‘An important factor in improving enrolments in STEM is ensuring the development of positive attitudes towards mathematics and science.’ In her new column for Teacher, Dr Sue Thomson discusses the results of the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), students’ general attitudes to mathematics and science, and their aspirations post-school.

In the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019, Year 4 principals were asked to report how many students in their school could do foundational literacy and numeracy skills such as ‘write their names’ and ‘recognise written numbers from 1 to 10’ when they began their first year of primary school. Find out how Australian data compare to the international average in this infographic.

After a pandemic pause in 2020, the ACER Research Conference is back. In today’s Q&A, conference organiser and ACER Senior Research Fellow Dr Claire Scoular tells us more about this year’s theme, and the focus on providing practical solutions for attendees.

For many schools, the shift to remote learning during the pandemic has led to new conversations about the possibilities of Blended Learning as a more integral aspect of regular learning and teaching programs. Today’s article looks at how a research-practice partnership is supporting four schools in Queensland to investigate this further.

In his latest Teacher column, OECD Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher shares preliminary findings from the organisation’s Special Survey on how systems have responded to the pandemic – from school closures and remote learning, to teacher vaccination and gradual returns to in-class instruction.

In the latest instalment of Teacher’s bookshelf, we share an exclusive extract from Thrive: the purpose of schools in a changing world, by Valerie Hannon and Amelia Peterson. In this 2nd Edition the authors advocate a new purpose for education and explore what thriving might look like in an age of disruption.

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) has today published new analyses of questionnaire data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019, examining the home, school and classroom contexts in which learning and achievement occur, and student attitudes.

Nilesh Banerjee, a casual relief teacher and a volunteer at Prescott College in Prospect, South Australia, has penned a review of Indigenous knowledges: Proceedings of the Water Sustainability and Wild Fire Mitigation symposia, 2012 and 2013. Here he also shares how it’s impacted his work with students and motivated him to give back to his community.

‘While we found that a lot of elements in our lives can be replaced by an online substitute, after a year of lockdowns we still have not been able to replicate the “human” element. The lack of peer-to-peer interaction was perhaps felt most by children.’ Professor John Toumbourou discusses the role of peer support programs in rebuilding student resilience.

Casual relief teachers (CRTs) are an integral part of the teacher workforce, but many often report feeling a lack of support and exclusion at schools they’re working in. Recent research has uncovered the common challenges faced by CRTs, and how school leaders can mitigate these concerns. Find out more in this podcast episode.