Staff and students at Adelaide Botanic High School have been using EdChat, a generative AI tool developed by the South Australia Department for Education, since 2023. In today’s article, principal Sarah Chambers shares examples of how the tool is being used by students to support learning, and by staff to reduce workload. 

‘… research published in recent months has shown how students’ dispositions to learning are shaped by us, and how these dispositions in turn influence achievement.’ In his latest Teacher column, Professor Martin Westwell – Chief Executive of the South Australian Department for Education – discusses the maths gender gap.

Each year, the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership’s (AITSL) Australian Teacher Workforce Data initiative collects data from higher education providers, teacher regulatory authorities and teachers themselves on topics important to the national teacher workforce. In today’s article, Dr Gillian Clark, Alex Allan and Dr Susan-Marie Harding from AITSL provide a snapshot of some of the latest data. 

‘We need to make sure through that data that we’re finetuning our programs so we’re actually meeting the demands and the needs of the students.’ In today’s article, Careers Advisor at Arthur Phillip High School Stephanie Malnar joins Teacher to share how she supports students with their career development. 

Research shows that higher wellbeing in young people is linked to strong connections with others and well-developed social-emotional skills. The Social-Emotional Wellbeing (SEW) survey is a valuable resource for schools aiming to understand and support the wellbeing of students. Find out more in this article.

Schools play a critical role in supporting student mental health and promoting wellbeing initiatives. The Australian Council for Educational Research has produced the Wellbeing Program Guide – a comprehensive catalogue of 233 wellbeing programs designed to help teachers and schools find suitable programs that are evidence-based, locally relevant, and practical for educators to implement.

Research shows that outstanding teachers and school leaders regularly share their skills, knowledge, expertise and best practice with others, both within and across schools and learning networks. Every week Templestowe Heights Primary School in Victoria opens its doors to educators from other schools to share their leadership expertise and to watch their classrooms in action.

In Episode 101 of The Research Files Teacher editor Jo Earp is joined by ACER Senior Research Fellow Dr Rebecca Taylor to explore survey data from 2 reports into music teaching and music education in primary schools, all about the ‘what’, ‘when’, and ‘how’ music learning is delivered.

Last month we brought you news of a major OECD report on the state of global teenage career preparation. So, in this follow-up podcast we’re going to be sharing an example of how one school here in Australia – Fairhills High School in Victoria – is doing some great work in the area of careers and pathways education.

In early 2025, all 9 of Zoos Victoria’s Asian elephants were relocated to a state-of-the-art habitat at Werribee Open Range Zoo. Students visiting Werribee can now observe herd dynamics up close, with educators guiding inquiry into animal behaviour, welfare science, and the complex ethics of human-animal relationships.