parent who is now told that their child’s reading is "developing" in each of years 3, 5, 7 and 9 is never likely to know what that means.’ Professor Geoff Masters AO says recent changes to NAPLAN reporting won’t help teachers and parents, and are ‘bewildering’.

Reform challenges in school education
Reform challenges in school education

‘Schools everywhere face ongoing challenges in better preparing young people for their future and ensuring that every student learns successfully and meets high expectations.’ Professor Geoff Masters AO argues addressing these challenges will require fundamental reform of the framework within which schools operate.

Student engagement and confidence in reading: PIRLS recap
Student engagement and confidence in reading: PIRLS recap

'The importance of establishing strong positive attitudes towards learning – particularly towards reading, which underlies so much of students’ learning – is critical, particularly in view of the past two years.' Ahead of the December release of PIRLS 2021 results, Dr Sue Thomson recaps what 2016 data show about students in Australia.

What’s happening with PIRLS?
What’s happening with PIRLS?

In her latest Teacher column, Dr Sue Thomson looks ahead to the release of the PIRLS results, including the aims of this international assessment of Year 4 students’ reading skills, and how data for the 2021 cycle were collected during the pandemic.

Where the 'extracurricular' becomes the curriculum
Where the 'extracurricular' becomes the curriculum

‘[The Sacúdete strategy] shows to others what the future of school could look like when we put learners at the centre and make the "extracurricular" the curriculum. That is the lesson that other countries can learn from.’ In his new Teacher column, Andreas Schleicher shares details of a successful program in Colombia that sees educators work as mentors and coaches.

What does PISA tell us about Australia’s school sectors?
What does PISA tell us about Australia’s school sectors?

‘Clearly, the decline in Australia’s PISA scores is a complex problem, necessitating complex and varied solutions. What is evident from these data, however, is that the decline in scores cannot be attributed to one particular school sector, but it is shared across the whole system.’ In her latest Teacher column, Sue Thomson examines achievement, school climate and student wellbeing in Australia’s three school sectors.

PAT: Leading best practice
PAT: Leading best practice

‘Underpinning PAT is recognition that every student is at some point in their long-term progress and is capable of further progress given learning opportunities at an appropriate level of stretch challenge.’ In his latest Teacher column, Professor Geoff Masters AO explores what makes ACER’s progressive achievement (PAT) resources special.

Don’t look up, look forward: How are global trends shaping education?
Don’t look up, look forward: How are global trends shaping education?

In his first Teacher column of the year, OECD Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher discusses the Trends Shaping Education report, which examines the major economic, political, social and technological trends affecting education.

Disadvantage hindering social and emotional development
Disadvantage hindering social and emotional development

In her final Teacher column of the year, Dr Sue Thomson explores data from a new large-scale survey of young people’s social and emotional skills that reveals significant differences between students from advantaged and disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.