It’s the opening day of Research Conference 2025! The Teacher team are busy meeting with classroom teachers and school leaders; and attending international keynote presentations, panel sessions and more, all addressing the overarching theme of transforming learning systems. 

‘Schools and educators are increasingly finding themselves operating beyond capacity. Like a web browser with way too many tabs open – we are overloaded. Simply adding more “good things” won't fix this.’ Our latest reader submission shares how ‘pruning’ programs and activities can help schools create space for what matters most.

Educators refer to multiple forms of student data to help them plan out the next steps in teaching and learning, including informal feedback, classroom conversations and written assessments. As Dr Anne Knowles explains in this reader submission, student drawings could also be a useful addition to your toolkit.

We’re joined by Professor David Hopkins ahead of his keynote at ACER’s Research Conference 2025, titled ‘Unleashing Greatness – A Strategy for School Improvement’. Our conversation zeros in on one of the 8 steps of his strategy, instructional leadership, and includes practical pointers and plenty to reflect on in relation to your own context and practice.

What were you doing a decade ago? In May 2014 I welcomed readers to a new chapter in the life of Teacher magazine. Today, I’m excited to be celebrating a magnificent milestone for Teacher online as it reaches its 10th birthday.

Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) seeks to improve the experiences and academic achievements of marginalised and minoritised learners. In this edition of Researching education: 5 further readings, you can read research on CRT, including building cultural competence among teachers, how to further develop culturally responsive pedagogies, and more.

How can we support the teaching and learning of mathematics in ways that can enhance student engagement, participation and thus learning? In this reader submission, David Chinofunga shares findings from a 3-year study he’s been leading at James Cook University focused on supporting the teaching and learning of maths in Queensland secondary schools.

Parents and families are integral members of a school community, and working with them to improve student outcomes is a key part of an educator’s role. In our latest expert Q&A we speak to ACER Research Officer Simone Griggs and colleagues Greta Rollo, who leads the Primary, Early Childhood and Inclusive Research team, and Research Fellow Dr Kellie Picker, about a resource they’re developing to help practitioners build strong partnerships with families, including how to navigate difficult conversations.

Research shows that high quality teaching and leadership teams regularly share their skills, knowledge, expertise and best practice. In our latest expert Q&A we talk to Pru Mitchell – Manager of Information Services at the Australian Council for Educational Research – about the different ways to share and tips for getting started.

In this edition of Researching education: 5 further readings, we’re sharing 5 pieces of content on the topic of assessment from researchers in Australia and from overseas. You can read research into the state of assessment literacy of teachers across the globe, and a paper on early years educators’ use of phonological awareness assessment practices.