The Teacher team is on the road this week at the ACER Research Conference 2018 in Sydney. In this special podcast episode, we share highlights from the ‘In Conversation’ session on evidence-based teaching practices between Laureate Professor John Hattie and ACER CEO Professor Geoff Masters AO.

While low levels of physical activity among children and adolescents remain a concern in Australia, student engagement in the maths classroom also requires attention. One pilot program in New South Wales sought to tackle both issues simultaneously.

Emeritus Professor Bill Louden from the University of Western Australia presented at Research Conference 2018 in Sydney. His session, titled Evidence-based approaches to school improvement: Kimberley Schools Project outlined the fundamental principles that underpin the thinking behind the project.

Prep teacher Sarah Ferguson has been working with Australian academics Dr Jill Cheeseman and Dr Andrea McDonough to explore young students’ perceptions of maths learning.

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) measures Year 4 students’ reading literacy achievement. When the last study cycle was conducted in 2016, students in the Russian Federation outperformed their peers in all 50 participating countries and 11 benchmarking regions.

Student voice has been a core part of staff professional learning at Pakuranga College for several years. Here, two professional learning leaders at the Auckland school reflect on the implementation process and key learnings for teachers.

June is STEM month here at Teacher. In this Q&A we speak to Sharon de Rooy, one of 300 preschool educators involved in the Early Learning STEM Australia pilot.

In the second article in a series related to ACER’s Communication Student Learning Progress project, Jonathan Heard and Dr Hilary Hollingsworth examine recent and current reporting trends and practices in schools, and the growing use of digital systems and tools.

How can we teach and assess general capabilities such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and research skills? Dr Claire Scoular and Jonathan Heard share details of a research project aiming to develop practical tools for use in the classroom.

ACER’s Research Conference brings together leading education researchers from Australia and overseas. In today’s article, Professor Geoff Masters AO discusses the aims of the conference and this year’s theme – ‘Teaching practices that make a difference: Insights from research’.