The winners of the annual Prime Minister’s Prizes for Excellence in Science Teaching in primary and secondary schools have been announced. Darren Hamley from Willetton Senior High School in Western Australia and Sarah Fletcher from Bonython Primary School in the ACT were awarded with the prizes, and they both join us in today’s episode.

It’s no surprise that a teacher’s self-efficacy has a huge impact on their classroom teaching. But what aspects of work as a beginner teacher has an influence on how perceived self-efficacy develops? A research report has looked into this and we discuss the findings in this podcast episode.

We’ve collected the details of significant themes and events which might help inspire some of your upcoming lessons for 2021. Here, find out about STEM and literacy events that are scheduled, as well as themes of global significance which you might find relevant.

What should Australian schools and teachers focus on in order to improve students’ general understanding of mathematics and science? In her final Teacher column of the year, Dr Sue Thomson explores newly released TIMSS 2019 data to highlight some of the strengths and weaknesses of Australian students at the national level.

Andreas Schleicher – Director for Education and Skills at the OECD and long-time Teacher columnist – joins us from Paris for this episode to give his take on all things 2020, talk about the longer term impacts of the school shutdowns and share how different education systems have responded to the pandemic restrictions.

One-to-one and small-group tutoring have emerged as a catch-up strategy for schools to address student learning gaps as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with government funded programs announced here in Australia and overseas. Dr Pauline Ho and Dr Tanya Vaughan look at the evidence and give five key takeaways for school leaders and teachers.

In Strong Foundations: Evidence informing practice in early childhood education and care, Associate Professor Anna Kilderry and Honorary Professor Bridie Raban lead a team of 34 contributors, sharing knowledge and insights from research and links to everyday practice. This exclusive extract for Teacher readers discusses the ‘Principles of quality assessment’.

Research shows that spending time in a garden improves a person’s overall wellbeing. In today’s article, we explore the physical and mental health benefits of gardening and why spending time in the garden is proven to relieve stress.

In today’s piece, John Madden, a Mathematics and Science Teacher at Matthew Flinders Anglican College in Queensland shares why he uses running to care for his mental health and wellbeing, and offers insights into why running makes him a more alert and mindful teacher.

Kahli Schroder, a Teacher and Wellbeing Leader at St Bede's School in Victoria shares insights into how she cares for her own mental health and wellbeing.