Columnists articles

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.

‘I believe we could dispense with ATAR at almost no cost, but significant benefit. There are several observations that lead me to this conclusion,’ Professor Geoff Masters AO writes as he makes the case for change in his latest Teacher column.

‘The current New South Wales school curriculum is in need of reform. That was the clear message from state-wide consultations and submissions to my review.’ In his latest Teacher column, Professor Geoff Masters AO discusses three aspects of the curriculum identified as being in need of reform.

'The school curriculum should embody a society’s vision for its future and play a vital role in achieving that vision.' Professor Geoff Masters AO reflected on this during his review of the New South Wales curriculum and on a study visit to Estonia.

‘[It] is worrying that in one-third of countries and economies that participated in PISA 2018 more than one in two students said that intelligence is something about them that they can’t change very much.’ In his new Teacher column Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills, discusses insights from PISA 2018.

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’.

‘While schools will be gradually re-opening in China by mid-April, they’re closing around much of the rest of the world. How well are we prepared? OECD’s TALIS survey offers some insights,’ Andreas Schleicher, the organisation’s Director for Education and Skills, writes in his latest Teacher column.

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?

Julia Gillard explains why schools and early learning services are in a strong position to help children and young people bounce back after the bushfire disaster, and looks at some of the resources available to support students and teachers.

In his final Teacher column of the year Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills, shares his key takeaways from this month’s Forum for World Education in Paris.