Ahead of ACER’s Research Conference next month, we sat down with Professor Rich Lehrer from Vanderbilt University to discuss his research that explores science and mathematics education for elementary school students in the US. He also gives listeners a taste of what he’ll be sharing at the conference and why he decided to name his keynote address ‘Accountable Assessment’.

In the first article in a three-part series on virtual reality in education, Dr Susan O’Donnell and Adrian Rayner explain how virtual reality has been used in many industries and commercial products over decades, why using it comes so naturally to 21st Century learners, and why virtual reality represents exciting learning possibilities for students and teachers alike.

In this series, we take a look at some further readings available on a particular topic, including open access research papers from various online databases. In this edition, the focus is online professional development.

Sexual harassment, including online sexual abuse, has become ‘normalised’ for children and young people and so commonplace for some that they see no point in reporting it to teachers and school staff, according to the findings of a review in England.

‘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.

The fundamental reason we eat food is to provide our bodies with the nutrients and energy we need to function. But, we often eat for other reasons too. In today’s article we speak to Associate Professor Esben Strodl about emotional eating, why people turn to food in times of stress and why it’s important to understand our emotional triggers.

Schools in West Australia participating in a pilot study managed to dramatically reduce their carbon emissions per student, with 60 per cent of the initiatives they implemented requiring no cost. Here, we speak to the researchers involved to see which initiatives proved to be most impactful, and how other schools can do the same.

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.

The final webinar in a series tackling major challenges in school education in Australia will explore the ‘wicked problem’ of how to raise the status of the teaching profession. Topics up for discussion include how to attract and retain highly capable people, and changing attitudes towards teachers and teaching.