If you’re a teacher, developing leadership skills through continued professional education can enhance your skills and build a legacy that goes beyond the classroom. Courses like Rockhurst University Ed.D. programs equip educators with the skills needed to influence educational practice, strengthen school communities, and leave a lasting mark.

In this episode of The Research Files, Teacher editor Jo Earp is joined by Mason Zhou and Professor Dot Dumuid to talk about a South Australian study into the impact of secondary school transition on student wellbeing. One of the key findings is it’s not a short-term dip – students may be struggling in their second year, too.

As a school, understanding the reasons for student absenteeism in your context is key to providing targeted support. Drawing on data from PISA 2022, new OECD research shows school attendance problems are widespread and increasing. In this infographic, we share the reasons students missed 3 or more consecutive months of schooling.

Many Teacher readers have explicitly requested for us to publish content on curriculum implementation. New curriculum leadership resources have recently been released by ACARA – in this article, we explore the 8 key aspects covered and examples of how they can be used in various school settings. 

NAIDOC Week is an annual celebration that honours the cultures, histories and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In today’s article, we explore the 2026 theme 50 Years of Deadly, share links to the free resources that have been developed for teachers, and highlight 3 schools around the country who are celebrating NAIDOC Week in their own unique way. 

Recently the winner of the Global Schools Prize was announced – chosen from over 3,000 nominations. Excitingly, Australia’s Larrakeyah Primary School in Darwin were named as a finalist for the prize. In this episode, Dominique Beech is joined by Fathma Mauger to hear all about the custom-built AI writing platform they were recognised for. 

A survey of teachers in Australia has examined teacher perspectives on the role of teachers and schools in fostering respectful debate and discussion of contemporary issues. Survey topics include teacher confidence in facilitating discussions, and the barriers they face.

New research involving almost 4,000 students aged 13-18 in the UK has found many are divided over appropriate use of AI in their homework and a majority would like to see their teachers use AI in the classroom. The research also asked students and their teachers what support they would like to receive on AI. Find out more in this article. 

In this episode of The Research Files, editor Jo Earp is joined by Professor Sandra Gattenhof and Dr John Nicholas Saunders who share findings from their study exploring declining enrolment numbers in year 12 arts subjects in Australia. They also talk about the implications for schools, including the arts educator pipeline, and practical supports for out-of-field teachers.

Absent students miss more than just lesson content; they miss the opportunities to build the habits and skills to succeed at school and in life. New OECD research shows ‘school attendance problems are no longer a marginal issue; they have become a challenge affecting classrooms in nearly every country’.